READ: Gallery — How Do Earth and Life Interact?

Explore the biosphere, zoom in on some unique ecosystems and learn how activity in the Solar System and plate tectonics can affect the climate and life on the planet.

The biosphere is the network of all life on Earth. Many organisms are able to flourish in extreme conditions, but most of the life forms that we are most familiar with live in a relatively narrow band of land and sea identified here as a “comfort zone.” The biosphere includes a wide variety of ecosystems that have their own environmental characteristics and their own biodiversity.

One of the greatest scientific murder mysteries was solved when scientists located the Chicxulub Crater beneath the surface of the water off of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Geologist Walter Alvarez and others had theorized that a large asteroid had struck the Earth about 65 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs. Finding the crater – and confirming the impact date by studying evidence of tsunamis caused by the massive impact – clinched the argument.

The Earth's position in relationship to the Sun, its orbital path and its own movement on its axis all contribute to the Earth's climate and to the changing seasons. The position of the continents is also important. The large continental icecaps at the poles can stop the flow of warm temperatures and have contributed to numerous ice ages.

A closer look at a particular ecosystem sometimes offers a clear view of geology. In this picture of Lake Fryxell in Antarctica, glacial melt from a short summer freezes over the briny water below. This frozen environment may not be "comfortable" for humans but numerous species call Antarctica their home and many more include it in their yearly migration patterns.

A closer look at a particular ecosystem sometimes offers a clear view of geology. In this picture of Lake Fryxell in Antarctica, glacial melt from a short summer freezes over the briny water below. This frozen environment may not be "comfortable" for humans but numerous species call Antarctica their home and many more include it in their yearly migration patterns.

Extremophiles are living organisms that thrive in extreme conditions. Some subterranean extremophiles are called troglobites, a word used to describe cave-dwelling creatures that spend their entire lives underground. There are fish, salamanders, crayfish and various insects that have adapted well to this type of ecosystem.

Over billions of years the shells of sea creatures accumulated on the ocean floor and became chalk and limestone. In this magnified image, the fossilized structures of ancient life are still visible. Large quantities of organic carbon-based material like this were buried by subduction and the intense heat and temperatures transformed the remains of living organisms into materials like coal, petroleum and natural gas – the so-called "fossil fuels."

This termite mound in Chobe National Park in Botswana, Africa is a good example of how some creatures are able to use innovative construction techniques to refine their habitat. Hundreds of thousands of termites can live in a single mound. The mounds are carefully constructed with extremely effective insulation and ventilation systems, helping to regulate temperature and generate comfortable living conditions.

In this picture of a tide pool, a colorful world thrives in a shifting environment that can change drastically with the ebb and flow of ocean tides. The force of gravity between the Earth and the Moon pulls on the oceans as the Moon revolves around the rotating Earth, controlling the tides and causing significant variations in the water levels along the coasts. Some "communities" like the daily cycles and flourish in rock crevices or reefs that are sometimes buried in deep water and sometimes exposed to the air.