The FOUR

SUBSYSTEMS of
the EARTH
 What is a SUBSYTEM?
• A subsystem is defined as a small system contained in
bigger or broader one. Just like the human body, the
earth consists of systems that coexist and interact in one
way or another. The four subsystems of Earth include the
geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. The
natural interactions that exist among these subsystems,
make life possible on this planet. In this lesson, you will
learn about the features of each of the subsystems and
explain that earth consists of these four subsystems,
across whose boundaries matter and energy flow.
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 The four subsystems of the earth interact among each
other in countless ways. The water in the lake touches the
rocks underneath. In the process of time, such rocks will
be subject to lithification due to the action of water. Solar
energy converts the liquid water into vapor that forms
clouds. During precipitation, water returns to the lake.

Life perpetuates due to these interactions. In this scenario

alone, we could picture out the interaction among
lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere.

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GEOSPHERE
 • It is the solid sphere of the earth. This is where different geologic
processes such as volcanic activity, formation of mountains,
volcanoes and other geologic structures take place. The lithosphere
is a part of the geosphere that is composed of the solid, outermost
part of the planet. It is where tectonic plates that move, are found,
causing the ground to move through vibrations of energy from the
mantle.
• It is not a continuous layer. It is divided into a number of huge plates
that move in relation to one another. It is believed that at the
beginning, the continents are all locked up into a huge landmass
called Pangaea, as proposed by Alfred Wegener. The large-scale
movement of Earth’s plates is explained by the plate tectonic
theory.
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•There are three types of tectonic plate
boundaries:

•Divergent
•Convergent
•Transform

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HYDROSPHERE
 • The hydrosphere is composed of all the waters on earth such as liquid water
found in oceans, lakes and streams, polar ice which is solid in form, and water
vapor that results from evaporation of liquid water. Earth is sometimes called the
blue planet due to the presence of liquid water. Oceans occupy almost 71 percent
of the earth’s water. The other fractions are distributed as polar ice and water
vapor. Energy from the sun heats up the ocean water unevenly due to the
difference in the angle of sun ‘s rays across different portions of the earth.

• This causes difference in ocean temperature. Specifically, the ocean water near
the equator is warm while the ocean water near the poles is cold.
• The difference in the temperature of the planet’s water leads to the difference in
density which causes water to move by means of convection. The movement of
matter as a result of difference in density is called convection current which
distributes energy in the ocean.

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 The world’s ocean can be divided
into four main ocean basins:

•Pacific Ocean
•Atlantic Ocean
•Indian Ocean
•Arctic Ocean
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 Oceans maybe divided into layers known as zones. The zones maybe horizontal or vertical.

Horizontal zones divide the ocean from land to the sea. It consists of the:
• Coastal zone – region where see bottom is exposed during low tide and is covered during
high tide.
• Pelagic zone- located seaward of the coastal zone’s low tide mark.
a. Oceanic zone: extends a depth of 200m
b. Neritic zone: which extends at the end of the continental shift

Vertical zones divide the ocean based on depth, beginning at sea level to the deepest point
in the ocean. There are 5 zones and each zone receives different amount of sunlight.
• Epipelagic zone or sunlight zone (0-200m)
• Mesopelagic zone or twilight zone (200-1000m)
• Bathypelagic zone or midnight zone (1000-4000m)
• Abyssopelagic or Abyss (4000- 6000m)
• Hadalpelagic zone or trenches (6000m- bottom)

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ATMOSPHERE
 •The atmosphere is the gaseous part of the Earth
composed of several trace gases necessary to
support the existence of all living components
such as plants and animals. The atmosphere is
divided into layers according to differences in the
pattern of temperature as one goes to higher
altitude:
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere,
thermosphere and exosphere.

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 • 1. Troposphere – the lowest layer. It contains about 80% of the total mass of the
atmosphere. Most of the water vapor is found here. All weather associated cloud
types are found here.
• 2. Stratosphere- it is the second lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere. It is the layer
where jet planes fly. It protects life on Earth by absorbing the ultraviolet radiation.
• 3. Mesosphere – the layer with decreasing temperature as altitude increases. The
coldest region of the atmosphere is the upper mesosphere. This layer protects the
Earth from meteoroids.
• 4. Thermosphere – the temperature in this layer can rise to as high as 1500
degrees Celsius. The portion of the thermosphere between 80 to 550 kms above
the earth is called the ionosphere. It a layer consisting of highly ionized gas.
Aurora Borealis or northern
Lights and Aurora Australis or Southern Lights which are colorful displays of lights,
can be seen in this layer depends on their location.
• Exosphere – the outermost layer of the Earth. Most of the orbiting satellites as well
as low density elements are found here.

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 • Though the atmosphere may be a very thin layer of the earth
when compared to the earth’s interior, it plays a vital role in
maintaining the planet’s temperature. It acts as a thermostat.
Ozone molecules in the stratosphere absorb high energy
radiation by means of photo dissociation. Weather occurs in
the troposphere. Atmosphere plays a role in weathering of
rocks making the earth dynamic. The sun unevenly heats the
air which leads to the movement of air molecules. Cold air
sinks at bottom of the atmosphere where most life forms are
found. This is due to its high density. Hot air, on the other hand
rises up due to its low density. This movement distributes
energy in the atmosphere. It is the movement of air in the
atmosphere that causes weather and climate.

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BIOSPHERE
 • The biosphere encompasses all life forms on earth from the smallest
phytoplankton to the biggest mushroom. Organisms comprising the
simplest cyanobacteria to the complex eukaryotes adapt to their
natural environment leading to survival. Even in extreme conditions
such as extreme heat and the absence of water, some unique plants
and animals thrive by means of their evolutionary characteristics. The
atmosphere is filled with life in the form of Philippine eagle, monarch
butterfly, vampire bat, peregrine falcons, and some flying insects. The
hydrosphere is teeming with life as well just like the blue whale, the
orca, the starfish and the sea cow. In fact, most of the organisms on
earth are found in water.

The term “biosphere” was coined by geologist Edward Seuss in 1875.

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 • Most of the deep oceans are still uncharted where a host of
organisms are yet to be discovered. The lithosphere abounds
with life in the form of lush forests and a variability of life forms
like the pygmy marmoset, Asian elephant, jerboa, and ostrich.
The main source of energy for all life forms is the sun.
Through photosynthesis, producers manufacture their own
food to produce carbohydrates. The producers or autotrophs
are consumed by the consumers in a food chain. A series of
food chain comprises a food web. This illustrates that matter
and energy flow within the system. An interlinking food chain is
called food web. The constant flow of energy on earth is what
allows life to perpetuate.

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 • The Biosphere is divided into biomes. Biomes are
world’s major communities. They are classified
according to the predominant vegetation characterized
by adaptions of organisms to that particular climate.
There are (4) four major biomes:

• Aquatic
• Forest
• Desert
• Tundra

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 EARTH’S LAYER
• Earth consists of layers made up of different densities. Earth’s center is the core which is
composed of dense metals like nickel and iron. The outer most layer, called the crust, is
made up mostly of light elements such as silicon, oxygen and aluminum. The middle layer
consisting rocks is called the mantle.

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