Earth’s Spheres

• Earth can be considered as a system consisting of several interconnected ‘spheres’, including the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere.

• The lithosphere consists of the solid, outer layers of Earth.

• It includes the crust and upper mantle.

• The hydrosphere includes all locations on Earth that contain water, as liquid water, ice or water vapour.

• The hydrosphere therefore includes oceans, lakes, rivers, groundwater, polar ice caps, glaciers, soil and atmospheric water.

• The atmosphere is a mixture of gases, collectively known as air, that forms a layer around Earth.

• It is mostly made up of nitrogen and oxygen, with small amounts of other gases.

• The biosphere incorporates all parts of Earth where living organisms are found.

• The biosphere therefore includes land, water and air.

Earth is a system consisting of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere.

(Images: NASA, Wikimedia Commons; 994yellow, Adobe Stock; Rob Wilkinson, Adobe Stock; lukyeee_nuttawut, Adobe Stock; chokchaipoo, Adobe Stock)