Environment Science
Name: Asuncion, Alvin Gabrielle O.
Year/Course: BSE Math 2
Earth and its system
The global interconnectedness of air, water, rocks, and life has become a focus
of modern scientific investigation. As a result, a new approach to the study of Earth has
taken hold. The traditional way to study Earth has been to focus on separate units-a
population of animals, the atmosphere, a lake, a single mountain range, soil in some
region-in isolation from other units. In the new, holistic approach, Earth is studied as a
whole and is viewed as a system of many separate but interacting parts. Nothing on
Earth is isolated; research reveals numerous interactions among all of the parts.
Earth is unique for supporting life. It is composed of several interrelated systems:
1. Geosphere: The solid Earth, including its rocks, landforms, and tectonic processes.
2. Atmosphere: The layer of gases surrounding Earth, vital for climate regulation and life
support.
3. Hydrosphere: All the water on Earth, such as oceans, rivers, and glaciers.
4. Biosphere: All living organisms and ecosystems found on Earth.
5. Cryosphere: Earth’s frozen regions, like ice caps and glaciers.
6. Anthroposphere: The human-made environment and its influence on Earth’s systems.
Relationship of energy, matter and system of earth
1. Matter:
- Definition: Anything that has mass and occupies space.
- Components: Includes solids, liquids, gases, and plasma.
- Role in Earth’s System: Forms the Earth’s crust, oceans, atmosphere, and living
organisms.
2. Energy:
- Definition: The capacity to do work or produce change.
- Forms: Includes kinetic, potential, thermal, chemical, electrical, and nuclear
energy.
- Role in Earth’s System: Drives processes such as weather, climate, plate
tectonics, and biological functions.
3. Earth’s System:
- Components: Includes the lithosphere (Earth’s crust), hydrosphere (water
bodies), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (living organisms).
- Interactions: Matter and energy interact in this system through various
processes:
- Geological Processes: Energy from the Earth’s interior (e.g., geothermal
energy) drives plate tectonics, volcanic activity, and mountain formation.
- Weather and Climate: Solar energy influences atmospheric and oceanic
circulation, affecting weather patterns and climate.
- Biological Processes: Energy from the sun fuels photosynthesis in plants, which
forms the basis of food chains and ecosystems.
Interactions between Matter, Energy, and Earth’s System:
- Matter Transformation: Matter undergoes transformations due to energy
changes, such as water evaporating due to solar energy or minerals forming from
magma.
- Energy Flow: Energy flows through the Earth’s system, driving processes like
erosion, sediment deposition, and biological growth.
-Feedback Mechanisms: Changes in matter (e.g., greenhouse gases) can affect
energy balance and climate, creating feedback loops that impact Earth’s systems.
Earth’s systems are interconnected and driven by the flow of energy and the
cycling of matter. Solar and geothermal energy power processes like the water cycle,
tectonic activity, and climate patterns. Matter, in the form of elements and compounds,
moves through biogeochemical cycles, connecting the geosphere, atmosphere,
hydrosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, and anthroposphere. These systems interact
continuously, with changes in one affecting the others. Understanding this relationship is
key to understanding Earth’s functioning and the impact of human activities on the
environment.
How science study earth-system
It studies the whole planet as a system of innumerable interacting parts and
focuses on the changes within and among those parts Examples of these parts are the
ocean, the atmosphere, continents, lakes and rivers, soils, plants, and animals; each
can be studied separately, but each is dependent on and interconnected with the others.
References:
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/earths-systems/
https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1256-what-is-the-earth-system
https://www.bioedonline.org/online-courses/educator-certification/generalist-4-8/the-
structure-and-function-of-earth-systems/
