The outer solid shell of the planet. Abstract: Characteristics of the main shells of the Earth

Stages evolutionary development Earth

The Earth arose by thickening a predominantly high-temperature fraction with a significant amount of metallic iron, and the remaining near-Earth material, in which iron was oxidized and turned into silicates, probably went to build the Moon.

The early stages of the development of the Earth are not fixed in the stone geological record, according to which the geological sciences successfully restore its history. Even the most ancient rocks (their age is marked by a huge figure - 3.9 billion years) are the product of much later events that occurred after the formation of the planet itself.

The early stages of the existence of our planet were marked by the process of its planetary integration (accumulation) and subsequent differentiation, which led to the formation central core and the primary silicate mantle that envelops it. The formation of an aluminosilicate crust of oceanic and continental types refers to later events associated with physical and chemical processes in the mantle itself.

The Earth as a primary planet was formed at temperatures below the melting point of its material 5-4.6 billion years ago. The earth arose by accumulation as a chemically relatively homogeneous ball. It was a relatively homogeneous mixture of iron particles, silicates, and less sulfides, distributed fairly evenly throughout the volume.

Most of its mass was formed at a temperature below the condensation temperature of the high-temperature fraction (metal, silicate), i.e., below 800° K. In general, the completion of the formation of the Earth could not occur below 320° K, which was dictated by the distance from the Sun. Particle impacts during the accumulation process could raise the temperature of the nascent Earth, but quantification the energy of this process cannot be produced reliably enough.

From the beginning of the formation of the young Earth, its radioactive heating was noted, caused by the decay of rapidly dying out radioactive nuclei, including a certain number of transuranic ones that have survived from the era of nuclear fusion, and the decay of now preserved radioisotopes and.

In the general radiogenic atomic energy in early eras the existence of the Earth was sufficient for its material to begin to melt in places, followed by degassing and the rise of light components into the upper horizons.

With a relatively uniform distribution radioactive elements with uniform distribution radiogenic heat throughout the Earth maximum growth temperatures occurred in its center with subsequent equalization along the periphery. However, in the central regions of the Earth, the pressure was too high for melting. Melting as a result of radioactive heating began at some critical depths, where the temperature exceeded the melting point of some part of the Earth's primary material. In this case, the iron material with an admixture of sulfur began to melt faster than pure iron or silicate.

All this happened geologically rather quickly, since the huge masses of molten iron could not remain in an unstable state for a long time in the upper parts of the Earth. After all, all liquid iron is glass in central regions Earth, forming a metal core. The inner part of it passed into a solid dense phase under the influence of high pressure, forming a small core deeper than 5000 km.

The asymmetric process of differentiation of the planet's material began 4.5 billion years ago, which led to the appearance of continental and oceanic hemispheres (segments). It is possible that the hemisphere of the modern Pacific Ocean was the segment in which the masses of iron sank towards the center, and in the opposite hemisphere they rose with the rise of silicate material and the subsequent melting of lighter aluminosilicate masses and volatile components. The fusible fractions of the mantle material concentrated the most typical lithophile elements, which came to the surface along with gases and water vapor. primary earth. Most of the silicates at the end of planetary differentiation formed a powerful mantle of the planet, and the products of its melting gave rise to the development of an aluminosilicate crust, a primary ocean, and primary atmosphere saturated with CO 2 .

A.P. Vinogradov (1971), on the basis of an analysis of the metal phases of meteorite matter, believes that a solid iron-nickel alloy arose independently and directly from the vapor phase of a protoplanetary cloud and condensed at 1500 ° C. The iron-nickel alloy of meteorites, according to the scientist, has a primary character and correspondingly characterizes metal phase earth planets. Iron-nickel alloys are quite high density, as Vinogradov believes, originated in a protoplanetary cloud, sintered due to high thermal conductivity into separate pieces that fell to the center of the gas-dust cloud, continuing their continuous condensation growth. Only a mass of iron-nickel alloy, independently condensed from a protoplanetary cloud, could form the cores of terrestrial-type planets.

