Earth Systems Science Or

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Earth Systems ScienceOr

• Gaia Theory

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A new/different kind of ecology

• Holistic science, is an approach to research that
  emphasizes the study of complex systems. This
  practice is in contrast to a purely analytic
  tradition (sometimes called reductionism) which
  purports to understand systems by dividing them
  into their smallest possible or discernible
  elements and understanding their elemental
  properties alone. The holism/reductionism
  dichotomy is often evident in conflicting
  interpretations of experimental findings and in
  setting priorities for future research.
• From wikipedia

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James Lovelock
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• Gaia is the name of the earth seen as a single
  physiological system, an entity that is alive at
  least to the extent that, like other living
  organisms, its chemistry and temperature are
  self-regulated at a state favourable for its
  inhabitants.
• - James Lovelock

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Gaia Goddess of The Earth
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Characteristics of Gaia

• Gaia is an evolving system, a system made up of
  from all living things and their surface
  environment the oceans, atmosphere and crustal
  rocks
• Living things and their surface environment are
  tightly coupled and cannot be separated
• Gaia is an emergent domain a system that has
  emerged from the reciprocal evolution of
  organisms and their environment over the billions
  of years of life on Earth. Self-regulation
  emerged as the system evolved. There is no
  foresight, planning or design involved in this
  system.

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Gases on live vs. dead planets - Dead
planets should have gases at chemical equilibrium
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Global climate change?

• A puzzle - the sun has increased its radiative
  heat output by 25 percent over the last 3.8
  billion years yet during that time the earths
  temperature has remained in a range hospitable
  for life Lovelock wondered did the earth in
  some way actively regulate its climate?
• What do we mean when we say something is alive?

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The origins Of Gaia Theory
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Ocean currents
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Earth Gaia has changed over geologic time

• Hadean 4.6 to 3.8 BYA pre-Gaia there was no
  life the earth was far more radioactive than
  now, resulting in vigorous volcanic activity with
  a high output of CO2 to the atmosphere and rapid
  reactions of the rocks with oceanic water to
  produce large amounts of H2 gas

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Earth Gaia has changed over geologic time

• Archean 3.8 to 2.5 BYA early bacterial life
  forms evolved and Gaia was born the atmosphere
  was largely N2 gas with CO2 and methane both
  present at 0.1 to 1 percent. Oxygen was present
  as a trace gas, rapidly used up by reducing
  compounds in the Archean environment

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Earth Gaia has changed over geologic time

• Proterozoic 2.5 to 0.7 BYA originated with a
  switch from a reducing to an oxidizing
  environment. Earth was still mainly populated by
  bacteria. Prokaryotic bacteria eventually joined
  by more complex eukaryotic cells and oxygen
  levels increased dramatically

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Earth Gaia has changed over geologic time

• Phanerozoic 0.7 BYA to present Multicellular
  plants and animals develop oxygen rises to 21
  percent of atmosphere, Carbon dioxide lowered to
  0.03 percent to compensate for suns increasing
  luminosity. More living organisms storing more
  CO2 trees, etc. and thus reducing CO2 in
  atmosphere

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The future Earth Systems Science?

• Earth Systems engineering is essentially the use
  of systems analysis methods in the examination of
  environmental problems. When analyzing complex
  environmental systems, there are numerous data
  sets, stakeholders and variables. It is therefore
  appropriate to approach such problems with a
  systems analysis method.

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The future Earth Systems Science?

• Earth Systems Environmental Management views the
  earth as a human artifact. "In order to maintain
  continued stability of both natural and human
  systems, we need to develop the ability to
  rationally design and manage coupled
  human-natural systems in a highly integrated and
  ethical fashion- an Earth Systems Engineering and
  Management (ESEM) capability" Braden Allenby