The Five "Spheres"
Everything within the Earth's system can be attributed to one of the following five "spheres", major components that determine how climate works. These 5 spheres are the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, the cryosphere, and the biosphere.
The Hydrosphere
The hydrosphere includes all the water on Earth, in gas, liquid, or solid form. The hydrosphere covers 70% of the Earth's surface and represents about 0.023% of the Earth's mass.
The hydrosphere has an immense impact on climate, allowing the movement of heat around the planet through ocean currents and being the major component of the all-important water cycle. Precipitation, a main factor to climate, occurs because of the hydrosphere. As well, one can't ignore the fact that the ocean absorbs a large part of airborne carbon dioxide, serving as a carbon sink. A small extent of other gases can be found dissolved in the ocean as well, such as halocarbons.
The Atmosphere
The atmosphere is the envelope of air that wraps around our planet. Though it is barely a millionth of the Earth's mass, it is a vital component in many of the processes that create climate.
Notably, the atmosphere is what creates weather, creates the greenhouse effect, and holds the ozone layer.
The atmosphere stores a lot of greenhouse gases. Gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and halocarbons all gather in the atmosphere. In terms of nitrous oxide and halocarbons, it is on of the few places you can find them and one of the only locations where sunlight can break them down.
The Cryosphere
The cryosphere refers to all the frozen parts of the Earth, such as snow, the ice caps and glaciers. Though technically part of the hydrosphere, ice has numerous qualities that make it unique and separate from the hydrosphere.
The ice on the Earth has a big role in the albedo of the surface, can store large amounts of CO2 or methane, and provides valuable information about the past climate of the Earth. As well, melting ice from climate change has been threatening big changes in ocean levels.
The Lithosphere
The lithosphere refers to all the rigid outer layers of the Earth, consisting of the crust and the upper mantle.
Though the lithosphere doesn't come to mind easily when talking about climate, it has a large effect a much slower scale. Mountains, valleys, and erosion are all involved in the climate. Climate-changing natural disasters are also often involved with the lithosphere, such as volcanic eruptions. Natural landforms alter patterns of climate and where precipitation falls.
The Biosphere
The biosphere could be described as where the above 4 things come together, all parts of the world where living things are.
Living creatures are heavily involved in the nitrogen and carbon cycles, keeping these elements moving around the Earth. Soil, part of the biosphere, is one of the places certain gases such as nitrous oxide are broken down. Agricultural plants, animals, and fertilizers are all part of the biosphere as well. Wildfires are connected to the biosphere, and by technicality all fossil fuels were once part of the biosphere.
The size of the biosphere is immense, and its effects on the climate and on the world can be seen everywhere. If you consider humans and their creations an extension of the biosphere, you can see the effect even more.
