The concept of Earth as a system is not new; it can be traced all the way back to James Hutton, who viewed the planet metaphorically as a giant organism 200 years ago. The rock cycle and the water cycle are fundamental components of the Earth system. Plate tectonics adds a dimension to the rock cycle by cycling components of subducted lithosphere through the mantle. The rock cycle and the water cycle interact in many ways: these two complex cycles are part of the integrated Earth system, not isolated components. A good example of this interaction is the formation and dissolution of evaporite deposits. All natural waters contain chemical components derived from such processes as weathering on Earth's surface and chemical leaching of rocks and sediments beneath the surface by groundwater. When these waters evaporate, the dissolved chemical components form salts, which accumulate in layers known as evaporites.
There is also a two-way interaction between the biological and physicochemical components of the Earth system. The physical environment has influenced life, and life has influenced the physical environment. For example, climate patterns control the distribution of plants on land and, at the same time, plant life affects climates. Forests trap heat and warm regional climates, and plants affect the global climate by altering the chemistry of the atmosphere.
