Earth has three basic components:
- Water
- Land
- Air
These are also called Natural Resources as they are found naturally and aren’t man-made.
Which are the fundamental spheres of the earth?
There are four fundamental spheres of the earth:
- Lithosphere
- Hydrosphere
- Atmosphere
- Biosphere
Spheres of earth
Let us look at each one of them in detail.
What is Lithosphere?
The land component of the earth is called the Lithosphere. Litho in Greek means stone. The lithosphere consists of the rocks, the ground, and the minerals that are found on and in the earth. It’s also referred to as the Geosphere.
What is Hydrosphere?
The water component of the earth is called the Hydrosphere. It includes the oceans, seas, lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. Even the polar ice caps and the glaciers are included under the hydrosphere.
What is the Atmosphere?
The air component of the earth is the Atmosphere. It is the blanket of gases that envelops the earth.
What is Biosphere?
The life-supporting zone of the earth where the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and the lithosphere interact is called the Biosphere. It is sometimes referred to as the fourth sphere and consists of the places where life can be found. So we can say that the biosphere connects and influences the other spheres, and the other spheres, in turn, affect the biosphere.
The biosphere has two major components:
- Living component: The living components are called Biotic
Examples: Animals and plants
Non-living component: The nonliving components are called Abiotic factors. Examples: Air, Soil, Water