Earth Science sufficient-sized atmosphere.
Earth’s atmosphere is about
• Earth science or geoscience
100 miles thick.
includes all fields of natural
science related to the planet 4. Energy – Living things use light
Earth. This is a branch of or chemical energy to run
science dealing with the essential life processes. With
physical, chemical, and the availability of sufficient
biological complex constitutions energy, organisms can perform
and synergistic linkages of different metabolic reactions
Earth's four spheres, namely through the cells. The inner
biosphere, hydrosphere, planets such as Earth, get too
atmosphere, and geosphere. much sunlight for life. The outer
planets get too little.
Characteristics of the Earth and
5. Right Distance from the Sun
Its Subsystems
– Earth is in the Goldilocks
What makes earth habitable? Zone. A region with the just the
right temperature to sustain life
1. Temperature – This will – not too cold not too hot.
influence how quickly atoms 6. Strong magnetic field - It
and molecules move. Most shields us from the
living things are limited to a electromagnetic radiation
temperature range of minus coming from the Sun. The
15˚C to 115˚C. Given this magnetic field deflects the
temperature range, H2O may radiation that may destroy the
still exist in liquid form being ozone layer.
crucial to life. Among the other 7. Nutrients – These are
planets, only Earth’s surface materials that build and
has this temperature range. maintain an organism’s body.
2. Water – This matter dissolves The inner planets including
and transports materials in and Earth and moons have the same
out of the cell. Only Earth has general chemical components
the right chemical materials like which makes nutrients easily
liquid water that could support available in the environment.
life.
8. Greenhouse Gases -
3. 3.Right Atmospheric Without the greenhouse effect,
Conditions - The earth’s Earth would be frozen, more
atmosphere is capable of than 60º F colder. As mentioned
trapping heat and houses the above, the atmosphere is
important atmospheric gases capable of trapping heat
such as carbon dioxide and because of greenhouse gases.
oxygen which cause the earth Examples of greenhouse gases
to warm. It shields the surface are water vapor, methane, and
from harmful radiation through carbon dioxide.
the ozone layer and Earth has
the right size to hold a
9. It is protected by the the land and runs off (process)
plate tectonics from the downslope back to the sea.
very hot temperature of the
core – The earth’s core causes
the convection currents in the Two basic types of systems. a) Earth’s
mantle causing the overlaying subsystems are open systems. Open
lithosphere to move. However, systems involve the inputs and
the surface is protected from outputs of both energy and matter
heat from the core by the b.)Earth is basically a closed system.
lithospheric plates. Closed system allows only energy to
pass in and out.
Lesson 2: Subsystem of the Earth First Subsystem: ATMOSPHERE
What is a system? The word atmosphere comes from the
Greek roots atmos which means gas,
A system is an interconnected set of
and sphaira which means globe or
components that are linked through
ball. The atmosphere makes up of all
interconnections that function to
the gases on Earth. It extends outward
create an outcome. The interaction of
about 10 000 km from the surface of
components and their interactions
the Earth. It is composed of the
create system behavior. A bicycle is a
system composed of a set of
components that interact to provide
transportation, much like the organ
systems in our body that have a
coordinated function which enable all
the physiological processes for life
possible. following gases:
How does a system work
The Earth and its subsystems “work” Second Subsystem: GEOSPHERE
by movement or transfer of matter
and energy and the processes The geosphere is considered that
involved with these transfers. For portion of the Earth system that
example, sunlight (energy) warms includes the Earth's interior, rocks and
(process) a body of water (matter) and minerals, landforms and the processes
the water evaporates (process) into that shape the Earth's surface. The
the atmosphere. Later on, the water Earth itself is not a perfect sphere but
condenses (process) back into a liquid an oblate spheroid, with a radius of
and the rain (matter) falls (process) on 6,357 kilometers (km) from the Earth's
center to the North Pole and 6,378 km
Energy Energy from the center to the Equator.
input output
Third Subsystem: HYDROSPHERE
Energy-matter
interactions
Matter is
contained within
the system
boundaries
CLOSED SYSTEM OPEN SYSTEM
The hydrosphere is the sum of all and onto the land (geosphere),
water on Earth and the water cycle damaging the dwellings of people
that distributes it around the planet. (biosphere) who live along the coast.
Earth is unique in the solar system for
Geosphere: Interactions with
its abundant surface waters. Our
other Earth System Components
orbital distance from the sun, in
addition to our unique atmosphere, Atmosphere: Volcanism spews
gives Earth the right temperature in significant amounts of gases into the
our middle-aged solar system to have atmosphere. For example, volcanoes
water as a liquid, and lots of it. It's inject large amounts of sulfur dioxide
because of the hydrosphere that life to the upper atmosphere, resulting in
flourishes on Earth. global cooling.
Fourth Subsystem: BIOSPHERE Hydrosphere: The formation of many
minerals involves incorporation or
The biosphere contains the entirety
release of water. Also, water speeds
of Earth’s living things. It is sometimes
up chemical reactions that dissolves
referred to as the “zone of life”.
ions from the mineral and carries them
From a geophysical standpoint,
away.
biosphere is the global ecological
system integrating all living things Biosphere: Nutrients released from
and their relationship including their rocks during their breakdown are
interactions with the elements of the dissolved in water (to be used by
lithosphere, hydrosphere and aquatic plants).
atmosphere.
The biosphere is divided into biomes.
Biomes are the world’s major Hydrosphere: Interactions with
communities. They are classified other Earth System Components
according to the predominant Atmosphere: Water is transferred
vegetation characterized by between the hydrosphere and
adaptations of organisms to that biosphere by evaporation and
particular climate. precipitation. Energy is also
Atmosphere: Interactions with exchanged in this process.
other Earth System Components Biosphere: Water is necessary for
Biosphere: The atmosphere supplies the transport of nutrients and waste
oxygen and carbon dioxide that form products in organisms.
the basis of life processes Geosphere: Water is the primary
(photosynthesis and respiration). agent for the chemical and mechanical
Geosphere: Gases in the atmosphere breakdown of rock (weathering), to
react with water to produce weak form loose rock fragments and soil,
acids that aid in the breakdown of and sculpts the surface of the Earth.
rock. Biosphere: Interactions with other
Typhoon formation (atmosphere) Earth System Components
sweep across the ocean (hydrosphere)
Atmosphere: Life processes involve
many chemical reactions which either
extract or emit gases to and from the
atmosphere (e.g. photosynthesis
consumes carbon dioxide and releases
oxygen, whereas respiration does the
opposite).
Hydrosphere: Evaporation of water
from leaf surfaces (transpiration)
transfers water to the atmosphere.
Geosphere: The biosphere is
connected to the geosphere through
soils (mixtures of air, mineral matter,
organic matter, and water). Plant
activity (e.g. root growth and organic
acid production) are also for the
mechanical and chemical breakdown
of the rocks.
