Intro: Earth System Science

Earth System Science
Earth is a system of individual parts that work together as a complex whole. The four major parts of the Earth system are called spheres. These parts include the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere.

Changes continually occur within Earth's four major spheres. Such changes are called events. An event can cause changes to occur in one or more of the Earth's four spheres. An event can also be the effect of changes in one or more of the Earth's four spheres. The two-way, cause and effect relationship between an event and a sphere is called an interaction. Studying the interactions between and among events and the Earth's spheres is called Earth system science.

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Last updated July 13, 2000