4 Spheres Interaction Slideshow


Questions in your science notebook:

1. Looking at the image, what are the major parts of our planet that can interact as a system?

ES0103  Earth's Four Spheres Four major parts of Earth work together as a complex system: rocks, water, air, and life. On a global scale, each part can be thought of as a sphere, roughly the same size and shape as the planet. The four parts are called the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.   !   Click the buttons below to highlight portions of each sphere in the photograph. 2. Describe each of Earth's four spheres. List several examples of features in each sphere. 3. Do you think clouds should be classified as part of the atmosphere, or part of the hydrosphere? Explain why.

What sphere interactions can you infer from this photograph? To identify sphere interactions, think of one feature in the image at a time, decide which sphere it is a part of, then consider how it interacts with the other spheres.

With a partner, practice describing interactions in this scene, tracing the movement of materials or energy through all four of Earth's spheres if possible. Check your understanding by reading the example interactions below.

4. In each image, look for evidence of materials and energy moving among the spheres.

• List the major features in the image and tell which sphere each one represents.



• Describe sphere interactions you can infer from the scene.



• Whenever possible, follow the results of an interaction through all four spheres.

5. List some Earth sphere interactions that result from your own daily activities.

6. Describe some human activities that are contributing to global-scale interactions among Earth's spheres.

Explore these links: 

Examples of Earth System Science Analysis

What Is Earth System Science?