WHAT ARE EARTH

SYSTEMS?
 WHAT IS A SYSTEM?
• a system is a group of interacting, or independent
parts that form a complex whole.

Two types of system:

• OPEN SYSTEM and CLOSED SYSTEM
Open System
• An open system allows the transfer of
both energy and matter to and from
surrounding systems.

• People are considered open systems.

Closed System

• A closed system allows the transfer of

energy but not the transfer of matter.
Sealed box
What Type of System Is
Earth?
Earth as a Closed System
• Earth is commonly regarded as a closed system.

• The rocks on Earth are not leaving.

• The cryosphere may melt and refreeze

• As water evaporates, it goes into the air and later

falls back to Earth as precipitation.
Earth Subsystems
Four basic subsystems:

• Geosphere
• Hydrosphere
• Atmosphere and;
• Biosphere
 'Geo' for 'ground,' 'hydro' for
'water,' 'bio' for 'life' and 'atmo'
for 'air.'
Geosphere
• all solid land in Earth's crust.
• The word geosphere originates from the Greek prefix
geo- which means "earth."
• abiotic
Includes:
- rocks and minerals in different form
- all of the mountains on the surface
- the continents, the ocean floor, all of the rocks on the
surface, and all of the sand in the deserts
Hydrosphere
• is the totality of Earth's water
• the word hydrosphere originates from the Greek prefix
hydro- which means "water."
• abiotic
Includes:
- rivers, lakes, streams, oceans, groundwater, polar
ice caps, glaciers and moisture in the air (like rain
and snow)
> Most of Earth's water is salty and in the oceans -
about 97%

> Two-thirds of the remaining 3% is frozen in

glaciers and polar ice caps

> Less than 1% of the hydrosphere is liquid

freshwater, that is accessible to us to meet our
need.
Atmosphere
- is the mixture of gasses that surround the planet such as;
• 78% nitrogen
• 21% oxygen
• 0.9% argon
• 0.1% other gasses
- The word atmosphere originates from the Greek prefix
atmos- which means "vapor."

- abiotic
FUN FACT

"The skin of the apple is about 20 times thicker

relative to the apple than the atmosphere to the size
of the earth."
LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE

• Troposphere
• Stratosphere
• Mesosphere
• Thermosphere and;
• Exosphere
Troposphere
- The majority of the mass of the entire atmosphere is
contained in the troposphere—between approximately 75
and 80 percent.

Stratosphere
- A high concentration of ozone, a molecule composed of
three atoms of oxygen, makes up the ozone layer of the
stratosphere.
Mesosphere
- The atmosphere is thin here, but still thick enough so that
meteors will burn up as they pass through the
mesosphere—creating what we see as “shooting stars.”

Thermosphere
- the layer of the atmosphere right before we get to outer
space.
Exosphere

- is the layer that is the planet's first line of

defense against the sun's rays.
Earth Spheres Interactions

- All 4 spheres influence the climate,

geological processes, and life on Earth.
Animals Plants
Biosphere - organisms Biosphere - plants
Hydrosphere - water Geosphere - soil
Atmosphere - air Hydrosphere- fresh water
Geosphere - land Atmosphere - oxygen