The high activity of the primary Sun created a magnetic field in the surrounding space, which contributed to the magnetization of ferromagnetic substances. These include metallic iron, cobalt, nickel, and partly iron sulfide. The Curie point is the temperature below which substances acquire magnetic properties, - for iron is 1043 ° K, for cobalt - 1393 ° K, for nickel - 630 ° K and for iron sulfide (pyrrhotite, close to troilite) - 598 ° K. Since the magnetic forces for small particles are many orders of magnitude superior gravitational forces mass-dependent attraction, then the accumulation of iron particles from the cooling solar nebula could begin at temperatures below 1000°K in the form of large clumps and be many times more efficient than the accumulation of silicate particles at other equal conditions. iron sulfide below 580°K, it could also accumulate under the influence of magnetic forces, following iron, cobalt, and nickel.

The main motif of the zonal structure of our planet was associated with the course of successive accumulation of particles different composition- first strongly ferromagnetic, then weakly ferromagnetic, and, finally, silicate and other particles, the accumulation of which was already dictated mainly by the gravitational forces of the grown massive metal masses.

Thus, the main reason for the zonal structure and composition of the earth's crust was rapid radiogenic heating, which determined the increase in its temperature and further contributed to the local melting of the material, the development of chemical differentiation and ferromagnetic properties under the influence of solar energy.

The stage of a gas-dust cloud and the formation of the Earth as a condensation in this cloud. The atmosphere contained H and Not, dissipation of these gases occurred.

In the process of gradual heating of the protoplanet, the reduction of iron oxides and silicates occurred, the inner parts of the protoplanet were enriched metallic iron. Various gases were released into the atmosphere. The formation of gases occurred due to radioactive, radiochemical and chemical processes. Initially, mainly inert gases were released into the atmosphere: Ne(neon), Ns(nilsborium), CO 2(carbon monoxide), H 2(hydrogen), Not(helium), Ag(argon), Kg(krypton), Heh(xenon). A restorative atmosphere was created in the atmosphere. Perhaps there was some education NH3(ammonia) through synthesis. Then, in addition to those indicated, sour smoke began to enter the atmosphere - CO 2, H 2 S, HF, SO2. Dissociation of hydrogen and helium took place. The release of water vapor and the formation of the hydrosphere caused a decrease in the concentrations of highly soluble and reactive gases ( CO2, H 2 S, NH3). The composition of the atmosphere changed accordingly.

Through volcanoes and in other ways, the release of water vapor from magma and igneous rocks continued, CO 2, SO, NH3, NO 2, SO2. There was also a selection H 2, About 2, Not, Ag, Ne, kr, Xe due to radiochemical processes and transformations of radioactive elements. gradually accumulated in the atmosphere CO 2 and N 2. There was a slight concentration About 2 in the atmosphere, but were also present in it CH 4 , H 2 and SO(from volcanoes). Oxygen oxidized these gases. As the Earth cooled, hydrogen and inert gases were absorbed by the atmosphere, held by gravity and geomagnetic field like other gases in the primary atmosphere. The secondary atmosphere contained some residual hydrogen, water, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and was of a sharply reducing character.

When the proto-Earth was formed, all the water was in different form associated with the matter of the protoplanet. As the Earth formed from a cold protoplanet and its temperature gradually increased, water was increasingly included in the composition of the silicate magmatic solution. Part of it evaporated from the magma into the atmosphere, and then dissipated. As the Earth cooled, the dissipation of water vapor weakened, and then practically stopped altogether. The atmosphere of the Earth began to be enriched with the content of water vapor. However, atmospheric precipitation and the formation of water bodies on the Earth's surface became possible only much later, when the temperature on the Earth's surface became below 100°C. The drop in temperature on the Earth's surface to less than 100°C was undoubtedly a leap in the history of the Earth's hydrosphere. Until that moment, water in the earth's crust was only in chemically and physically bound state, constituting together with the rocks a single indivisible whole. Water was in the form of gas or hot vapor in the atmosphere. As the temperature of the Earth's surface fell below 100°C, rather extensive shallow reservoirs began to form on its surface, as a result of heavy rains. Since that time, seas began to form on the surface, and then the primary ocean. In the rocks of the Earth, along with water-bound solidifying magma and emerging igneous rocks, free drip-liquid water appears.

The cooling of the Earth contributed to the emergence of groundwater, which differed significantly in chemical composition between themselves and the surface waters of the primary seas. Earth atmosphere, which arose during the cooling of the initial hot substance from volatile materials, vapors and gases, became the basis for the formation of the atmosphere and water in the oceans. The emergence of water on the earth's surface contributed to the process of the emergence of atmospheric circulation air masses between sea and land. The uneven distribution of solar energy over the earth's surface has caused atmospheric circulation between the poles and the equator.

