As it passes through the water cycle it dissolves mineral sand gases and carries them to the oceans. The atmosphere has different properties at different elevations. Clouds, formed by the condensation of water vapor, affect weather and climate. Some do so by reflecting much of the sunlight that reaches Earth from the sun, while others hold heat energy emitted from the Earth s surface. Global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather.
Oceans have a major effect on climate, because water in the oceans hold a large amount of heat.
Living have played many roles in the Earth system, including affecting the composition of the atmosphere and contributing to the weathering of rocks. The constantly changing nature of the earth is evident. Changes in the solid earth can be described as the rock cycle. To understand the rock cycle. The Earth is the third planet from the sun in a system that includes the moon, the sun, eight other planets and their moons, and smaller objects such as asteroids and comets.