MODULE 1

The Earth and Its Subsystems

MODULE 1
The Earth and Its Subsystems

At the end the module, the learners should be able to:

1. Describe the characteristics of Earth that are necessary to support life; and
2. Explain that the Earth consists of four subsystems, across whose boundaries matter and
energy flow.

Earth Science is the name for the group of sciences that deals with the Earth and its
neighbors in space. Up until now, the Earth is thought to be the only heavenly body that supports life;
thus it is called “the planet of life.” In this planet, matter and energy flow continuously. It has some
distinct characteristics that make it capable of supporting all forms of life.
This module will aid you in understanding the mechanisms present in our very own planet that
make it habitable.

How much do you know about the Earth? In TWO minutes, answer as many questions as you can
about the planet where we live in.

1. How old is the Earth?

2. What percent of the Earth is covered with water?
3. How far is Earth from the Sun?
4. What is the most common element in Earth’s atmosphere?
5. How many continents does the Earth have?
6. Where is Earth’s largest cave?
7. What was the name of the supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic Era?
8. What is the most common element on Earth?
9. What is the outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere?
10. What is Earth’s warmest ocean?
11. How long does it take Earth to revolve around the Sun?
12. How many natural satellites does Earth have?
13. What are the seasonal rains that occur in Southeast Asia called?
14. What is energy from the internal heat of the Earth called?
15. What sort of storm is shaped like a funnel and is very destructive when it touches down?
16. What element is a diamond composed of?
17. What type of cloud is thick and puffy and can sometimes turn into thunderstorms?

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The Earth and Its Subsystems

EARTH FACTS

Among all the planets in the Solar System, only our planet Earth is unique in its composition.
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and is the largest of the terrestrial planets. The Earth is the only
planet in our solar system not to be named after a Greek or Roman deity. The Earth was formed
approximately 4.54 billion years ago and is the only known planet to support life. Before we dig
deeper into this planet, here are some facts about Earth that you should know.

1. Earth’s rotation is gradually slowing.

This deceleration is happening almost imperceptibly, at approximately 17 milliseconds per
hundred years, although the rate at which it occurs is not perfectly uniform. This has the effect of
lengthening our days, but it happens so slowly that it could be as much as 140 million years before
the length of a day will have increased to 25 hours.

2. Earth was once believed to be the center of the universe.

Due to the apparent movements of the Sun and planets in relation to their viewpoint, ancient
scientists insisted that the Earth remained static while other celestial bodies traveled in circular orbits
around it. Eventually, the view that the Sun was at the center of the universe was postulated by
Copernicus.

3. Earth has a powerful magnetic field.

This phenomenon is caused by the nickel-iron core of the planet, coupled with its rapid
rotation. This field protects the Earth from the effects of solar wind.

4. There is only one natural satellite of the planet Earth.

Our planet has only one moon, Luna. It is the fifth largest natural satellite.

5. Earth is the only planet not named after a god.

The other seven planets in our solar system are all
named after Roman gods or goddesses. Although only
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were named during
ancient times, because they were visible to the naked eye, the
Roman method of naming planets was retained after the
discovery of Uranus and Neptune.

6. Earth is the densest planet in the Solar System.

This varies according to the part of the planet. For
example, the metallic core is denser than the crust. The
average density of the Earth is approximately 5.52 grams per
cubic centimeter.

7. Earth’s surface is covered with 70% water.

This proves what the astronauts saw when they looked back to Earth from space. They called
our home “the blue planet.” The remaining 30% of our planet is the solid ground, rising above sea
level.

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The Earth and Its Subsystems

8. Earth is mostly iron, oxygen and silicon.

The Earth is composed of 32.1% iron, 30.1% oxygen, 15.1% silicon and 13.9% magnesium.
Most of Earth’s iron is found at its core.

9. Earth doesn’t take 24 hours to rotate on its axis.

It’s actually 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds. This is the amount of time it takes for the
Earth to completely rotate around its axis; astronomers call this a sidereal day. Now wait a second,
that means a day is 4 minutes shorter than we think it is. You’d think that time would add up, day by
day, and within a few months, day would be night, and night would be day.

10. A year on Earth isn’t 365 days

It’s actually 365.2564 days. It’s this extra .2564
days that creates the need for leap years. That’s why we
tack on an extra day in February every year divisible by 4
– 2004, 2008, etc – unless it’s divisible by 100 (1900,
2100, etc)… unless it’s divisible by 400 (1600, 2000,
etc).

11. Earth has FOUR distinct layers: the inner core, the
outer core, the mantle and the crust.
Except for the crust, no one has ever explored
these layers in person. The inner core is solid; the outer
core is liquid; the mantle is solid/plastic and the crust is The layers of the Earth
solid.

What other facts about the Earth do you know? List them here.

WHAT MAKES EARTH HABITABLE?

Have you ever wondered why life exists here on Earth? What makes it possible for this planet
to sustain trillions of life for a long time already? There are some unique characteristics of the Earth
that sets it apart from its neighbors in the Solar System. These attributes make it possible for life to
subsist in this planet.