All existing elements were formed in the earth's crust. Eight of them—oxygen, silicon, aluminium, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium—made up more than 99% of the earth's crust by weight and number of atoms, while all the rest accounted for less than 1%. Main mass elements are scattered in the earth's crust and only a small part of them formed accumulations in the form of mineral deposits. In deposits, elements are not usually found in pure form. They form natural chemical compounds- minerals. Only a few - sulfur, gold and platinum - can accumulate in a pure native form.

A rock is a material from which sections of the earth's crust are built with a more or less constant composition and structure, consisting of an accumulation of several minerals. The main rock-forming process in the lithosphere is volcanism (Fig. 6.1.2). At great depths, magma is under conditions of high pressure and temperature. Magma (Greek: "thick mud") consists of a number of chemical elements or simple compounds.

Rice. 6.1.2. Eruption

With a drop in pressure and temperature chemical elements and their compounds are gradually "ordered", forming prototypes of future minerals. As soon as the temperature drops enough to begin solidification, minerals begin to exude from the magma. This isolation is accompanied by a crystallization process. As an example of crystallization, we present the formation of a crystal table salt NaCl(Fig. 6.1.3).

Fig.6.1.3. The structure of a crystal of table salt (sodium chloride). (Small balls are sodium atoms, large balls are chlorine atoms.)

The chemical formula indicates that the substance is built from the same number sodium and chlorine atoms. There are no atoms of sodium chloride in nature. The substance sodium chloride is built from sodium chloride molecules. Rock salt crystals consist of sodium and chlorine atoms alternating along the axes of the cube. During crystallization, due to electromagnetic forces, each of the atoms in the crystal structure tends to take its place.

Crystallization of magma occurred in the past and occurs now during volcanic eruptions in various natural conditions. When magma solidifies at a depth, then the process of its cooling is slow, granular well-crystallized rocks appear, which are called deep. These include granites, diarites, gabbro, syanites and peridotites. Often under the influence of active internal forces Earth's magma pours out to the surface. At the surface, lava cools much faster than at depth, so the conditions for crystal formation are less favorable. Crystals are less durable and quickly turn into metamorphic, loose and sedimentary rocks.

In nature, there are no minerals and rocks that exist forever. Any rock once arose and someday its existence comes to an end. It does not disappear without a trace, but turns into another rock. So, when granite is destroyed, its particles give rise to layers of sand and clay. Sand, being immersed in the bowels, can turn into sandstone and quartzite, and with more high pressure and temperature give rise to granite.

The world of minerals and rocks has its own special "life". There are twin minerals. For example, if a “lead sheen” mineral is found, then the “zinc blende” mineral will always be next to it. The same twins are gold and quartz, cinnabar and antimonite.

There are minerals "enemies" - quartz and nepheline. Quartz in composition corresponds to silica, nepheline - to sodium aluminosilicate. And although quartz is very widespread in nature and is part of many rocks, it does not “tolerate” nepheline and never occurs with it in a place. The secret of antagonism is related to the fact that nepheline is undersaturated with silica.

In the world of minerals, there are cases when one mineral turns out to be aggressive and develops at the expense of another, when environmental conditions change.

A mineral, falling into other conditions, sometimes turns out to be unstable, and is replaced by another mineral while maintaining its original form. Such transformations often occur with pyrite, which is similar in composition to iron disulfide. It usually forms golden-colored cubic crystals with a strong metallic sheen. Under the influence of atmospheric oxygen, pyrite decomposes into brown iron ore. Brown iron ore does not form crystals, but, arising in place of pyrite, retains the shape of its crystal.

Such minerals are jokingly called "deceivers". Their scientific name is pseudomorphoses, or false crystals; their shape is not characteristic of the constituent mineral.

Pseudomorphoses testify to complex relationships between different minerals. Relationships between crystals of one mineral are not always simple either. In geological museums, you have probably admired beautiful intergrowths of crystals more than once. Such intergrowths are called druze, or mountain brushes. In mineral deposits, they are the objects of reckless "hunting" of stone lovers - both beginners and experienced mineralogists (Fig. 6.1.4).

