Interactions of Earth’s Spheres

Before Video

• The geosphere is all of Earth’s rocks and minerals that make up its surface. The word “Geo” means Earth.

• The hydrosphere is all the water on planet Earth. The word “Hydro” means water.

• The atmosphere is all of the gases surrounding Earth. That includes the air we breathe. The word “Atmos” means air.

• The biosphere is all the life forms on Earth. That includes all the animals, humans, plants and trees. The word “Bio” means life.

After Video

• The team uses sand to represent land, which is part of the geosphere. They use water to represent the hydrosphere and the air in the tank represents Earth’s atmosphere.

• When hot water was added to the aquarium tank the temperature of the atmosphere above the land went up.

• Yes, water temperature does affect atmospheric temperature. When hot water was added to the aquarium tank, the temperature above the land when up. When cold water was added, the air temperature went down.

• Dr. Jeff uses a sand blaster (moving air containing sand particles) to erode rock. The air from the sand blaster represents wind in the atmosphere and it breaks down rock (that’s geosphere).

• The team uses dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) to create fog. The sand mountain (geosphere) blocked the fog from moving to the other side of the aquarium. This shows that the shape of the land affects the weather.

• Humans are part of the biosphere because we are living things. The biosphere includes ALL living things.

• Humans can impact all four of Earth’s spheres. Humans can burn fossil fuels and release pollution into the atmosphere. Humans pile up garbage in landfills affecting the geosphere. Humans produce waste that flows into water bodies impacting the hydrosphere. Humans also impact the biosphere by cutting down trees. Humans also work to lessen their impact on the spheres through actions like recycling.

• Using recycled materials like those that Zoe uses to build her race car means additional resources from Earth’s spheres do not have to be used. By using recycled cardboard and skewer, Zoe helps keep fewer trees in the biosphere from being cut down. Using old washers means no new metal needs to be mined from the geosphere. Using old CDs that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill lessens impact on the geosphere. Using a reusable water bottle instead of a single use bottle means less plastic needs to be made.

All the rock, soil and sediments that makeup Earth’s land. It comes from the word “Geo” which means “Earth.”

Everything on Earth can be placed into one of four major subsystems: land, water, living things, and air. These four subsystems are called "spheres." Specifically, they are the "geosphere" (land), "hydrosphere" (water), "biosphere" (living things), and "atmosphere" (air).

All the oceans, rivers, lakes and water on Earth. It comes from the word “Hydro” which means “water.”

All the gases surrounding the earth. It comes from the word “Atmos” which means “air.”

All the living things on Earth. It comes from the word “Bio” which means “life.”

To reuse something that would have otherwise been thrown out or to turn it into something usable again instead of sending it to a landfill.

After pieces of the earth are broken down through weathering, those pieces are moved through Erosion. Erosion is the process of moving things from one place to another.

Naturally occurring rocks that look like a mushroom. They can be formed when sand gets carried by wind and hits the rock. This weathers the bottom of the rock more than the top.

A solid form of carbon dioxide that is very cold and turns directly from a solid to a gas.