Introduction to the Earth System

1. Introduction to the Earth System Ellen Metzger Bay Area Earth Science Institute July 28-30, 2009 San Jose State University

2. The Earth System “Earth is a complex system of interacting physical, chemical and biological processes, and provides a natural laboratory whose experiments have been running since the beginning of time.” NASA Source: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/earthsystem/nutshell/

3. Earth System Science • Earth is a dynamic body with many separate, but highly interacting parts or spheres. • Earth system science studies Earth as a system composed of numerous parts, or subsystems.

4. What is Earth System Science? Earth system science • embraces chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics and applied sciences in transcending disciplinary boundaries to treat the Earth as an integrated system • provides a physical basis for understanding the world in which we live and upon which humankind seeks to achieve sustainability. Source: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/earthsystem/nutshell/

6. Earth’s Interacting Spheres Cosmosphere Source : Dr. Rick Behl CSU Long Beach

7. Earth System Science: A Paradigm Shift "The organizing power of the evolutionary paradigm... is paralleled by the organizing power of an Earth system perspective." Panel 1, Shaping the Future of Undergraduate Earth Science Education

8. Earth System Science Themes 1. Interactions of Spheres Earth is made of several subsystems or spheres that interact to form a complex and continuously changing whole called the Earth system. • What is a system? • Can you think of some examples? 2. Scale Scale of processes operating in the Earth system vary from fractions of millimeters to thousands of kilometers and from milliseconds to billions of years.

9. Source: NASA

10. Overlapping Cycles in the Earth System Source: http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/GRAPHIC0/Astronomy/EarthSystems.gif

11. Earth's “Spheres" • Hydrosphere • Ocean – the most prominent feature of the hydrosphere • Nearly 71% of Earth's surface • About 97% of Earth's water • Also includes fresh water- streams, lakes, and glaciers, and groundwater

12. Earth's “Spheres" • Atmosphere • Thin, tenuous blanket of air • One half lies below 5.6 kilometers (3.5 miles) • Biosphere • Includes all life • Concentrated near Earth’s surface

13. Earth's “Spheres" • Geosphere (Solid Earth) Rocks, minerals, and soils and the processes that affect them • Cosmosphere The Universe surrounding the Earth system