Druzes are very beautiful, so such interest in them is quite understandable. But it's not just about looks. Let's see how these brushes of crystals are formed, find out why the crystals with their elongation are always more or less perpendicular to the growth surface, why there are no or almost no crystals in druze that would lie flat or grow obliquely. It would seem that during the formation of a “nucleus” of a crystal, it should lie on the growth surface, and not stand vertically on it.

Rice. 6.1.4. Scheme of geometric selection of growing crystals during the formation of druse (according to D. P. Grigoriev).

All these questions are well explained by the theory of geometric selection of crystals by the famous mineralogist - professor of the Leningrad Mining Institute D. P. Grigoriev. He proved that a number of reasons influence the formation of crystal druses, but in any case, growing crystals interact with each other. Some of them turn out to be "weaker", so their growth soon stops. The more “strong” ones continue to grow, and in order not to be “constrained” by their neighbors, they stretch upwards.

What is the mechanism of formation of mountain brushes? How do numerous differently oriented "nuclei" turn into a small number of large crystals located more or less perpendicular to the growth surface? The answer to this question can be obtained if we carefully consider the structure of a druse, consisting of zone-colored crystals, that is, those in which color changes give out traces of growth.

Let's take a closer look at the longitudinal section of the Druse. A number of crystal nuclei are visible on the uneven growing surface. Naturally, their elongations correspond to the direction of greatest growth. Initially, all nuclei, regardless of orientation, grew at the same rate in the direction of crystal elongation. But then the crystals began to touch. The leaning ones quickly found themselves squeezed by their vertically growing neighbors, leaving no free space for them. Therefore, from the mass of differently oriented small crystals, only those that were located perpendicular or almost perpendicular to the growth surface "survived". Behind the sparkling cold brilliance of crystal druze, stored in the showcases of museums, lies a long life full of collisions...

Another remarkable mineralogical phenomenon is a rock crystal with bundles of rutile mineral inclusions. A great stone connoisseur A. A. Malakhov said that “when you turn this stone in your hands, it seems that you look at the seabed through the depths pierced by solar filaments.” In the Urals, such a stone is called “hairy”, and in the mineralogical literature it is known under the magnificent name “Hair of Venus”.

The process of crystal formation begins at some distance from the source of fiery magma, when hot aqueous solutions with silicon and titanium enter the cracks in the rocks. In the case of a decrease in temperature, the solution turns out to be supersaturated, silica crystals (rock crystal) and titanium oxide (rutile) simultaneously precipitate from it. This explains the penetration of rock crystal with rutile needles. Minerals crystallize in certain sequence. Sometimes they stand out simultaneously, as in the formation of "Hair of Venus".

In the bowels of the Earth and at present time runs colossal destructive and creative work. In chains of endless reactions, new substances are born - elements, minerals, rocks. The magma of the mantle rushes from unknown depths into the thin shell of the earth's crust, breaks through it, trying to find a way out to the surface of the planet. Waves electromagnetic oscillations, streams of neurons, radioactive emissions flowing from the depths of the earth. It was they who became one of the main ones in the origin and development of life on Earth.

Geography is the science of the interior and external structure Earth, studying the nature of all continents and oceans. The main object of study are various geospheres and geosystems.

Introduction

The geographic shell or GO is one of the basic concepts of geography as a science, introduced into circulation at the beginning of the 20th century. It denotes the shell of the entire Earth, a special natural system. The geographic shell of the Earth is called an integral and continuous shell, consisting of several parts that interact with each other, penetrate each other, constantly exchange substances and energy with each other.

Fig 1. Geographical shell of the Earth

There are similar terms narrow values used in the works of European scientists. But they don't mean natural system, only a set of natural and social phenomena.

Stages of development

The geographic shell of the earth has gone through a number of specific stages in its development and formation:

geological (prebiogenic)– the first stage of formation, which began about 4.5 billion years ago (lasted about 3 billion years);
biological– the second stage, which began about 600 million years ago;
anthropogenic (modern)- a stage that continues to this day, which began about 40 thousand years ago, when humanity began to exert a noticeable influence on nature.

The composition of the geographic shell of the Earth

Geographic envelope- this is a system of the planet, which, as you know, has the shape of a ball, flattened on both sides by the caps of the poles, with a long equator of more than 40 tons km. GO has a certain structure. It consists of interconnected environments.

Upper and lower bounds

In the entire structure of the geographic envelope and geographic environments, a clear zoning can be traced.

