Interactions of Earth’s Spheres

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.

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.