Ecosphere (planetary)
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An ecosphere is a planetary
closed ecological system Closed ecological systems (CES) are ecosystems that do not rely on matter exchange with any part outside the system. The term is most often used to describe small, manmade ecosystems. Such systems are scientifically interesting and can potentia ...
. In this global ecosystem, the various forms of energy and matter that constitute a given
planet A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a you ...
interact on a continual basis. The forces of the four
Fundamental interaction In physics, the fundamental interactions, also known as fundamental forces, are the interactions that do not appear to be reducible to more basic interactions. There are four fundamental interactions known to exist: the gravitational and electro ...
s cause the various forms of matter to settle into identifiable layers. These layers are referred to as component spheres with the type and extent of each component sphere varying significantly from one particular ecosphere to another. Component spheres that represent a significant portion of an ecosphere are referred to as a primary component spheres. For instance, Earth's ecosphere consists of five primary component spheres which are the
Geosphere There are several conflicting usages of geosphere, variously defined. It may be taken as the collective name for the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, and the atmosphere. The different collectives of the geosphere are able to exchange ...
,
Hydrosphere The hydrosphere () is the combined mass of water found on, under, and above the surface of a planet, minor planet, or natural satellite. Although Earth's hydrosphere has been around for about 4 billion years, it continues to change in shape. This ...
,
Biosphere The biosphere (from Greek βίος ''bíos'' "life" and σφαῖρα ''sphaira'' "sphere"), also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος ''oîkos'' "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also ...
, Atmosphere, and Magnetosphere.


Types of component spheres


Geosphere There are several conflicting usages of geosphere, variously defined. It may be taken as the collective name for the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, and the atmosphere. The different collectives of the geosphere are able to exchange ...

The layer of an ecosphere that exists at a
Terrestrial planet A terrestrial planet, telluric planet, or rocky planet, is a planet that is composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals. Within the Solar System, the terrestrial planets accepted by the IAU are the inner planets closest to the Sun: Mercury, ...
's Center of mass and which extends radially outward until ending in a solid and spherical layer known as the Crust (geology). This includes rocks and minerals that are present on the earth as well as parts of soil and skeletal remains of animals that have become fossilized over the years. This is all about process how rocks metamorphosize. They go through solids to weathered to washing away and back to being buried and resurrected. The primary agent driving these processes is the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates, which creates mountains, volcanoes, and ocean basins. The inner core of the earth contains liquid iron, which is an important factor in the geosphere as well as the magnetosphere.


Hydrosphere The hydrosphere () is the combined mass of water found on, under, and above the surface of a planet, minor planet, or natural satellite. Although Earth's hydrosphere has been around for about 4 billion years, it continues to change in shape. This ...

The total mass of
water Water (chemical formula ) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living ...
, regardless of phase (e.g. liquid, solid, gas), that exists within an ecosphere. It's possible for the
hydrosphere The hydrosphere () is the combined mass of water found on, under, and above the surface of a planet, minor planet, or natural satellite. Although Earth's hydrosphere has been around for about 4 billion years, it continues to change in shape. This ...
to be highly distributed throughout other component spheres such as the
geosphere There are several conflicting usages of geosphere, variously defined. It may be taken as the collective name for the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, and the atmosphere. The different collectives of the geosphere are able to exchange ...
and atmosphere. There are about 1.4 billion km of water on Earth. That includes liquid water in the ocean, lakes, and rivers. It includes frozen water in snow, ice, and glaciers, and water that’s underground in soils and rocks. It also includes water that is in the atmosphere as clouds and vapor. Water is always on the move changing from a solid to vapor to ice and back to water. Water stays on the earth for various amounts of time. It can be minutes, days or years and it doesn't have any set schedule. A drop of water can be in the ocean for years, or evaporate after a few days. Water is constantly changing and moving forms. Climate change can alter the life of a drop of water. With global warming, water evaporates faster and the cycle keeps moving at faster rates. The key here is the
water cycle The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the hydrological cycle, is a biogeochemical cycle that describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth. The mass of water on Earth remains fairly cons ...
and how this works on a daily basis.


Biosphere The biosphere (from Greek βίος ''bíos'' "life" and σφαῖρα ''sphaira'' "sphere"), also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος ''oîkos'' "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also ...

All living organisms that exist within a given ecosphere. J.B. Lamarck defined the term biosphere. When modern biologists mention the biosphere they usually mean the best part of the earth's crust, which is the lithosphere and hydrosphere, and of the lower parts of the Earth's lower parts, which is the troposphere. All these together and the living organisms make up the biosphere. Other authorities go further and define the biosphere as " the space of our planet that is taken up by living beings" or as " that part of the Earth's crust, of its hydrosphere and atmosphere, that builds the environment for life".


Atmosphere

The layer of an ecosphere that exists as a gas. The atmosphere is the most distant component sphere of matter from the planet's Center of mass, beyond which is
Outer space Outer space, commonly shortened to space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth and its atmosphere and between celestial bodies. Outer space is not completely empty—it is a near-perfect vacuum containing a low density of particles, pred ...
. The whole mass of air surrounding the earth, the density of the atmosphere decreases outward, which pushes the oxygen inward allowing humans to breathe without consequence. The general circulation of the atmosphere is defined as the zonally and temporally averaged wind and temperature fields.


Magnetosphere

The magnetic field of an ecosphere along with the charged particles that are being controlled by that magnetic field. The Earth is one large magnet that is continuously subjected to plasma flow. The plasma flow is the solar wind that is propelled from the sun. The interaction between solar wind and geomagnetic field eventually combine to result in the formation of an electrical current layer, which is called the magnetopause. This electric current layer confines the earth's magnetic field. The region in which the magnetopause is enclosed in is known as the magnetosphere.


See also

*
Outline of Earth sciences The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Earth science: Earth science – all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is also known as geoscience, the geosciences or the Earthquake sci ...


References

{{Reflist Ecosystems