Earth Systems and Interactions
• How do Earth systems interact in the
carbon cycle?
• How do Earth systems interact in the
phosphorus cycle?
Earth Systems and Interactions
• carbon cycle
• greenhouse gas
• phosphorus cycle
Earth Systems
Earth has smaller systems that function
together and make the larger Earth
system:
• the atmosphere
• the hydrosphere
• the geosphere
• the biosphere
Earth Systems (cont.)
• Matter and energy are transported
among all Earth systems.
• The outermost Earth system is a
mixture of gases and particles of
matter called the atmosphere.
• It forms a layer around the other Earth
systems.
Earth Systems (cont.)
• The atmosphere is mainly
nitrogen and oxygen gases.
• These gases move freely,
helping transport matter
and energy among Earth
systems.
Earth Systems
• The hydrosphere
contains all of
Earth’s water.
• Most of the
water in the hydrosphere is on the Earth’s
surface—in oceans, glaciers, lakes, ice sheets,
ponds, and rivers.
• Water in the hydrosphere continuously moves
from place to place. The amount of water on
Earth remains constant over time.
Earth Systems (cont.)
• Many substances are easily dissolved in
water, such as salts, minerals, and
dissolved gases.
• These dissolved substances move with
the water and results in the interaction
among Earth’s systems.
• The hydrosphere interacts with the
geosphere through weathering and
erosion.
• The largest Earth system
is the geosphere,
which includes the
thin layer of soil
and rocks on
Earth’s surface
and all the
underlying layers
of Earth.
• Because the geosphere is mainly solid,
materials in this system tend to move
slowly.
Earth Systems (cont.)
• All living things on Earth make up the
biosphere.
• Because organisms live
in air, water, soil, and rocks,
the biosphere is within all
other Earth systems.
• Living things survive using gases from the
atmosphere, water from the hydrosphere, and
nutrients found in soil and rock
Interactions Among Earth Systems
• Earth systems interact by exchanging
matter and energy.
• Matter and energy often change in form
as they flow between systems.
The water cycle is the continuous
movement of water on, above, and below
Earth’s surface.
•The water cycle goes through the processes of
precipitation, evaporation and condensation.
•precipitation: any form of water that falls from
the clouds and reaches Earth’s surface
•evaporation: the process by which water
molecules in liquid water escape into the air as
water vapor
•condensation: the process by which molecules
of water vapor in the air become liquid water
The rock
cycle is the
series of
processes
that change
rocks from
one form to
another.
•Some processes take place deep within
Earth, while others, such as weathering
and erosion, take place on or near Earth’s
surface.
The carbon cycle is the series of
processes that continuously move carbon
among Earth systems.
Carbon in the form of CO2 leaves the
atmosphere and enters the biosphere
during photosynthesis.
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Carbon is in reservoirs, or storage
places, within all Earth systems.
CO2 is a greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases are
gases in the atmosphere that absorb and reradiate
thermal energy from the Sun.
When levels of atmospheric CO2 increase, Earth’s
average temperature increases, this phenomenon
is known as global warming.
Interactions Among Earth Systems
•Some important elements do not
cycle through all Earth systems.
(cont.)
•The phosphorus cycle moves phosphorus
among three Earth systems.
• Earth systems include the atmosphere,
the hydrosphere, the biosphere, and
the geosphere.
• Examples of
interactions among
Earth systems
include the water
cycle, the rock cycle, the carbon cycle,
and the phosphorus cycle.
• Human activities disturb natural cycles.
Where is most of Earth’s carbon
stored?
A. atmosphere
B. biosphere
C. geosphere
D. hydrosphere
Which is a greenhouse gas?
A. carbon
B. carbon dioxide
C. oxygen
D. phosphorus
What enters the atmosphere from
the geosphere as CO2?
A. carbon
B. hydrogen
C. phosphates
D. phosphorus
Do you agree or disagree?
1. The amount of water on Earth remains
constant over time.
2. Hydrogen makes up the hydrosphere.
3. Most carbon on Earth is in the
atmosphere.