SUBSYSTEM PPT.pptx

FACTS ❗ ️ hydrosphere The hydrosphere is a dynamic mass of water that is continually on the move, evaporating from the oceans to the atmosphere, precipitating to the land, and running back to the ocean again. atmosphere Earth is surrounded by a life-giving gaseous envelope called the atmos...

FACTS ❗ ️ hydrosphere The hydrosphere is a dynamic mass of water that is continually on the move, evaporating from the oceans to the atmosphere, precipitating to the land, and running back to the ocean again. atmosphere Earth is surrounded by a life-giving gaseous envelope called the atmosphere. The energy exchanges that continually occur between the atmosphere and Earth’s surface and between the atmosphere and space produce the effects we call weather and climate. Climate has a strong influence on the nature and intensity of Earth’s surface processes. When climate changes, these processes respond. Question... What if Earth has no ATMOSPHERE? Mabuhi kaya ta? If, like the Moon, Earth had no atmosphere, our planet would be lifeless because many of the processes and interactions that make the surface such a dynamic place could not operate. Without weathering and erosion, the face of our planet might more closely resemble the lunar surface, which has not changed appreciably in nearly 3 billion years. Biosphere “The biosphere includes all life on Earth.” Ocean life is concentrated in the sunlit surface waters of the sea. Most life on land is also concentrated near the surface, with tree roots and burrowing animals reaching a few meters underground and flying insects and birds reaching a kilometer or so above the surface. A surprising variety of life-forms are also adapted to extreme environments. Geosphere Lying beneath the atmosphere and the ocean is the solid Earth, or geosphere. The geosphere extends from the surface to the center of the planet, a depth of 6400 kilometers [4000 miles], making it by far the largest of Earth’s four spheres. Soil, the thin veneer of material at Earth’s surface that supports the growth of plants, may be thought of as part of all four spheres. The solid portion is a mixture of weathered rock debris (geosphere) and organic matter from decayed plant and animal life (biosphere). The decomposed and disintegrated rock debris is the product of weathering processes that require air (atmosphere) and water (hydrosphere). Air and water also occupy the open spaces between the solid particles.