Illustration showing the components and systems that interact to keep Earth's climate in balance. This is a complex web where only a small change in one part can throw the whole system off balance. The five interacting systems are the atmosphere, hydrosphere (water bodies and groundwater), cryosphere (ice), lithosphere (solid layers and soil) and biosphere (living organisms). The water and carbon cycles exchange water and carbon between these systems. Human activity also impacts these cycles and systems. For an unlabelled version of this image see C057/3969.