OUR SPHERES

OUR SPHERES

Everything in Earth's system can be placed into one of four major subsystems: land, water, living things, or air. These four subsystems are called "spheres." Specifically, they are the "lithosphere" (land), "hydrosphere" (water), "biosphere" (living things), and "atmosphere" (air). Each of these four spheres can be further divided into sub-spheres.

Multiple Choice

This sphere includes the continents, the ocean floor, all the rocks on the surface, and all of the sand in the deserts. 

• Hydrosphere 
• Biosphere 
• Atmosphere 
• Geosphere 

GEOSPHERE (LITHOSPHERE)

The Lithosphere--contains all of the cold, hard solid land of the planet's crust (surface), the semi-solid land underneath the crust, and the liquid land near the center of the planet. The surface of the lithosphere is very uneven. There are high mountain ranges like the Rockies and Andes, huge plains or flat areas like those in Texas, Iowa, and Brazil, and deep valleys along the ocean floor. 

Multiple Choice

This sphere includes the continents, the ocean floor, all the rocks on the surface, and all of the sand in the deserts.

• Hydrosphere

• Biosphere

• Atmosphere

• Geosphere

• Cryosphere

COMPONENTS OF THE GEOSPHERE

The solid, semi-solid, and liquid land of the lithosphere form layers that are physically and chemically different. If someone were to cut through Earth to its center, these layers would be revealed like the layers of an onion. The outermost layer of the lithosphere consists of loose soil rich in nutrients, oxygen, and silicon. Beneath that layer lies a very thin, solid crust of oxygen and silicon. Next is a thick, semi-solid mantle of oxygen, silicon, iron, and magnesium. Below that is a liquid outer core of nickel and iron. At the center of Earth is a solid inner core of nickel and iron.

Multiple Choice

Composed of all the water on or near the earth

• Hydrosphere

• Biosphere

• Atmosphere

• Geosphere

• Cryosphere

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is found in the earths Geosphere

• Soil

• Rocks

• Minerals

• All of the Above

HYDROSPHERE

The Hydrosphere -- contains all the solid, liquid, and gaseous water of the planet. It ranges from 10 to 20 kilometers in thickness. The hydrosphere extends from Earth's surface downward several kilometers into the lithosphere and upward about 12 kilometers into the atmosphere. A small portion of the water in the hydrosphere is fresh (non-salty). This water flows as precipitation from the atmosphere down to Earth's surface, as rivers and streams along Earth's surface, and as groundwater beneath Earth's surface. Most of Earth's fresh water, however, is frozen.

OUR WATER

Ninety-seven percent of Earth's water is salty. The salty water collects in deep valleys along Earth's surface. These large collections of salty water are referred to as oceans. The image above depicts the different temperatures one would find on oceans' surfaces. Water near the poles is very cold while water near the equator is very warm. The differences in temperature cause water to change physical states. Extremely low temperatures like those found at the poles cause water to freeze into a solid such as a polar icecap, a glacier, or an iceberg. Extremely high temperatures like those found at the equator cause water to evaporate into a gas.

Multiple Choice

What percentage of the earth contains water?

• 30%

• 70%

• 3%

• 97%

Multiple Choice

This sphere contains all of the solid water on Earth

• Hydrosphere

• Biosphere

• Atmosphere

• Geosphere

• Cryosphere

Multiple Choice

Bio =

• Earth

• Freezing

• Life

• Water

• Air

Multiple Choice

Body of air surrounding our planet.

• Hydrosphere

• Biosphere

• Atmosphere

• Geosphere

• Cryosphere

Multiple Choice

This sphere is composed of all the living things

• Hydrosphere

• Biosphere

• Atmosphere

• Geosphere

• Cryosphere

Multiple Choice

Which layer of our atmosphere protects us from the sun's harmful rays?

• Tropospheres

• Exosphere

• Mesosphere

• Stratosphere

Multiple Choice

How much of the Earth is made up of the Geosphere?

• 15%

• 30%

• 65%

• 85%