ASn SCNI (Std 6

th
)

MAJOR DOMAN8 OF THE EARTH



The earth is the only planet which has liIe. Human beings can live here because the liIe
sustaining elements oI land, water and air are present on the earth. The surIace oI the earth is a
complex zone in which three main components oI the environment meet, overlap and interact.
Three Major Domains of the Earth
(1)ithosphere
(2)tmosphere
(3)Hydrosphere

(1)Lithosphere: The solid portion oI the earth on which we live is called the ithosphere.
(2)tmosphere: The gaseous layers that surround the earth, is the tmosphere, where
oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and other gases are Iound.
(3)/rosphere: ater covers a very big area oI the earth`s surIace and this area is called
the Hydrosphere. The Hydrosphere comprises water in all its Iorms, that
is, ice, water and water vapor
The iosphere is the narrow zone where we Iind land, water and air together, which contains all
Iorms oI liIe.

ASn SCNI (Std 6
th
)

(1)LIT$!ERE
The solid portion oI the earth is called the ithosphere. It comprises the rocks oI the
earth`s crust and the thin layers oI soil that contain nutrient elements which sustain organisms.
There are two main divisions oI the earth`s surIace.
The large landmasses are known as the continents and the huge water bodies are called the ocean
basins. ll the oceans oI the world are connected with one another. The level oI seawater
remains the same everywhere. Elevation oI land is measured Irom the level oI the sea, which is
taken as zero. The highest mountain peak Mt. Everest is 8,848 meters above the sea level. The
greatest depth oI 11,022 meters is recorded at Mariana Trench in the PaciIic Ocean.


Continents



























ASn SCNI (Std 6
th
)

There are seven major continents.

sia, Europe, frica, North merica, $outh merica, ustralia an/ ntarctica.

sia is the largest continent. It covers about one- third oI the total land area oI the earth. The
continent lies in the Eastern Hemisphere. The Tropic oI Cancer passes through this continent.
sia is separated Irom Europe by the Ural Mountains on the west The combined landmass oI
Europe and sia is called the Eurasia (Europe sia).
Europe is much smaller than sia. The continent lies to the west oI sia. The rctic Circle
passes through it. It is bound by water bodies on three sides. ook at the map oI the world and
locate it. Irica is the second largest continent aIter sia. The Equator or 00 latitude runs almost
through the middle oI the continent.
frica lies in the Northern Hemisphere. you will Iind that it is the only continent through which
the Tropic oI Cancer, the Equator and the Tropic oI Capricorn pass. The Sahara Desert, the
world`s largest hot desert, is located in Irica. The continent is bound on all sides by oceans and
seas. You will notice that the world`s longest river the Nile, Ilows through Irica. Notice where
the Equator, the Tropic oI Cancer and the Tropic oI Capricorn pass in the map oI Irica.
North merica is the third largest continent oI the world. It is linked to South merica by a
very narrow strip oI land called the Isthmus oI Panama. The continent lies completely in the
Northern and estern Hemisphere. Three oceans surround this continent. Can you name these
oceans South merica lies mostly in the Southern Hemisphere. The ndes, world`s longest
mountain range, runs through its length Irom north to south
$outh merica has the world`s largest river, the mazon.
ustralia is the smallest continent that lies entirely in the Southern Hemisphere. It is
surrounded on all sides by the oceans and seas. It is called an island continent.
ntarctica, completely in the Southern Hemisphere, is a huge continent. It is larger than the
combined area oI Europe and ustralia. The South Pole lies almost at the centre oI this
continent. s it is located in the South Polar Region, it is permanently covered with thick ice
sheets.











ASn SCNI (Std 6
th
)

(2)DR$!ERE










The earth is called the blue planet. More than 71 per cent oI the earth is covered with
water and 29 per cent is with land. Hydrosphere consists oI water in all its Iorms. s running
water in oceans and rivers and in lakes, ice in glaciers, underground water and the water vapour
in atmosphere, all comprise the hydrosphere. More than 97 oI the Earth`s water is Iound in the
oceans and is too salty Ior human use. large proportion oI the rest oI the water is in the Iorm oI
icesheets and glaciers or under the ground and a very small percentage is available as Iresh water
Ior human use. Hence, despite being a blue planet` we Iace a shortage oI water!! Oceans Oceans
are the major part oI hydrosphere. They are all interconnected. The ocean waters are always
moving. The three chieI movements oI ocean waters are the waves, the tides and the ocean
currents. The Iour major oceans are the PaciIic Ocean, the tlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean
andthe rctic Ocean, in order oI their size.






ASn SCNI (Std 6
th
)


(3)TM$!ERE

The earth is surrounded by a layer oI gas called the atmosphere. This thin blanket oI air is an
integral and important aspect oI the planet. It provides us with the air we breathe and protects us
Irom the harmIul eIIects oI sun`s rays. The atmosphere extends up to a height oI about 1,600
kilometres. The atmosphere is divided into Iive layers based on composition, temperature and
other properties. These layers starting Irom earth`s surIace are called the troposphere, the
stratosphere, the mesosphere, the thermosphere and the exosphere. The atmosphere is composed
mainly oI nitrogen and oxygen, which make up about 99 per cent oI clean, dry air. Nitrogen 78
per cent, oxygen 21 per cent and other gases like carbondioxides, argon and others comprise 1
per cent by volume. Oxygen is the breath oI liIe while nitrogen helps in the growth oI living
organisms. Carbon dioxide, though present in minute amount, is important as it absorbs heat
radiated by the earth, thereby keeping the planet warm. It is also essential Ior the growth oI
plants. The density oI the atmosphere varies with height. ayers oI the tmosphere is maximum
at the sea level and decreases rapidly as we go up. You know, the climbers experience problems
in breathing due to this decrease in the density oI air. They have to carry with them oxygen
cylinders to be able to breathe at high altitudes. The temperature also decreases as we go
upwards. The atmosphere exerts pressure on the earth. This varies Irom place to place. Some
areas experience high pressure and some areas low pressure. ir moves Irom high pressure to
low pressure. Moving air is known as wind.


ASn SCNI (Std 6
th
)


I$!ERE
THE DOMIN OF IFE The biosphere is the narrow zone oI contact between the land,
water and air. It is in this zone that liIe, that is unique to this planet, exists. There are several
species oI organisms that vary in size Irom microbes and bacteria to huge mammals. ll the
living organisms including humans are linked to each other and to the biosphere Ior survival.
The organisms in the biosphere may broadly be divided into the plant kingdom and the animal
kingdom.
The three domains oI the earth interact with each other and aIIect each other in some
way or the other.. Discharge oI waste material into lakes and rivers makes the water unsuitable
Ior human use It also damages other Iorms oI liIe. Emission Irom industries, thermal power
plants and vehicles, pollute the air. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important constituent oI air. But
increase in the amount oI CO2 leads to increase in global temperatures. This is termed as global
warming.
There is thus, a need to limit the use oI resources oI the earth to maintain the balance oI
nature between the domains oI the lithosphere, the atmosphere and the hydrosphere.


Guided By:
Miss Monika Teacher