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Spheres of The Earth

The document describes Earth's four main spheres: - The lithosphere is the solid land and includes different layers within the planet. - The hydrosphere is all of Earth's water, both liquid and frozen, within and on the planet. Most is salty ocean water. - The biosphere contains all living things on Earth, which form ecological communities called biomes. - The atmosphere is the air surrounding the planet, protecting living things and influencing weather.

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Ferlynne Marie Bernardino
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143 views3 pages

Spheres of The Earth

The document describes Earth's four main spheres: - The lithosphere is the solid land and includes different layers within the planet. - The hydrosphere is all of Earth's water, both liquid and frozen, within and on the planet. Most is salty ocean water. - The biosphere contains all living things on Earth, which form ecological communities called biomes. - The atmosphere is the air surrounding the planet, protecting living things and influencing weather.

Uploaded by

Ferlynne Marie Bernardino
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Earth's Spheres

Everything in Earth's system can be placed into one of four


major subsystems: land, water, living things, or air. These four subsystems
are called “spheres.” Specifically, they are the lithosphere (land),
hydrosphere (water), biosphere (living things), and atmosphere (air). Each of
these four spheres can be further divided into sub-spheres. To keep things
simple in this course, there will be no distinction among the sub-spheres of
any of the four major spheres.

Lithosphere - Land
The lithosphere contains all of the cold, hard solid land of the planet's crust
(surface), the semi-solid land underneath the crust, and the liquid land near the
center of the planet.* The surface of the lithosphere is very uneven (see image
on right). There are high mountain ranges like the Rockies and Andes (shown
in red), huge plains or flat areas like those in Texas, Iowa, and Brazil (shown in
green), and deep valleys along the ocean floor (shown in blue).

The solid, semi-solid, and liquid land of the lithosphere form layers that are physically and
chemically different. If someone were to cut through Earth to its center, these layers would
be revealed like the layers of an onion (see right image above). The outermost layer of the
lithosphere consists of loose soil rich in nutrients, oxygen, and silicon. Beneath that layer
lies a very thin, solid crust of oxygen and silicon. Next is a thick, semi-solid mantle of
oxygen, silicon, iron, and magnesium. Below that is a liquid outer core of nickel and iron.
At the center of Earth is a solid inner core of nickel and iron. 

* Note: The word "lithosphere" can take on different meanings depending on the speaker
and the audience. For example, many geologists--scientists who study the geologic
formations of Earth--reserve the word "lithosphere" to mean only the cold, hard surface of
Earth, not the entire inside of the planet. For the purpose of this course, however, there will
be no distinction among the various layers of land. The word "lithosphere" will be used in
reference to all land in Earth's system.

Hydrosphere - Water
The hydrosphere contains all the solid, liquid, and gaseous water of the
planet.** It ranges from 10 to 20 kilometers in thickness. The hydrosphere
extends from Earth's surface downward several kilometers into the
lithosphere and upward about 12 kilometers into the atmosphere.

A small portion of the water in the hydrosphere is fresh (non-salty). This


water flows as precipitation from the atmosphere down to Earth's surface, as rivers and
streams along Earth's surface, and as groundwater beneath Earth's surface. Most of
Earth's fresh water, however, is frozen.

Ninety-seven percent of Earth's water is salty. The salty water collects in deep valleys
along Earth's surface. These large collections of salty water are referred to as oceans. The
image above depicts the different temperatures one would find on oceans' surfaces. Water
near the poles is very cold (shown in dark purple), while water near the equator is very
warm (shown in light blue). The differences in temperature cause water to change physical
states. Extremely low temperatures like those found at the poles cause water to freeze into
a solid such as a polar icecap, a glacier, or an iceberg. Extremely high temperatures like
those found at the equator cause water to evaporate into a gas.

** Note: Some scientists place frozen water--glaciers, icecaps, and icebergs--in its own
sphere called the "cryosphere." For the purpose of this course, however, frozen water will
be included as part of the hydrosphere. The word "hydrosphere" will be used in reference
to all water in Earth's system.

Biosphere - Living Things


The biosphere contains all the planet's living things. This sphere includes all
of the microorganisms, plants, and animals of Earth.***

Within the biosphere, living things form ecological communities based on the
physical surroundings of an area. These communities are referred to as
biomes. Deserts, grasslands, and tropical rainforests are three of the many
types of biomes that exist within the biosphere. 

It is impossible to detect from space each individual organism within the biosphere.
However, biomes can be seen from space. For example, the image above distinguishes
between lands covered with plants (shown in shades of green) and those that are not
(shown in brown).

***Note: Some scientists place humans in their own sphere called the "anthrosphere". For
the purpose of this course, however, humans will be included as part of the biosphere. The
word "biosphere" will be used in reference to all living things in Earth's system.

Atmosphere - Air
The atmosphere contains all the air in Earth's system.**** It extends from less than 1 m
below the planet's surface to more than 10,000 km above the planet's surface. The upper
portion of the atmosphere protects the organisms of the biosphere from the sun's
ultraviolet radiation. It also traps heat. When air temperature in the lower portion of this
sphere changes, weather occurs. As air in the lower atmosphere is heated or cooled, it
moves around the planet. The result can be as simple as a breeze or as complex as a
tornado.

****Note: The atmosphere is made up of many layers that differ in chemical composition
and temperature. For the purpose of this course, however, we will not differentiate among
the layers of the atmosphere. The word "atmosphere" will be used in reference to all of the
layers.

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