Realms of the Earth
EARTH SURFACE REALMS 2And3
We can look at Earth's surficial "layers" as being comprised of several major realms or "geospheres": the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and pedosphere. The reference to "sphere" applies because Earth is spherical, and hence layers around it form somewhat spherical shells at the outermost edges of the solid planet. The atmosphere, biosphere and lithosphere more completely encircle Earth, while the hydrosphere and pedosphere tend to be more discontinuous. Figure 1.01 schematically illustrates some of the processes operating between these realms. All of the realms are interconnected, with energy and materials flowing both ways between any two "spheres." Within each shell or geosphere, energy and materials are also transported from one location to another.
Though in the schematic the geospheres appear as separate isolated entities, they reside closely together at their boundaries, which overlap and blend, and the biosphere is actually contained on and within the other domains. For example, the atmosphere mixes down into the other spheres and releases precipitates; the hydrosphere overlaps onto land surfaces and water vapor rises up into the atmosphere; the biosphere reaches up into the atmosphere, down into soils and rock, and throughout the oceans, exchanging gases, water and nutrients; the lithosphere adds volcanic gases into the air and stores other gases in sediments which may ultimately become rock. Changes occurring in one geosphere affect the others through feedback mechanisms (interconnecting processes determined by dynamic physical conditions).
3.1 Atmosphere
The atmosphere is the envelope of gases surrounding Earth that extends up to approximately 10,000 km above Earth's surface (the extreme edges of the atmosphere lie about 35,000 km above the surface). Atmospheric density decreases going further away from Earth's surface. Because of this, most (99%) of the atmosphere's mass lies within 30 km of Earth's
We can look at Earth's surficial "layers" as being comprised of several major realms or "geospheres": the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and pedosphere. The reference to "sphere" applies because Earth is spherical, and hence layers around it form somewhat spherical shells at the outermost edges of the solid planet. The atmosphere, biosphere and lithosphere more completely encircle Earth, while the hydrosphere and pedosphere tend to be more discontinuous. Figure 1.01 schematically illustrates some of the processes operating between these realms. All of the realms are interconnected, with energy and materials flowing both ways between any two "spheres." Within each shell or geosphere, energy and materials are also transported from one location to another.
Though in the schematic the geospheres appear as separate isolated entities, they reside closely together at their boundaries, which overlap and blend, and the biosphere is actually contained on and within the other domains. For example, the atmosphere mixes down into the other spheres and releases precipitates; the hydrosphere overlaps onto land surfaces and water vapor rises up into the atmosphere; the biosphere reaches up into the atmosphere, down into soils and rock, and throughout the oceans, exchanging gases, water and nutrients; the lithosphere adds volcanic gases into the air and stores other gases in sediments which may ultimately become rock. Changes occurring in one geosphere affect the others through feedback mechanisms (interconnecting processes determined by dynamic physical conditions).
3.1 Atmosphere
The atmosphere is the envelope of gases surrounding Earth that extends up to approximately 10,000 km above Earth's surface (the extreme edges of the atmosphere lie about 35,000 km above the surface). Atmospheric density decreases going further away from Earth's surface. Because of this, most (99%) of the atmosphere's mass lies within 30 km of Earth's