Earth and Life Science

Grade 11/12 • Unit 3: Introduction to Earth System Science

Lesson 3.3
Earth’s Climate System

Rainy weather

Introduction
Have you ever noticed that there are certain weather patterns that become more common
during particular months? For example, sunny days are more common during the summer,
whereas wet days become more frequent during the rainy season.

Changes in climatic conditions are evident in seasonal variations over a year. These can
affect earth system processes and life forms. What causes the changes in Earth’s
climate?

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Grade 11/12 • Unit 3: Introduction to Earth System Science

Learn about It

Weather and Climate

Weather is the fluctuating state of the atmosphere over a short period of time. Describing
the weather includes stating the temperature, wind speed and direction, type of
precipitation, and type of clouds.

Climate on the other hand, is the average weather over a certain period and area. It varies
depending on latitude, distance to large bodies of water, and geography. The climate system
of Earth is an interactive system consisting of the interactions of the atmosphere,
hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere.

Essential Question
How do you differentiate weather, climate and the atmosphere?

Earth’s Subsystems and Climate

Fig. 1. Composition of Earth’s atmosphere

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Grade 11/12 • Unit 3: Introduction to Earth System Science

The atmosphere is considered the most uneven, unstable, and fast-changing part of the
climate system. Nitrogen (N2) is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere, followed by
oxygen (O2). These gases do not have significant interaction with the radiation from the sun.
However, trace gases such as water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4),
nitrous oxide (N2O,) and ozone (O3) absorb and emit radiation. These trace gases are called
greenhouse gases.

Greenhouse gases tend to increase the temperature of Earth’s surface because they absorb
the outgoing radiation from the surface and re-emit them into the atmosphere. Water
vapor is considered as the primary greenhouse gas because it is the most variable
component of the atmosphere. Water in the atmosphere undergoes different phase
changes such as evaporation, condensation, and sublimation. The transitions between
these phases result in continuous absorption and emission of energy in the atmosphere.

The hydrosphere influences the climate system by storing and transporting large amounts
of energy. The oceans, which cover approximately 70% of Earth’s surface, act as a climate
regulator because they strongly influence the temperature changes. These oceans absorb
the majority of sunlight that reaches Earth’s surface.

Did You Know?

In some parts of the world, stormy weather
is caused by tropical cyclones. It is a system
of clouds and thunderstorms that move
together and rotate in one direction. In east
and southeast Asia, it is known as a typhoon.
Typhoons in the region usually originated in
nearby bodies of water like the Pacific
ocean. This is a perfect example on how the
atmosphere and the hydrosphere, two
Earth’s subsystems, interact in affecting
weather.

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Grade 11/12 • Unit 3: Introduction to Earth System Science

Soil and vegetation at the land surface of the geosphere affect climate by controlling how
much energy received from the sun is returned to the environment. Soil moisture greatly
affects surface temperature because the evaporation of water from the soil requires energy.

The part of the geosphere that affects climate is the crust. The topography or the
description of the surface feature of the land affects the wind that blows on the land
surface. An area may be a part of any of the different landforms, such as plains, hills, valleys,
and mountains. A mountain range may block the path of low altitude clouds, affecting the
weather in surrounding areas. The temperature at sea level may also differ from the
temperature on elevated places. Dust from land may also be blown into the atmosphere
and may interact with the radiation.

Fig. 2. An example of an effect that topographical features can have on weather and climate
can be seen in the Sierra Madre mountain range in Luzon. Studies have shown that this
mountain range slows down the movement of typhoons that pass through.

The biosphere has a significant effect on the atmosphere’s composition. Photosynthesis

allows the release of oxygen and uptake of carbon dioxide; hence, organisms take part in
the exchange of greenhouse gases. Removing a large number of plants and trees in an area
can cause an increase in free carbon dioxide due to less plant absorbers. In the long term,
this may affect the climate over the area. This usually occurs in highly urbanized areas,

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Grade 11/12 • Unit 3: Introduction to Earth System Science

especially ones with industrial facilities, such as factories and manufacturing plants.

Key Points

● The four major subsystems affect the weather and climate on Earth.
● Atmospheric condition is affected by the greenhouse gases present, especially
water vapor.
● The hydrosphere influences the climate system by storing and releasing large
amounts of energy in the oceans, which act as climate regulators.
● Different landforms affect the climate by acting as physical barriers for clouds and
storms, and when dust is blown into the atmosphere and affect the amount of
radiation from the sun
● Photosynthesis affects the climate system by absorbing carbon dioxide and
providing oxygen.

Check Your Understanding

A. Complete the table below by writing an example of an interaction between two
subsystems.

Atmosphere Geosphere Hydrosphere Biosphere

Atmosphere

Geosphere

Hydrosphere

Biosphere