Understanding Earth's Complex Systems

What are the four major systems of Earth?

• Lithosphere, Stratosphere, Troposphere, Ecosphere

• Hydrosphere, Biosphere, Exosphere, Thermosphere

• Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, Biosphere

• Biosphere, Cryosphere, Lithosphere, Mesosphere

What does the geosphere include?

• Water vapor and liquid water

• Living things

• Metallic core, solid rock, molten rock, soil, and sediments

• Mixture of gases

What is the atmosphere composed of?

• Soil and groundwater

• Mixture of gases

• Ice and water vapor

• Solid and molten rock

Which sphere includes all of Earth's water?

• Hydrosphere

• Atmosphere

• Biosphere

• Geosphere

Where can living things be found?

• Only in the biosphere

• In the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere

• Only in the hydrosphere and atmosphere

• Only in the geosphere

What is the source of Earth's energy?

• The Moon and planets

• The Sun and Earth's interior

• Gravitational forces only

• Meteorites and comets

What are ecosystems?

• Regions where only animals interact

• Systems that include only plant life

• Regions where organisms interact with each other and their environment

• Closed systems with no external energy sources

What can cause changes in Earth's systems?

• Unchanging energy flow

• Stable parts of Earth's systems

• Feedbacks from other systems

• Lack of mass cycling

What do ecosystems supply?

• Only water purification services

• Food, fuel, oxygen, and nutrients

• Only climate regulation

• Only food and oxygen