The Earth System

Marilyn P. Mifuel
INHS-SHS
June 2019
 LEARNING COMPETENCIES

 Explain that the Earth has

subsystems whose boundaries matter
and energy flow
 Show the contributions of
personalities/people on understanding of
earth systems
Terrarium
 The Earth System
 “Earth is a complex
system of interacting
physical, chemical and
biological processes,
and provides a natural
laboratory whose
experiments have been
running since the
beginning of time.”

NASA
http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/earthsystem/nutshell/
 Earth As A Closed System

Closed system: exchange of energy but negligible

exchange of mass with surroundings
 Earth System Science
 Earth is a dynamic body
with many separate, but
highly interacting parts
or spheres.
 Earth system science
studies Earth as a
system composed of
numerous parts, or
SUBSYSTEMS.
The Earth System M. Ruzek, 1999
VIDEO: THE
EARTH
SYSTEMS
The Earth’s Four Spheres
 ACTIVITY
(1 whole piece of paper)
 1. Form a dyad or triad
 2. Examine the 12 relationships in
the 4 spheres of planet earth
 3. Define each relationship by
giving real life examples.
 4. (30) pts.
 Earth’s Four Spheres
The Earth is a system consisting of four major
interacting components:

Geosphere: comprises the solid Earth

and includes both Earth’s surface and
the various layers of the Earth's
interior.
Atmosphere: gaseous envelope that
surrounds the Earth and constitutes the
transition between its and the
vacuum of space
 Earth’s Four Spheres…
Hydrosphere: includes all water on Earth
(including surface water and
groundwater)

Biosphere: the life zone of the Earth and

includes all living organisms, and all
organic matter that has not yet
decomposed.
Overlapping Cycles in the Earth System
(Challenge: Create a storyline!)

http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/GRAPHIC0/Astronomy/EarthSystems.gif
 The Atmosphere

The Earth is surrounded by a blanket

of air, which we call the atmosphere.
• The atmosphere consists of four
unique layers (the troposphere, the
stratosphere, the mesosphere, and the
thermosphere).
• The atmosphere reaches over 560
kilometers (348 miles) up from the
surface of the Earth.
• The atmosphere is primarily
composed of nitrogen (about 78%) and
oxygen (about 21%). Other
components exist in small quantities.
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/space/atmosphere.html
 Atmosphere
• consists of a mixture of gases composed primarily of
nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapour
•The mesosphere,
thermosphere, and
exosphere are zones of
diffuse atmospheric
components in the far
reaches of the
atmosphere.

The
STRATOSPHERE
•The TROPOSPHERE (10 to 50 km),
(0-10 km) constitutes contains ozone that
the climate system that protects life on the
maintains the conditions planet by filtering
suitable for life on the harmful ultraviolet
planet's surface. radiation from the
Sun.
Atmosphere: Interactions with other Earth System componen

Hydrosphere: The gases of the atmosphere readily

exchange with those dissolved in water bodies (e.g.
oceans, lakes, etc.)

Biosphere: The atmosphere supplies oxygen and

carbon dioxide that form the basis of life processes
(photosynthesis and respiration).

Geosphere: Gases in the atmosphere react with

water to produce weak acids that aid in the
breakdown of rock.
 System Interactions
What is the scenario all about?
Hurricanes (atmosphere) sweep
across the ocean (hydrosphere)
and onto the land (geosphere),
damaging the dwellings of
people (biosphere) who live
along the coast.

Hydrosphere

Atmosphere Geosphere

http://www.itvs.org/risingwaters/

Biosphere
 The Biosphere
The biosphere is the “life zone” of the Earth, and
includes all living organisms (including humans), and all organic
matter that has not yet decomposed.
• The biosphere is structured into a hierarchy known as the food
chain (all life is dependent on the first tier – mainly the primary
producers that are capable of photosynthesis).
• Energy and mass is transferred from one level of the food
chain to the next.

http://www.geology.ufl.edu/Biosphere.html
Biosphere: Interactions with other Earth System
Components
Atmosphere: Life processes involve a 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.
 Hydrosphere
The hydrosphere contains ALL THE WATER
found on our planet. (WHERE?)
• Water found on the surface of our planet
includes the ocean as well as water from lakes
and rivers, streams, and creeks.
• Water found under the surface of our planet
includes water trapped in the soil and
groundwater.
• Water found in our atmosphere includes
water vapor.
• Frozen water on our planet includes ice caps
and glaciers.
http://water.tamu.edu/watercycle.html
Subcomponents of hydrosphere are
connected via the hydrologic cycle
Hydrosphere: Interactions with other Earth
System components
Atmosphere: Water is transferred between the
hydrosphere and biosphere by evaporation and
precipitation. Energy is also exchanged in this
process.

