Spheres

The Geosphere The term geosphere refers to the dense, solid parts of the Earth that are made mostly of rock. The geosphere is sometimes called the lithosphere.

The Hydrosphere The Earth’s hydrosphere consists of water in all forms: the oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, underground water, and atmospheric water vapor (clouds).

The Blue Planet The Earth is called the “Blue Planet” because of the abundance of water on the Earth. About 71% of the Earth is covered by water.

Fresh versus Saltwater Freshwater comes from sources such as rain, streams, rivers, underground water, frozen in glaciers, and most lakes. Saltwater comes from sources such as oceans and saltwater marshes and some lakes.

Go to Water Distribution PPT

The Atmosphere The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds the Earth. Earth’s atmosphere is made up of mostly nitrogen and oxygen. All meteorological and weather phenomena takes place in the atmosphere.

Go to Layers of the Atmosphere PPT

Biosphere The biosphere is the sphere associated with living systems such as biomes or ecosystems. This includes life on land, in the oceans and rivers, and even life that we cannot see with the naked eye.

Now It’s Your Turn Identify the hydrosphere, the lithosphere, and the atmosphere in the picture above. Explain where you would find the biosphere in this picture.