What are the Earth’s Spheres?

We know that the Earth is planet: a sphere of rock and gas orbiting the Sun. But there is so much more to our home in the solar system. In this video, explore the Earth’s spheres with me at Naples Beach. We will explore each of Earth’s spheres: the geosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere, and how each of them interacts with the others.

  • The geosphere is made up of all the Earth's rock and soil. The continental plates, mountains, and the rocks you find on the ground are all part of the geosphere. Soil is also part of the geosphere. Soil is made of sand, silt and clay, plus broken pieces of once-living things like roots and leaves.

  • The hydrosphere is made of all of Earth's water. Ocean, rivers, lakes, streams and groundwater are all part of Earth's hydrosphere. Clouds and precipitation are also part of the hydrosphere.

  • The cyrosphere contains all of Earth's ice. This includes the polar ice caps and glaciers.

  • The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds Earth. The atmosphere is made of about 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, and 1% other gases, including Carbon Dioxide and water vapor.

  • The biosphere contains all of Earth's living things. Living things that live in the ocean, on land, and in the ground all are part of the biosphere.

FAQ’s:

  • Air is part of the Earth's atmosphere. It is a mixtures of gases. The atmosphere is made of 80% Nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases, including water vapor and carbon dioxide. The atmosphere protects us from the Sun, and is where weather occurs. All living things need the atmosphere to survive.

  • Soil is a mixture of sand, silt and clay. It can also be made of broken pieces of once living things, such as roots, branches and leaves. Groundwater can soak into the soil and makes it moist.

  • When two or more things do something together, they are interacting. For example, when a planet grows roots into the soil, the plant, part of the biosphere, is interacting with the soil, part of the geosphere.