The Earth’s Spheres

Abiotic

Abiotic factors are the non-living factors of the Earth which affect the ability of living organisms to survive in an environment. These can include both physical and chemical factors.

Examples of physical abiotic factors are soil, weather, and the availability of consumable water.

!Examples of chemical factors include the amount of sunlight and the pH level of the soil.

http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Abiotic

Biotic• Of or having to do with

life or living organisms.

• Produced or caused by living organisms.

Biotic components are the living things that shape an ecosystem. They are, any living component that affects another organism. !Example- predator and prey: •Animals which consume other organisms. •The living food that the organism consumes.

The Earth’s Four Spheres

http://i39.tinypic.com/2n0kegg.jpg

Lithosphere/Geosphere

• Outer, solid portion of the Earth. • Includes the upper mantle and the crust. • Includes rocks, sediments and soils, surface landforms, and

processes that shape the Earth.

http://3-b-s.org/layers-of-lithosphere-p-507624.html

Geosphere includes the

lithosphere and the interior of

the Earth.

Hydrosphere

The part of the Earth composed of water including clouds, oceans, seas, ice caps, glaciers, lakes, rivers, underground water supplies, and atmospheric water vapor.

http://www.cotf.edu/ete/images/modules/everglades/FEwetlands1PICT2.gif

Atmosphere

• Gases and small particles that surround the Earth which acts in many different ways that are needed for you to survive.

• Has layers that mix, heat up, and interact with the top layer of the Earth's crust.

• Sometimes you feel the atmosphere as a cool breeze.

• Sometimes it's a really hot and humid day that seems to push on you from all sides.

http://www.english-online.at/geography/atmosphere/layers-of-the-atmosphere-troposphere.gif

Biosphere- the part of the earth that supports life.

http://image.wistatutor.com/content/environment/biosphere-

illustration.jpeg

The biosphere is the one place where all of the other spheres of the planet work together. Think about the interactions for a second. The land interacts with the water (hydrosphere). The land interacts with the air (atmosphere and climates). The land even interacts with forces deep inside the Earth and the energy coming to the Earth from space. All of those forces work together to create our living world.

http://www.geography4kids.com/files/land_intro.html

Changes in One Impact the Others

Fires in Yellowstone National Park caused the following impacts.