Here are the factors that must be met for a planet to make it habitable.

1. TEMPERATURE: Life seems limited to a temperature range of minus 15 oC to 115oC. In this range,
liquid water can still exist under certain conditions.

2. WATER: Water is regularly available. Life can go dormant between wet periods, but, eventually,
water needs to be available.

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3. ATMOSPHERE: Atmosphere traps heat, shield the surface from harmful radiation, and provides
chemicals needed for life, such as nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.

4. ENERGY: There should be a steady input of either light or chemical energy so that cells can run the
chemical reactions necessary for life.

5. NUTRIENTS: Biogeochemical cycles should be present to transport and replenish the chemicals
required by living organisms.

6. MAGNETIC FIELD: The magnetic field should be enough to shield the planet from the
electromagnetic radiation coming from the Sun.

Let’s check if our home, Earth, meets the factors mentioned above.

FACTOR EARTH’S CONDITION

1. Temperature The Earth lies in the Goldilocks Zone, the habitable zone around the Sun
where the temperature is neither too hot nor too cold. Liquid water exists in
the planet.
2. Water The Earth’s surface has enough water. Its poles are covered with ice.
3. Atmosphere Earth holds a sufficient-sized atmosphere which is about 100 miles thick. It
keeps the surface warm and protects it from radiation and small-to-medium
sized meteorites.
4. Energy The location of the Earth makes it possible for the input of light and
chemical energy to be steady. It is enough for the consumption of the
organisms.
5. Nutrients Earth has a water cycle, an atmosphere and volcanoes to circulate
nutrients.
6. Magnetic Field The Earth has a magnetic field strong enough to deflect the radiation from
the Sun.

Clearly, the conditions of the Earth meet all the factors needed for a planet to be considered
habitable.

If the Earth and Jupiter switch places, do you think it can still support life? Support your answer.

THE SUBSYSTEMS OF THE EARTH

Earth is a system of interacting zones. This system is a closed system, that is, it receives
energy from the Sun and returns some of this energy to space. Due to the continuous energy from the
Sun, the land, air, and water on the surface of the Earth are in constant heating. Ultimately, these
materials affect living organisms and biological activities affect these materials. The relationship of
living organisms and Earth’s materials create an interface. Interface is a point where two or more
systems meet or interact. Our planet has FOUR interacting subsystems: GEOSPHERE, HYDROSPHERE,
ATMOSPHERE and BIOSPHERE.

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It is the solid sphere of the Earth. It is made up of rocks and other rocky
GEOSPHERE
material. This is where geologic processes such as volcanism and orogenesis
(mountain-building) take place. The lithosphere, the outermost layer of the
Earth which constitutes the crust of the Earth and the semi-solid land underneath the crust, is part of
geosphere.
This is Earth’s water. It includes water that is on the surface of the planet,
HYDROSPHERE underground and in the air. It exists in solid, liquid and gaseous states. The
frozen part of the hydrosphere has its own name, the CRYOSPHERE. About
70% of Earth’s surface is covered with water and 98% of the water on Earth is saltwater. Of the
remaining 2% freshwater, two-thirds are in the form of ice, and the remaining one-third is present in
streams, lakes and groundwater.
This is the Earth’s blanket of air. It is a layer of gases held by the planet’s
ATMOSPHERE
gravity. It extends from less than 1 m below the planet’s surface to more than
10,000 km above the planet’s surface. The most abundant gas of the Earth’s
atmosphere is nitrogen at 78% followed by oxygen at 21%, and other gases at 1%. Different layers of
the atmosphere include the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere.
This is Earth’s living component. It is the totality of all the ecosystems of the
planet – from the soil to the rainforest, from mangroves to coral reefs, and from BIOSPHERE
the plankton-rich ocean surface to the deep sea. This sphere includes all of the
microorganisms, plants, and animals of Earth. Within the biosphere, living things form ecological
communities based on the physical surroundings of the area. These communities are referred to as
biomes. Tundras, taigas, savannahs, deserts, and tropical rainforests are five of the many types of
biomes that exist in the biosphere.

THE EARTH’S SUBSYSTEMS

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The Earth and Its Subsystems

THE INTERACTIONS OF THE EARTH’S SUBSYSTEMS

The Earth’s subsystems are distinct from each other. Each has its own characteristics, but
they complement with each other. These four subsystems interact with each other, and together,
influence the climate, trigger geological processes, and affect life all over the Earth. Their interactions
make the continuous flow of matter and energy possible. It is important to note that an event on one
subsystem has an effect on other subsystems. Let’s take volcanic eruption as an example. A volcanic
eruption in geosphere may cause profound direct and indirect effects on the hydrosphere,
atmosphere and biosphere.
So what happens when a volcano erupts?

