What is the Earth System?

A system can be defined as:a set of connected components or parts forming a complex whole

For example: The human body is made up of several distinct subsystems that all function together. These subsystems include the nervous system, the respiratory system, the skeletal system and the cardiovascular system…just to name a few.The cardiovascular system, in turn, is made up of interconnected components as well

What inter-connected parts make up your cardiovascular system?

Another example of a system is an ecosystem.

An Ecosystem, is a group of interconnected organisms living within a given environment.

What would happen if the fox was removed from the system?

How would this affect the mice population?

How would it affect the grass?

Earth’s biosphere is the largest ecosystem.

Matter and energy flows through systems and change into many different forms along the way. For example, in the diagram above, it shows that energy from the sun is converted to stored chemical energy by plants through the process of photosynthesis. Later on, when something eats the plants that energy is converted to motion and body heat.

On earth we live in a dynamic system made up of a number of parts that are all connected and all constantly changing and evolving.

Systems require energy.In the Earth System the sun provides most of the energy. It provides the energy that plants need for photosynthesis, it drives the climate wind and weather patterns, and it provides the energy the drives ocean currents. Even the energy we get from fossil fuels originally came from the sun. How?

Systems Interact!

In this picture charged particles from the sun are interacting with Earth’s magnetosphere to create the phenomena known as the Aurora Borealis (aka. Northern Lights).

Without this magnetic field our atmosphere would be stripped away over millions of year by the solar wind. This is most likely what happened on Mars.

Earth’s “Spheres”

Earth’s four main spheres are:•Atmosphere•Hydrosphere•Lithosphere•Biosphere

The Earth System can be divided into four main subsystems components that scientists refer to as “Earth’s Spheres”

Atmosphere

• A blanket of gases that surrounds the Earth.• Consists of a mixture of gases composed primarily of nitrogen, oxygen,

carbon dioxide, and water vapor.

Hydrosphere

• All of the water on Earth• 71% of the earth is covered by water and only 3% is freshwater!• The other 97% is seawater (salt water)!

Lithosphere

• The Lithosphere is the solid surface of the earth. It is called the crust of the earth.

• It includes the crust and a the upper part of the upper mantle.

Biosphere• All life on earth!• It extends from the ocean depths to the atmosphere above.• Earth’s life zone distinguishes our planet from the others in the

solar system.

Are there other possible “Spheres”?

Cryosphere

• The portion of the Earth's surface where water is in a solid form

• Snow or ice: includes glaciers, ice shelves, snow, icebergs, and arctic climatology

Anthrosphere• Humans and their direct ancestors, hominids.• The human population, it’s buildings, dams, roads, and other

constructions.

Interconnected Spheres

Earth’s Spheres are closely connected. For example;

Birds are a part of the ________ sphere and fly through the air which is the __________sphere.

Water is in the ________sphere flows through the soil which is part of the _________ sphere.

Events and Sphere Interactions

A change in one sphere results in changes in others. Like removing the fox from the ecosystem in an earlier slide.

Spheres are also effected by events on our planet.

An event is something that causes a change within one or more of the spheres. Some examples of events might include:•Volcanic eruptions, storms, earthquakes, oil spills, pollution or maybe something humans do like building a dam or shopping mall.

Event Sphere Interactions• A cause and effect relationship between an event

and a sphere.• An event can cause changes and/or be the effect

of changes to one or more of Earth’s spheres.• The effects can be bad or good, immediate or long

term

• A cause and effect relationship between an event and a sphere.

• An event can cause changes and/or be the effect of changes to one or more of Earth’s spheres.

• The effects can be bad or good, immediate or long term

Example:A Forest Fire How might a forest fire affect each of Earth’s Spheres?

How might the fire be affected by what is going on with the spheres?

For example:

What if its hot and windy? Or, What is it rains?

LET’S PRACTICE WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED!!

1. The Great Lakes show in the picture above is an example of which of Earth’s spheres?

This is a picture of hurricane Katrina from space.

2. Which of Earth’s Spheres are interacting to create this event?

This is the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens in 1981

3. Which of the sphere is responsible for causing this event? 4. How would this affect the atmosphere? The biosphere?5. What might some long term effects be?

6. What two spheres are interacting in this picture?

This is Victoria Fall in Zimbabwe.

7. What spheres do you see in the picture?8. Over a long period of time how would this affect the lithosphere?

9. Which two spheres have interacted to create this sand dune? 10. Do you think this occurred over a short period or long period of time? Why?

These are mammatus clouds….often associated with severe weather.11. Are clouds part of the atmosphere or hydrosphere?

12. How might what you see in this picture affect each of the spheres?

13. An avalanche is an event that involves which of the spheres?

14. How might the lithosphere affect an avalanche?

How might a large meteorite impact affect each of earth’s spheres?

What are some immediate effects? What might be some long term effects?

A tsunami is an event that take place in the hydrosphere.

16. Which of Earth’s spheres is most likely responsible for causing this?17. What other “event have caused it?

18. Which two spheres have interacted to create these features?

This is an example of something that would be considered part of the athrosphere.

19. How would building a dam such as this affect each of the spheres?

The graph above shows the growth of the world population over the last 2000 years. Notice that for about 1800 years the growth rate was relatively slow. Then beginning in the late 1800’s the population exploded. Advances in technology and modern medicine has dramatically increased the life expectancy of humans.

In 1850 the average life expectancy in The U.S was 43 years. Today it estimated to be almost 80 years.

Notice that life expectancy varies with geographic region, however all regions seen significant increases in the last 150 years..

World Population: 7 Billion and Counting

The current world population is estimated to be just over 7.2 billion.Human civilization now has a much greater impact on the Earth system than it did as little as 100 years ago. Human’s have become a force of nature.

20. What are some ways that humans have affected of are affecting each of earth’s Spheres?

Three Possible Types Of Interactions(cause and effect relationships)

1. Event Sphere2. Sphere Sphere3. Sphere Event

These cause and effect relationships can be immediate or can occur over many years.

1. Event Sphere2. Sphere Sphere3. Sphere Event

These cause and effect relationships can be immediate or can occur over many years.

Understanding Interactions

Why is this important to us?

•Local, Regional and Global implications– Helps people predict outcomes of events– Preparation for natural disasters– Environmental impacts of human activities– Helps plan for future development