4 Spheres of Earth
Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Geosphere, and Biosphere.
Atmosphere
Layer of gases surrounding Earth, contains oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.
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4 Spheres of Earth
Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Geosphere, and Biosphere.
Atmosphere
Layer of gases surrounding Earth, contains oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.
Examples of Atmosphere
Air, clouds, weather, and water vapor.
Hydrosphere
All water on Earth, in liquid, solid, or gas form.
Examples of Hydrosphere
Oceans, lakes, rivers, glaciers, water vapor.
Geosphere
All solid land on Earth, including the crust and the interior layers.
Examples of Geosphere
Rocks, soil, mountains, Earth's core.
Biosphere
The zone of life on Earth, where living organisms exist.
Examples of Biosphere
Animals, plants, microbes, ecosystems.
Can Matter Cycle Between Spheres?
Yes, matter can cycle between different spheres (e.g., water moves between hydrosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere).
Water in Earth's Spheres
Water exists in the atmosphere (vapor), hydrosphere (oceans, lakes), and geosphere (glaciers, groundwater).
Ocean
97.96% saltwater in oceans, seas, and salt lakes.
Glacier (Ice River)
2.16% of water is frozen in glaciers, icebergs, and polar ice caps.
Accumulation
Water gathers in large bodies like oceans, lakes, and seas.
Condensation
Water vapor cools and condenses into liquid water, forming clouds.
Evaporation
Water turns from liquid to vapor when heated by the sun.
Precipitation
Water falls as rain, snow, sleet, or hail from clouds to the ground.
Infiltration
Water soaks into the ground to become groundwater.
Surface Runoff
Water flows down in streams and rivers, usually from rain or melted snow.
Transpiration
Water absorbed by plants is released as vapor through leaves.
Evaporation
Liquid → Gas (water vapor)
Condensation
Gas → Liquid (cloud formation)
Freezing
Liquid → Solid (ice formation)
Melting
Solid → Liquid (melting ice)
Carbon Cycle
Movement of carbon through Earth's systems, including the atmosphere, oceans, and living organisms.
Photosynthesis
Producers (plants and algae) absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and water to create food and release oxygen.
Cellular Respiration
Plants and animals take in food with carbon and oxygen, release CO2 as a waste product.
Consuming
Organisms eat others, obtaining their carbon and energy.
Death and Decomposition
Dead organisms break down, returning nutrients like carbon to the soil.
Deposition
Decomposing organisms become fossil fuels or are absorbed by the ocean.
Combustion
Fossil fuels or plants (including trash) are burned, releasing stored carbon as CO2.
Pre-Industrial Revolution
Before the Industrial Revolution, carbon was mainly stored in marine plants/animals, soil/detritus, and the deep ocean.
Present Day
After the Industrial Revolution, carbon is more abundant in the atmosphere, surface ocean, and ocean sediment.
Atmosphere
Pre-Industrial Rev: 0, Present Day: 3
Marine Plants/Animals
Pre-Industrial Rev: 0, Present Day: 1
Carbon Sinks
Carbon sinks are places where carbon is stored for long periods of time.
Why More Carbon in Atmosphere Now?
After the Industrial Revolution, fossil fuels were extracted and burned, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere.
Why Carbon in Ocean Sediment?
Marine organisms die and sink into the ocean, where their carbon is absorbed by the ocean sediment.
Nitrogen Cycle
The process by which nitrogen moves between the atmosphere, living organisms, and the soil, involving several stages of nitrogen transformation.
Nitrogen Fixation
The process of converting atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into a form usable by living organisms (e.g., ammonium (NH4+), nitrates).
Fixed Nitrogen
Forms of nitrogen that are combined with other elements and usable by organisms, such as ammonium (NH4+), nitrites (NO2-), and nitrates (NO3-).
Mutualism (Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria and Legumes)
The nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the soil benefit from the plant's nutrients, while the plant receives nitrogen from the bacteria to support growth.
Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria
Bacteria that convert nitrogen in the atmosphere into forms usable by plants, such as cyanobacteria in soil and lightning in the atmosphere.
Nitrifying Bacteria
Bacteria that convert ammonium (NH4+) into nitrites (NO2-) and then into nitrates (NO3-), which plants can use to build amino acids, proteins, and DNA.
Decomposers
Fungi, aerobic bacteria, and anaerobic bacteria break down dead plants, animals, and animal waste into simpler compounds like ammonia (NH3).
Denitrifying Bacteria
Bacteria that convert nitrates in the soil back into nitrogen gas (N2), releasing it into the atmosphere and completing the nitrogen cycle.
Human Interference
In agricultural practices, humans remove nitrogen from the soil when crops are harvested and replenish it using nitrogen-rich fertilizers.
Nitrogen in Fertilizers
Fertilizers are used to replace nitrogen in the soil, which is depleted after crops are harvested.
Carbon Sinks
Carbon sinks are locations where carbon is stored for long periods of time.
Water Cycle
The process by which water circulates between the Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and land through processes like evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
Transpiration
The process where liquid water is absorbed by plants and then released as water vapor through leaves.
Clouds
Liquid droplets of water suspended in the atmosphere.
Condensation
The process in which water vapor cools, condenses, and forms liquid droplets, leading to the formation of clouds.
Infiltration
The process by which water sinks into the ground to replenish groundwater.
Runoff
The process where water flows over the surface of the Earth, eventually accumulating in lakes, rivers, or oceans.
Carbon Sink
A location where carbon is stored for long periods, such as forests and fossil fuels.
Fossil Fuels
Carbon-rich substances like coal, oil, and natural gas formed from the remains of ancient organisms.
Forests
Large areas of trees and plants that absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Decomposing Leaves
Releases carbon into the atmosphere as CO2 when leaves decay.
Burning Fossil Fuels
Releases carbon into the atmosphere as CO2 when fossil fuels are burned.
Photosynthesis
Plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water into glucose, storing carbon in plant tissues.
Cellular Respiration
Exercising and other metabolic processes release carbon dioxide (CO2) as a waste product, using stored carbon from food.
Eutrophication
A process where excessive nutrients like nitrogen cause overgrowth of algae, depleting oxygen in water and creating dead zones.
Free Nitrogen
Unreacted nitrogen in the atmosphere, comprising about 78% of Earth’s atmosphere.
Legumes
Plants that have a mutualistic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their roots, aiding in nitrogen fixation.
Harvesting Crops
Removes nitrogen from the soil as crops absorb nitrogen to grow.
Adding Fertilizer to Farmland
Adds nitrogen to the soil because fertilizers often contain nitrogen compounds.