Law geographic zoning provides not only the division of the entire shell into spheres and media, but also the division into natural areas land and oceans. It is interesting that such a division naturally repeats itself in both hemispheres.

Zoning is due to the nature of the distribution of solar energy over latitudes and the intensity of moisture (different in different hemispheres, continents).

Naturally, it is possible to determine the upper boundary of the geographic envelope and the lower one. Upper bound located at an altitude of 25 km, and bottom line The geographic envelope runs at a level of 6 km under the oceans and at a level of 30-50 km on the continents. Although, it should be noted that the lower limit is conditional and there are still disputes over its setting.

Even if we take the upper boundary in the region of 25 km, and the lower one in the region of 50 km, then, compared to the total size of the Earth, we get something like a very thin film that covers the planet and protects it.

Basic laws and properties of the geographical shell

Within these boundaries of the geographical envelope, the basic laws and properties that characterize and determine it operate.

Interpenetration of components or intra-component movement- the main property (there are two types of intra-component movement of substances - horizontal and vertical; they do not contradict and do not interfere with each other, although in different structural parts of GO the speed of movement of components is different).
Geographic zonation- the basic Law.
Rhythm- repetition of all natural phenomena(daily, annual).
The unity of all parts of the geographical shell due to their close relationship.

Characteristics of the Earth's shells included in the GO

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is important for keeping warm, and therefore life on the planet. It also protects all living things from ultraviolet radiation, affects soil formation and climate.

The size of this shell is from 8 km to 1 t km (or more) in height. It consists of:

gases (nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, ozone, helium, hydrogen, inert gases);
dust;
water vapor.

The atmosphere, in turn, is divided into several interconnected layers. Their characteristics are presented in the table.

All shells of the earth are similar. For example, they contain all types of aggregate states of substances: solid, liquid, gaseous.

Fig 2. The structure of the atmosphere

Lithosphere

The hard shell of the earth, the earth's crust. It has several layers, which are characterized by different power, thickness, density, composition:

upper lithospheric layer;
sigmatic sheath;
semi-metallic or ore shell.

The maximum depth of the lithosphere is 2900 km.

What is the lithosphere made of? From solids: basalt, magnesium, cobalt, iron and others.

Hydrosphere

The hydrosphere is made up of all the waters of the Earth (oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, swamps, glaciers, and even The groundwater). It is located on the surface of the Earth and occupies more than 70% of the space. Interestingly, there is a theory according to which the thickness of the earth's crust contains large stocks water.

There are two types of water: salt and fresh. As a result of interaction with the atmosphere, during condensate, the salt evaporates, thereby providing the land with fresh water.

Fig 3. Earth's hydrosphere (view of the oceans from space)

Biosphere

The biosphere is the most "living" shell of the earth. It includes the entire hydrosphere, the lower atmosphere, the land surface and the upper lithospheric layer. It is interesting that living organisms inhabiting the biosphere are responsible for the accumulation and distribution of solar energy, for migration processes. chemical substances in soil, for gas exchange, for oxidative reducing reactions. We can say that the atmosphere exists only thanks to living organisms.

Fig 4. Components of the Earth's biosphere

Examples of the interaction of media (shells) of the Earth

There are many examples of media interaction.

During the evaporation of water from the surface of rivers, lakes, seas and oceans, water enters the atmosphere.
Air and water, penetrating through the soil into the depths of the lithosphere, makes it possible for vegetation to rise.
Vegetation provides photosynthesis by enriching the atmosphere with oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide.
From the surface of the earth and oceans, the upper layers of the atmosphere are heated, forming a climate that provides life.
Living organisms, dying, form the soil.

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Atmospheric air consists of nitrogen (77.99%), oxygen (21%), inert gases (1%) and carbon dioxide (0.01%). The share of carbon dioxide increases over time due to the fact that fuel combustion products are released into the atmosphere, and, in addition, the area of \u200b\u200bforests that absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen decreases.

The atmosphere also contains a small amount of ozone, which is concentrated at an altitude of about 25-30 km and forms the so-called ozone layer. This layer creates a barrier to the sun ultraviolet radiation dangerous for the living organisms of the Earth.

In addition, the atmosphere contains water vapor and various impurities - dust particles, volcanic ash, soot, and so on. The concentration of impurities is higher near the surface of the earth and in certain areas: above big cities, deserts.

