i.1. Environment: Air, Water, and Land Systems
Earth’s environment encompasses the interconnected systems of air, water, and land, supporting life and ecosystems. It sustains biodiversity, regulates climate, and provides resources vital for human survival and well-being. Air, water, and land are essential elements of Earth’s environment. Air sustains life with oxygen, water supports ecosystems and human needs, and land provides habitats and resources for diverse species.
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What constitutes the composition of Earth’s atmosphere and how does it impact our Environment?
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- Earth’s Atmosphere Layers: Our earth is surrounded by a thin layer of air.
- This layer extends up to many kilometres above the surface of the earth and is called the atmosphere.
- As we move higher in the atmosphere, the air gets rarer.
- Gaseous Mix in Our Atmosphere: Air is a mixture of many gases.
- Few of its components are listed as under:
- Water Vapour
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- Oxygen: Oxygen in the Atmosphere is replaced through photosynthesis.
- Maintaining Balance: The balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is maintained through respiration in plants and animals and by the photosynthesis in plants.
- Nitrogen : The major part of air (which does not support burning candles) is nitrogen.
- Carbon Dioxide: Carbon dioxide makes up a small component of the air around us.
- Plants and animals consume oxygen for respiration and produce carbon dioxide.
- Plant and animal matter also consumes oxygen on burning and produces mainly carbon dioxide and a few other gases.
- Dust and Smoke: The burning of fuel also produces smoke.
- Smoke contains a few gases and fine dust particles and is often harmful.
- Dust particles are always present in the air.
- The presence of dust particles in air varies from time to time, and from place to place.
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How does Oxygen interact with water and soil?
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- When someone heats up water, the air dissolved in it escapes first.
- Then, the water itself turns into vapour and begins to boil.
- The bubbles you see in boiling water are made of water vapour.
- A lot of burrows and holes are formed in deep soil by the animals living in the soil.
- These burrows also make spaces available for air to move in and out of the soil.
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