 When a volcano erupts (an event in the lithosphere), it releases a large amount of particulate
matter into the atmosphere. These particles serve as nuclei for the formation of water
droplets (hydrosphere). Rainfall (hydrosphere) often increases following an eruption,
stimulating plant growth (biosphere). Particulate matter in the air (atmosphere) falls out,
initially smothering plants (biosphere), but ultimately enriching the soil (lithosphere) and
thereby stimulating plant growth (biosphere).
 It may release a substantial amount of hot lava (lithosphere), which causes mountain glaciers
(hydrosphere) to melt. Mudflows (lithosphere) and flooding may occur downstream from
volcanoes and may inundate streamside communities (biosphere).
 It also releases a large amount of carbon dioxide (atmosphere), the raw material for sugar
production in plants (biosphere). This may increase photosynthetic production and eventually
increase the amount of biomass, which, after a very long time, forms coal and oil deposits
(lithosphere).

A. Answer the following questions:

1. In your own understanding, why is Earth called the living planet?

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2. Give an example of an event that has an effect on all the Earth’s subsystems and describe the
effect on each subsystem.
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B. CONCEPT MAP: Make a concept map that shows how the Earth’s subsystems are interconnected.

Earth is the only planet in the Solar System known to support life. It lies in the Goldilocks zone, a location
which gives Earth the right range of temperature that supports life – not too hot nor too cold. This location
also makes Earth possess water that exists in solid, liquid and gaseous form. Moreover, Earth is capable of
cycling matter and energy including nutrients needed by the many organisms that thrive on it. Earth is also
a closed system. It has one source of energy, the Sun. It has four subsystems: geosphere (the solid part of
Earth), atmosphere (Earth’s air blanket), hydrosphere (Earth’s water) and biosphere (Earth’s living
component). These four subsystems interact with each other and affect each other as well.

A. WHERE DOES LIFE EXIST?

Directions: The table below contains pictures of different places on Earth. Describe what each photo
is showing. Examine whether it is possible or impossible for life to exist there. If you think so, list
some of the organisms which you think may exist in these places and the interactions involve.

Do you think life exist here? If

so, what are some of the
PLACE ON EARTH PICTURE DESCRIPTION
organisms that may exist here
and how may they thrive?

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B. CRASH LANDING ON A PLANET:

(Adapted from:
http://www.voyagesthroughtime.org/planetary/sample/lesson5/pdf/5_3_1sas_crashland.pdf)

Situation: Imagine you are in an interstellar voyage. Your spaceship suffers

mechanical problems and will be forced to land. Fortunately you are passing
through the Yanib System , a system composed of a sun-like star surrounded
by seven planets, some of which have moons . The profiles of planets and
moons of the Yanib System are listed below.

Task: Decide the best place to land your ship. Write down on a piece of paper
your choice of planet and your reason. Reasons why you did not choose the other planets should also
be included.

Planet 1 (closet to the star) Planet 2 Planet 3

Mass: 1.5 (Earth = 1) Mass: 0.5 Mass: 1
Tectonics: Active volcanoes and Tectonics: No activity detected Tectonics: Active volcanoes and
seismic activity detected Atmosphere: Thin CO2 seismic activity detected.
Atmosphere: CO2, N, and H20 atmosphere detected Atmosphere: CO2, H2O
Ave. Temperature: 651oC Average Temperature: 10oC Temperature: 30OC
Description: Thick clouds Description: Polar ice caps, dry Description: Liquid water
surround the planet. No surface riverbeds oceans cover much of the
is visible through the clouds. surface. Volcanic island chains
make up most of the dry land.
Planet 4 Planet 5 Planet 6
Mass: 1.5 Gas Giant with one large moon. Gas giant with four large, rocky
Tectonics: Active volcanoes and Moon: Sulfur dioxide (SO2) satellites (moons). Moons have
seismic activity detected atmosphere. Many volcanoes no appreciable atmosphere. Ice
Atmosphere: N, O2, and ozone and hot springs on surface. detectable on one.
layer Temperatures in hot spots can
Average Temperature: 2oC be up to 600oC. Other spots
Description: Cold oceans, away from volcanic heat can get
covered with ice along much of as low in temperature as 145oC.
the globe, some open water
around equator
Planet 7 (furthest from the star) Gas giant with two large moons. Moon 1: Thick methane atmosphere
with pressure high enough to keep a potential methane ocean liquid underneath. Temperature: -200
oC Moon 2: Covered in water ice. Ice appears cracked and re-frozen in parts, indicating a potential

liquid ocean underneath. Surface temperature -100oC.

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The Earth and Its Subsystems

C. ESSAY WRITING: Write an essay not exceeding 300 words on how man has altered the atmosphere,
biosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and as a consequence, the Earth System as whole.

The rubric below will be used to evaluate your essay.

Exceeds Meets Needs

Criteria Not Visible (1)
Expectation (4) Expectation (3) Improvement (2)
Understands the
concept of a
system.
Can describe the
different
components or
subsystems of the
Earth System.
Can identify and
explain how mass
and energy is
exchanged among
the components
of a system.
Essay is relevant
to the assigned
topic and written
logically and
clearly.

For more information and discussion about the module visit the following links and websites.
1. https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/education/info_activities/pdfs/TBI_earth_spheres.pdf
2. https://socratic.org/questions/what-are-the-earth-s-4-subsystems-and-their-definition
3. https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/planet-earth/why-is-the-earth-habitable
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ihbuy5g84g

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