Troposphere- lower, it contains most of the air and. The height of this layer is not the same: from 8-10 km near the tropics to 16-18 km near the equator. in the troposphere it decreases with elevation: by 6°C per kilometer. Weather is formed in the troposphere, winds, precipitation, clouds, cyclones and anticyclones are formed.

The next layer of the atmosphere is stratosphere. The air in it is much more rarefied, it has much less water vapor. The temperature in the lower part of the stratosphere is -60 - -80°C and falls with increasing altitude. The ozone layer is in the stratosphere. The stratosphere is characterized high speeds wind (up to 80-100 m/s).

Mesosphere- the middle layer of the atmosphere lying above the stratosphere at altitudes from 50 to S0-S5 km. The mesosphere is characterized by a decrease in the average temperature with height from 0°C at the lower boundary to -90°C at the upper boundary. Near the upper boundary of the mesosphere, there are noctilucent clouds illuminated by the sun at night. The air pressure at the upper boundary of the mesosphere is 200 times less than at the earth's surface.

Thermosphere- located above the mesosphere, at altitudes from SO to 400-500 km, in it the temperature at first slowly, and then quickly begins to rise again. The reason is the absorption of ultraviolet radiation from the Sun at altitudes of 150-300 km. In the thermosphere, the temperature rises continuously up to a height of about 400 km, where it reaches 700-1500°C (depending on solar activity). Under the influence of ultraviolet and X-ray and cosmic radiation there is also air ionization (“polar lights”). The main regions of the ionosphere lie within the thermosphere.

Exosphere- the outer, most rarefied layer of the atmosphere, it begins at altitudes of 450-000 km, and its upper boundary is located at a distance of several thousand km from the earth's surface, where the concentration of particles becomes the same as in interplanetary space. The exosphere consists of ionized gas (plasma); the lower and middle parts of the exosphere are mainly composed of oxygen and nitrogen; with an increase in altitude, the relative concentration of light gases, especially ionized hydrogen, rapidly increases. The temperature in the exosphere is 1300-3000°C; it grows slowly with height. The exosphere contains the Earth's radiation belts.

In the twentieth century, through numerous studies, mankind revealed the secret of the earth's interior, the structure of the earth in the context became known to every schoolchild. For those who do not yet know what the earth consists of, what are its main layers, their composition, what is the name of the thinnest part of the planet, we will list a number of significant facts.

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The shape and size of the planet Earth

Contrary to general delusion our planet is not round. Its shape is called the geoid and is a slightly flattened ball. The places where the globe is compressed are called poles. The axis of the earth's rotation passes through the poles, our planet makes one revolution around it in 24 hours - an earth day.

In the middle, the planet is surrounded by an imaginary circle dividing the geoid into the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

Apart from the equator there are meridians - circles perpendicular to the equator and passing through both poles. One of them, passing through the Greenwich Observatory, is called zero - it serves as a reference point geographical longitude and time zones.

Back to main features the globe can be attributed:

diameter (km.): equatorial - 12 756, polar (near the poles) - 12 713;
length (km.) of the equator - 40,057, meridian - 40,008.

So, our planet is a kind of ellipse - a geoid, rotating around its axis passing through two poles - North and South.

The central part of the geoid is surrounded by the equator - a circle dividing our planet into two hemispheres. In order to determine what the radius of the earth is, use half the values of its diameter at the poles and the equator.

And now about that what is the earth made of what shells it is covered with and what sectional structure of the earth.

Earth shells

Basic shells of the earth distinguished according to their content. Since our planet is spherical, its shells held together by gravity are called spheres. If you look at s trinity of the earth in a section, then three areas can be seen:

In order(starting from the surface of the planet) they are located as follows:

Lithosphere - hard shell planets, including mineral layers of the earth.
Hydrosphere - contains water resources - rivers, lakes, seas and oceans.
The atmosphere is air shell surrounding the planet.

In addition, the biosphere is also distinguished, which includes all living organisms that inhabit other shells.

Important! Many scientists refer the population of the planet to a separate vast shell called the anthroposphere.

The earth's shells - the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere - are distinguished according to the principle of combining a homogeneous component. In the lithosphere - these are solid rocks, soil, the internal contents of the planet, in the hydrosphere - all of it, in the atmosphere - all the air and other gases.