6-8e Cnlaepn693378 U01l01

Unit 1 Lesson 1 Earth’s Spheres
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What on Earth?
What is the Earth system?
• A system is a group of related objects or parts
that work together to form a whole.
• The Earth system is all of the matter, energy,

and processes within Earth’s boundary.
• Earth is a complex system made of living and

nonliving things, and matter and energy
continuously cycle through the smaller systems.

What is the geosphere?

• The geosphere is the mostly solid, rocky part of
Earth. It extends from the center of Earth to the
surface of Earth.
• The thin, outermost layer of the geosphere is

called the crust. It is made mostly of silicate
minerals.
• Oceanic crust is 5 to 10 km thick. Continental

crust is 35 to 70 km thick.


• The mantle is the layer that lies below the crust. It
is about 2,900 km thick.
• The mantle is made of very slow-flowing, solid

rock, consisting of silicate minerals that are
denser than the silicates in the crust.
• Earth’s central part, called the core, has a radius

of about 3,500 km. It is made of iron and nickel
and is very dense.


• Describe the characteristics of the layers of Earth.

Got Water?
What is the hydrosphere?
• The hydrosphere is the part of Earth that is
liquid water.
• Oceans, lakes, rivers, marshes, groundwater, rain,

and the water droplets in clouds are part of the
hydrosphere.
• Water on Earth is constantly moving. It even

moves into and out of living things.

What is the cryosphere?

• The cryosphere is made up of all of the frozen
water on Earth.
• Snow, ice, sea ice, glaciers, ice shelves, icebergs,

and permafrost are all part of the cryosphere.
• Changes in the cryosphere can play an important

role in Earth’s climate and species’ survival.

What a Gas!
What is the atmosphere?
• The atmosphere is a mixture of mostly invisible
gases that surround Earth.
• It extends outward about 500 to 600 km from

Earth’s surface, but most of the gases lie within 8
to 50 km of Earth’s surface.
• The atmosphere is about 78 percent nitrogen, 21

percent oxygen, and 1 percent many other gases.


• Minor gases in the atmosphere include argon,
carbon dioxide, and water vapor.
• The atmosphere contains the air we breathe.
• It also traps some energy from the sun, which

helps keep Earth warm enough for living things to
survive and multiply.


• Some gases of the atmosphere absorb and reflect
harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun,
protecting Earth and its living things.
• The atmosphere also causes space debris to burn

up before reaching Earth’s surface and causing
harm.

What is the biosphere?

• The biosphere is made up of living things and the
areas of Earth where they are found.
• Organisms usually need oxygen or carbon dioxide

to carry out life processes.
• Liquid water, moderate temperatures, and a stable

source of energy are also important for most
living things.

What’s the Matter?

How do Earth’s spheres interact?
• All of the five spheres of Earth interact as matter
and energy change and cycle through the system.
• A result of these interactions is that they make life

on Earth possible.


• Earth’s spheres interact as matter moves between
them. In some processes, matter moves through
several spheres.
• Earth’s spheres also interact as energy moves

from one sphere to another, and back and forth
between spheres.


• How many parts of the Earth system can you
identify in this image? How do they interact?

Balancing the Budget

What is the source of Earth’s energy?
• Almost all of Earth’s energy comes from the sun.
• A tiny fraction of Earth’s energy comes from ocean

tides and geothermal sources such as lava and
magma.


• Energy is transferred between Earth’s spheres, but
it is not created or destroyed.
• Any addition of energy to one sphere must be

balanced by an equal subtraction of energy from
another sphere.
• The movement of energy through Earth’s system

forms an energy budget.


• Trace the flow of energy through Earth’s system.


• When Earth’s energy flow is balanced, global
temperatures stay relatively stable over long
periods of time.
• Sometimes, changes in the system cause Earth’s

energy budget to become unbalanced.

What can disturb Earth’s energy

budget?
• An increase in greenhouse gases traps more
energy in the atmosphere and decreases the
amount of energy radiated out to space.
• Polar ice and glaciers reflect sunlight. When the

ice melts, the exposed water and land absorb and
then radiate more energy than the ice did.
• In each case, Earth’s atmosphere becomes

warmer, which may lead to climate changes.

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Unit 1 Lesson 1 Earth’s Spheres

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

• The Earth system is all of the matter, energy,

• Earth is a complex system made of living and

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What is the geosphere?

• The thin, outermost layer of the geosphere is

• Oceanic crust is 5 to 10 km thick. Continental

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What is the geosphere?

• The mantle is made of very slow-flowing, solid

• Earth’s central part, called the core, has a radius

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What is the geosphere?

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

• Oceans, lakes, rivers, marshes, groundwater, rain,

• Water on Earth is constantly moving. It even

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What is the cryosphere?

• Snow, ice, sea ice, glaciers, ice shelves, icebergs,

• Changes in the cryosphere can play an important

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

• It extends outward about 500 to 600 km from

• The atmosphere is about 78 percent nitrogen, 21

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What is the atmosphere?

• The atmosphere contains the air we breathe.

• It also traps some energy from the sun, which

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What is the atmosphere?

• The atmosphere also causes space debris to burn

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What is the biosphere?

• Organisms usually need oxygen or carbon dioxide

• Liquid water, moderate temperatures, and a stable

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What’s the Matter?

• A result of these interactions is that they make life

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

How do Earth’s spheres interact?

• Earth’s spheres also interact as energy moves

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

How do Earth’s spheres interact?

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Balancing the Budget

• A tiny fraction of Earth’s energy comes from ocean

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What is the source of Earth’s energy?

• Any addition of energy to one sphere must be

• The movement of energy through Earth’s system

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What is the source of Earth’s energy?

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What is the source of Earth’s energy?

• Sometimes, changes in the system cause Earth’s

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What can disturb Earth’s energy

• Polar ice and glaciers reflect sunlight. When the

• In each case, Earth’s atmosphere becomes

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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