Biosphere: Water is necessary for the transport of

nutrients and waste products in organisms.

Geosphere: Water is the primary agent for the

chemical and mechanical breakdown of rock
(weathering), to form loose rock fragments and soil,
and sculpts the surface of the Earth.
The geosphere is the solid
Earth that includes the Geosphere
continental and ocean crust as
well the various layers of
Earth’s interior.
• 94% of the Earth is
composed of the elements
oxygen, silicon, and
magnesium.
• The geosphere is not static
(unchanging), but its surface
(crust) is in a constant state of
motion.
• Mineral resources are mined
from the geosphere http://ess.geology.ufl.edu/ess/Introduction/Geosphere.html
 Earth’s Layers: Composition and Mechanical Characteristics
Composition Physical Characteristics
crust Primarily silica
lithosphere brittle solid
plus light solid (but
asthenosphere
metallic nearly
elements liquid)

mantle
mesosphere solid
Primarily
silica plus
iron and
magnesium

outer core liquid

Primarily iron
core and nickel
inner core solid

Note: Lithosphere contains both crust and uppermost (brittle) layer

Geosphere: Interactions with other Earth System
components
Atmosphere: volcanism spews significant amounts of gases
into the atmosphere. For example, volcanoes inject large
amounts of sulphur dioxide to the upper atmosphere, resulting
in global cooling.

Hydrosphere: The formation of many minerals involve

incorporation or release of water. Also, water speeds up
chemical reactions that produce or destroy minerals, and aids
in the melting of rock.

Biosphere: Nutrients released from rocks during their

breakdown are dissolved in water (to be used by aquatic
plants).
SYSTEMS INTERACTION 1:
Volcanoes erupt, sending ash
and gases into the air and
sending lava and ash down
onto surrounding forests and
human habitations
Q: What systems interactions
are involved in this condition?.
 System Interactions1

Volcanoes (geosphere) erupt, sending

ash and gases into the air (atmosphere)
and sending lava and ash down onto
surrounding forests (biosphere) and
human habitations (biosphere).

Geosphere

Atmosphere Biosphere http://www.ecuador-

travel.net/information.volcano.pichin
cha.eruption.htm
 SYSTEM INTERACTION 2
Earthquakes can damage buildings
which may kill people, as well as cause
fires which release gases into the air .
Earthquakes in the ocean may cause a
tsunami which can eventually hit land
and kill both animals and people.
Q: What systems interactions are
involved in this condition?.
 System Interactions 2
Earthquakes can damage buildings which
may kill people, as well as cause fires
which release gases into the air .
Earthquakes in the ocean may cause a
tsunami which can eventually hit land
and kill both animals and people

Biosphere

Geosphere Atmosphere

Hydrosphere
 Where Do Humans Fit In ?
As components of the biosphere, humans are
temporary receptacles of the matter and energy that
flows through the Earth System

“You are what you eat, drink, and breathe”

Human health is, to some degree, a function of how

this flow of matter and energy flows through, and
interacts with, the human body

In many cases, problems of human health are

fundamentally linked to the natural distribution of
Earth materials
 The Bottom Line

Considerations on how processes within the

Earth System interact are extremely
important in the understanding of the real
world !

Understanding physical and chemical

processes in the Earth System is as
important as understanding biological
entities in terms of understanding biological
systems (all are connected)

Let’s break down some walls this term !

