The Earth System

Question 1

What is a system?

Answer 1

A system is a collection of interdependent parts enclosed within a defined boundary.

Question 2

What is the Atmosphere?

Answer 2

• Composed of nitrogen and oxygen + traces gases
• Troposphere ( weather)
• Stratosphere (ozone layer)
• Air pollution, controlling energy balance and climate.

Question 3

What is Lithosphere?

Answer 3

• Earth’s crust, involved with plate tectonics
• Foundation of the entire earth
• Source of all raw material
  The pedosphere is the outermost layer of the earth that is composed of soil and subject to the soil transformation process

Question 4

What is the Hydrosphere?

Answer 4

• Surrounds H20 in all forms, such as liquid, gas and solid.
• Cryosphere involved with climate feedback, sea level rise and reservoirs of freshwater.
• The available, accessible surface freshwater is about 0.01%

Question 5

What is a Biosphere?

Answer 5

• Sum of all biological activity
• Photosynthesis converts solar energy into organic material
• Creates and maintains an oxygen-rich atmosphere
• The anthroposphere is part of the environment that is made or modified by humans for use in human activities and human habitats.

Question 6

What is a closed system and what is an open system?

Answer 6

The closed system is when energy is exchanged with the outside environment while matter is not.
The open system is when both energy and matter are exchanged with the outside environment.