Our planet gathers all the elements necessary for the composition of life and, at least for now, it is the only celestial body present in the universe to present these characteristics. Thus, the earth system it is precisely equivalent to this combination of the natural elements of our planet, as well as the way in which they interact with each other.
There are four "spheres" that make up our planet. They are not spheres per se, but they are part of the Earth's structure, they are: atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere.
Atmosphere: it is the layer of air that surrounds our planet. It is composed of gases – especially oxygen, nitrogen and others – and is also the layer responsible for protecting the planet, as well as for climate change.
Lithosphere: also called Earth's crust, the lithosphere is the solid surface layer of our planet, consisting of rocks, soil and relief forms. It is where we live, build our societies, grow our food and carry out our economic practices.
Hydrosphere
: it is the Earth's water layer, consisting of rivers, lakes, oceans and seas, in addition to the moisture present and which also influences the climate. The existence of water on our planet is vitally important for the maintenance of life.Biosphere: it is the layer of life, involving all beings that inhabit our planet, which obviously includes human beings. The biosphere can only exist from the combination of the other spheres mentioned above. Look at the figure below:
The integration of the biosphere with the other elements of the Earth system
Most importantly, when studying the composition of the Earth system, keep in mind that they are not “static”. On the contrary, they are very dynamic elements, so that one interferes with the other. Example: rainwater alters the relief, which alters the composition of the surface and, depending on its shape, even influences the climate, and so on.
By Me. Rodolfo Alves Pena