SCIENTISTS OF THE EARTH SYSTEMS
How do we come to know that
the EARTH is a system?
 Persons in the Study of Earth Systems
(1) JAMES HUTTON
 James Hutton, the father of modern geology, was a
Scottish farmer and naturalist. It was in farming that he
observed how land was shaped by destructive forces of
wind and weather systems.
 He described how the Earth was formed in a repeated
cycle of erosion and sedimentation, with heat from
volcanic activity as the driving force.
 He also introduced the concept of uniformitarianism,
implying that the geological forces (such as those that
trigger erosion and volcanic activities) in the past are the
same as those in the present, making it possible to
determine the Earth's history by studying rocks.
 (2) ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT
 Alexander von Humboldt, a 19th-century
geographer, helped establish the foundation for
Earth System Science through his observations of
nature.
 He, together with his colleagues, traveled to
America; collected botanical, zoological, and
geological specimens; recorded the location of the
specimens where they were found; and performed
atmospheric and geophysical measurements.
 From his records, he recognized patterns that reveal
underlying processes, such as the transport of heat
in ocean currents and the influence of temperature
on plants.
(3) VLADIMIR VERNADSKY
 geochemistry, popularized the term noosphere. In
his theory of Earth development, he stated that
geosphere was the first phase of the Earth that was
developed.
 The second phase was the biosphere or biological
life. The emergence of life on Earth transformed the
geosphere. Then the NOOSPHERE, THE SPHERE
OF HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS, is the third phase.
The development of human cognition then
transformed the biosphere.
 Today, the study of human impact on the biosphere
led to the concept of sustainability, which is the
capacity of the Earth to continue to support human
life.
(4) JAMES LOVELOCK
 James Lovelock, a British environmentalist,
proposed the Gaia hypothesis, which postulates
that the Earth works as a self-regulating system.
 He stated that the living organisms co-evolve with
nonliving things in the environment to form a
synergistic, self-regulating system where life is
maintained and perpetuated. He cited as evidence
the photosynthetic bacteria during the
Precambrian times.
 The bacteria modified the Earth’s atmosphere to
become oxygen-enriched. The change in the
atmosphere then supported the evolution of more
complex organisms
(5) LYNN MARGULIS
 Lynn Margulis, an evolutionary theorist,
further developed Lovelock’s Gaia
hypothesis.
 Margulis noticed that all kinds of bacteria
give off gases and thought that
atmospheric gases were from biological
sources.
 She collaborated with Lovelock and
published a paper on how life regulates
the temperature and chemical composition
of the soil and the atmosphere.
 (6).Alfred Wegener
(1880-1930)
The Origins of Continents and
Oceans (4th edition)

 "Scientists still do not appear to understand sufficiently

that all earth sciences must contribute evidence toward
unveiling the state of our planet in earlier times, and that the
truth of the matter can only be reached by combing all this
evidence. . . It is only by combing the information furnished
by all the earth sciences that we can hope to determine
'TRUTH' here, that is to say, to find the picture that sets out
all the known facts in the best arrangement and that
therefore has the highest degree of probability.
 CHECKPOINT
 WHO SAID THIS?
1. I believe that living things regulates the
temperature and chemical composition of
the soil and the atmosphere.
2. I believe the continents were once
connected together as one gigantic land
mass--pangaea
3. I believe living organisms co-evolve with
nonliving things in the environment to form a
synergistic, self-regulating system where life
is maintained and perpetuated
4. I believe in the concept of
uniformitarianism, implying that the
geological forces in the past are the same
as those in the present
5. I believe that human impact on the
biosphere led to the concept of
sustainability, which is the capacity of the
Earth to continue to support human life.
 TRY IT!
 Choose one of the Earth’s subsystems –
atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, or
biosphere.
 Research on how humans affect that
subsystem. What activities of humans
have positive effects on that subsystem?
 What are the activities that have negative
effects?
 When the subsystem changes due to the
human activities, how does the change
affect humans in return?
PERFORMANCE TASK No. 2
EDIBLE MODEL of the layers of the Earth.
1. Study the CHARACTERISTICS of the
different layers/parts of the solid earth.
2. Represent this layer/or part with a specific
foodstuff.
3. Create a 3-D edible model of the layers of
the Earth
4. Observe proper food handling in preparing
the edible model
5. Present edible model for scoring

6. Submit lab report ( by pair)

 Criteria for Grading
 Accuracy- 30%
 Comprehensiveness- 20%

 Originality/ creativity -20%

 Orderliness- 10%

 Teamwork-10%

 Over all Impact – 10%

 TOTAL ………………….100%
 TAKE NOTE

 Self-rating– 50%
 Teacher’s rating – 50%