Figure 6. The components of the global climate system
consisting of the atmosphere (including the troposphere and stratosphere),
the geosphere (which includes the solid earth (lithosphere), the oceans,
rivers and inland water masses (hydrosphere) and the snow, ice and permafrost
(cryosphere)) and the biosphere (the transition zone between them within
which most plant and animal life exists and most living and dead organic
matter (biomass) is to be found). The figure also shows the main physical
processes that take place within the climate system and thus exert an influence
on climate.
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