Earth system science

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Understanding the Earth as a System
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• Earth As A System
• Phenomena span a range of space and time scales
• space scale time scale
• lightning a few kms fractions of a second
• tornadoes paths a few 10s of km minutes
• major floods 100s of km days
• weather systems 1000 km a few weeks
• ozone holes 2000 km a month
• ocean circulation 1000s of km years
• atmospheric composition global decades

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• Earth System Connections
• Phenomena on all scales are connected together
• some volcanic eruptions alter the atmosphere
  globally for years
• El Nino in the tropical Pacific affects weather
  for months, even in the United States
• passage of a weather system can spawn tornadoes
  which cut a swath through a forest triggering the
  process of forest succession
• These and other connections are fundamental to
  the Earth system.

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• Earth System Measurements in GLOBE
• GLOBE students measure components of the Earth
  system and its cycles
• Energy temperatures of air, water, and soil
  clouds transparency
• Water precipitation soil moisture,
  infiltration, and bulk density land cover
• Biogeochemicals pH of precipitation, water, and
  soil soil characterization water chemistry
  land cover and biology

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Categories of Measurement Protocols

• Basic
• Advanced
• Optional
• Special

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Basic Protocols
Soil Field Characterization Bulk Density pH
Temperature Gravimetric Moisture Land
Cover MUC Qualitative Land Cover
Sampling Quantitative Land Cover Sampling Manual
Mapping
Atmosphere Cloud Temperature Precipitation Hydrol
ogy Transparency Temperature pH Conductivity Salin
ity Phenology Green-Up Green-down
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Special Protocols
Phenology Budburst Lilacs Snow Pack Water
Equivalent Fire Ecology (under development)
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GLOBE Study Site 15 km x 15 km
The GLOBE Study Site, 15 x 15 km (512 x 512
pixels) centered on the school, contains the
various study sites for atmosphere, soils,
hydrology and biometry/land cover. Schools may
select measurement sites outside of this 15 x 15
km areas, and separate imaging can be provided.
Hydrology Site
Soil Characterization
Biology Site
School
Soil Moisture Site
Atmosphere Site
Qual/Quan Land Cover Sites
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Using data to understand the Earth System
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March
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, 1987
May
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Solar Energy
April 1987
Average Temperature
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Cloud Cover
September 1987
Precipitation
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Spheres of the Earth System

• Biosphere
• Atmosphere
• Lithosphere (Geosphere)
• Hydrosphere
• Cryosphere
• Anthroposphere

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Three principles helpful ways to think about
the Earth system

• Help us understand essentially all environmental
  issues.
• When we confront an environmental issue, we can
  first explore the roles of matter, energy and
  living organisms.

From Dr. Arts Guide to the Planet
Earth http//www.planetguide.net/book/chapter_1/th
ree_principles.html
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Principle 1

• Matter Cycles
• Each of the elements that is vital for life
  exists on Earth in a closed loop of cyclical
  changes. From a systems point of view, Earth is
  essentially a closed system with respect to
  matter.

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The Rock Cycle
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Matter in the Universe Cycles
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The Periodic Table of the Elements what it's
all made of....
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• "In the history of the Earth, everything that has
  existed has been made out of the same atoms...
  the atoms in my body could once have been parts
  of rock, air, or dinosaurs."

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Principle 2

• Energy Flows
• Earths energy budget
• The functioning of our planet relies on a
  constant input of energy from the sun. This
  energy leaves Earth in the form of heat flowing
  to outer space. From a systems point of view,
  Earth is an open system with respect to energy.

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Energy flows
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Principle 3

• Life webs
• A vast and intricate network of relationships
  connects all Earth's organisms with each other
  and with the cycles of matter and the flows of
  energy. From a systems point of view, Earth is a
  networked system with respect to life.

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Understanding the Earth as a System
Matter cycles
Energy flows
Life webs
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The Anthrosphere

• the human dimension of Earth Systems Science
• As human technology becomes more evolved, so do
  the impacts of human activities on the
  environment.

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The Earth is a system. No part works without the
other parts. The parts are all connected."
- Martin
Jeffries, Arctic Ice Scientist
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• Earth System Cycles
• The cycling of energy, water, and certain
  chemical elements ties the system together
• Energy from the Sun enters the top of the
  atmosphere some is reflected back to space while
  the rest powers the Earth system
• Water evaporates from the surface, condenses or
  freezes, falls back to the surface, runs-off or
  sinks into the soil, flows to aquifers, rivers,
  the oceans
• The chemical elements C, N, P, and S cycle among
  living organisms, the atmosphere, sediments,
  soils, and water bodies