THE EARTH

AND ITS
SUBSYSTEMS
 Earth
•The third planet in the Solar System
•According to radiometric dating, it is said
to be 4.56 billion years old
•Revolves the sun around 365-366 days
•The only planet to harbor life
Earth Science
•It isalso called as “Geoscience”.
•It is the study of the Earth’s characteristics
and behavior.
Why is the Earth habitable?
• It has a right distance from the Sun
• It has a strong magnetic field that shields us from the
electromagnetic radiation coming from the sun
• It is protected by the plate tectonics from the very hot
temperature of the Core
• It has the right chemical materials that could support life
(e.g. water)
Why is the Earth habitable?
• The presence of oxygen in the atmosphere
• Right atmospheric conditions
Earth as a SYSTEM
SYSTEM
• a set of connected or related parts
working together and forming a complex
system as a whole
Earth as a SYSTEM
• The Earth system is all of the matter,
energy, and processes within Earth’s
boundary.
• Earth is a complex system made of living
and non-living things, and matter and
energy continuously cycle through the
smaller systems.
 Cycles
• It is one of the major themes of the Earth’s
subsystems
• It is the process wherein the material in the Earth
system was continuously recycled in numerous
overlapping cycles
The Hydrologic (Water) Cycle
The
Rock
Cycle
The Carbon
Cycle
THE EARTH SUBSYSTEMS
Biosphere Hydrosphere

Geosphere Atmosphere
Biosphere
• The biosphere is made up of
living things and the areas of
Earth where they are found.
• All of the microbes, plants, and
animals can be found somewhere
in the biosphere.
• The biosphere extends to the
upper areas of the
atmosphere where birds and
insects can be found, into dark
caves deep in the ground or to
the bottom of the ocean.
• The biosphere extends to any
place that life of any kind might
exist.
• Organisms usually need
oxygen or carbon dioxide to
carry out life processes.
Hydrosphere
• It is the liquid component of
the Earth (including glacial
waters)
• Covers 71% of the Earth’s
Surface
• 97% of the water on Earth
is saltwater
• Helps the atmosphere to
become its current state
 Cryosphere
• The portion of the
Earth's surface
where water is in a
solid form

• Includes glaciers,
ice shelves, snow,
icebergs, and
arctic regions 16
Hydrological Cycle (Water Cycle)
• It is the cycle that explains the
continuous movement of the water,
above or below the Earth’s surface
• It also involves the transfer of energy
(e.g. evaporation → condensation)
• The sun is the driving agent of this cycle
 Atmosphere
• A gaseous sphere and it envelopes the Earth
• Consists of a mixture of gases composed primarily
of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water
vapor
Atmosphere
• Set of layers of gases that
surrounds or protects the
planet that is held by the
planet’s gravity

• Atmosphere of Earth
Compositions:
Nitrogen – 78%
Oxygen – 20.95%
Argon – 0.93%
Other Gases – 0.04%
Atmosphere
Troposphere
•This is the lowest part of the atmosphere - the part we live in. It contains
most of our weather - clouds, rain, snow.
•The troposphere contains about 75% of all of the air in the atmosphere,
and almost all of the water vapor (which forms clouds and rain).

Stratosphere
•It contains much of the ozone in the atmosphere. The increase in
temperature with height occurs because of absorption of ultraviolet (UV)
radiation from the sun by this ozone.

Mesosphere
•The region above the stratosphere is called the mesosphere. Here the
temperature again decreases with height, reaching a minimum of about -
90°C (-130° F). The air in the mesosphere is far too thin to breathe.
Most meteors burn up in the mesosphere.
Thermosphere
•High-energy X-rays and UV radiation from the Sun are absorbed in the
thermosphere, raising its temperature to hundreds or at times
thousands of degrees. However, the air in this layer is so thin that it
would feel freezing cold to us! In many ways, the thermosphere is more
like outer space than a part of the atmosphere. Many satellites actually
orbit Earth within the thermosphere!

Exosphere
Although some experts consider the thermosphere to be the uppermost
layer of our atmosphere, others consider the exosphere to be the actual
"final frontier" of Earth's gaseous envelope. As you might imagine, the
"air" in the exosphere is very, very, very thin, making this layer even
more space-like than the thermosphere.
 Geosphere (Lithosphere)

• The Earth's solid

surface, often called
the crust of the earth.
• It includes continental
and oceanic crust as
well as the various
layers of the Earth's
interior.
 LITHOSPHERE

The lithosphere includes

the crust and the upper
part of the mantle.
 CRUST

- It’s the light and very thin outer skin of

the Earth.
- The outermost layer where energy and
mineral resources are derived.
Different elements that compose
the Earth’s CRUST
 Oxygen 46.60
 Silicon 27.72
 Aluminum 8.13
 Iron 5.00
 Calcium 3.63
 Sodium 2.83
 Potassium 2.59
 Magnesium 2.09
 Titanium 0.40
 Hydrogen 0.14
MANTLE

- Less dense layer

- Made up of silicate rocks, mostly made
of the elements silicon, oxygen, iron
and magnesium.
 CORE

- Denser layer
- the Earth’s magnetic field
- strengthens the idea that the
Earth’s outer core is molten/liquid.
Event <=> Sphere

•Causes & Effects

•Interactions
System Interactions

Geosphere

Atmosphere Biosphere
35
 System Interactions

Hydrosphere

Atmosphere Geosphere
Biosphere
36
System Interactions

Biosphere

Geosphere Atmosphere

Hydroshere 37
Why Study Earth
System?

38
• Global implications
• Helps people predict outcomes
• Preparation for natural disasters
• Environmental impacts of human activities
• Resources, Economics
• Hazards
• Human sustainability and safety
• Engineering
• Military
• Pure Science and Understanding
“Earth Science informs all other sciences”

The Earth Sciences

Astronomy Oceanography
Physics Biology
Geology

Meteorology Hydrology

40
Chemistry
And finally, simply to understand the
nature of our own back yard.
GOD WRITES THE GOSPEL NOT
ONLY IN THE BIBLE, BUT ON
TREES AND FLOWERS AND
CLOUDS AND STARS.

-MARTIN LUTHER