Act.1.10   What is Earth System Science?

"The Earth is a system which is made of connected parts that work together dynamically.   Humans play a significant role in the Earth system."

Photographs of Earth from space show that our planet is a single system.   The Earth is whole.  You can see that oceans, clouds, and continents are lit by sunlight, the energy that supports life on Earth.  We do not know of any other planet that has water and an atmosphere like Earth's.  Any one separate part (land, air, or water) by itself is not enough to support life.   All the Earth's parts are connected and work together.    Continuous changes in temperature, composition and chemistry are necessary for the whole system to work.

To understand how the Earth system works, students must first learn what the components of the system are, and then study how they interact and change naturally.  When we better understand the natural system, then we can investigate whether human activities can cause change in our environment

In examining Earth as a whole, we use systems thinking to focus on Earth's matter, Earth's energy and Earth's life.    In other words, we are going to examine from a systems point of view the stuff (matter)  that exists on planet Earth, the energy that makes things happen on planet Earth, and the organisms that make our planet unique in the solar system. 

There are three principles can help us understand the Earth as a system.  You will read more about these principles in your text, Dr. Art's Guide to the Planet Earth.

Principle #1:    MATTER CYCLES
The chemicals (matter) that are important for life move on Earth in cycles. You have studied the water cycle.  There are other cycles, such as the carbon cycle, and the rock cycle.  From a systems point of view,  Earth is essentially a closed system with respect to matter, which means the amount of matter stays the same - nothing is added to the system, and nothing is lost from the system.

Principle #2:   ENERGY FLOWS
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, which means energy is added and lost from the Earth. 

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, life on Earth is a networked system.

Scientists know that understanding our planet will not happen by studying each piece of the system one at a time; it will take teams of biologists, chemists, physicists, geologist, mathematicians, and computer specialists working together to fully understand the Earth as a system.

Earth System Science was established as a science in 1988.   The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), along with other government agencies began long term studies of the Earth's oceans, atmosphere, land masses using observations from satellites, balloons, and airplanes.  Because NASA can put scientific instruments far above the Earth's surface, we can explore Earth's components and their interactions on a global scale.

Download and view these two movies about the Earth system and satellites. 

Our Home: Earth From Space

Compare the Earth system to how the different parts of a car work together.
     http://education.gsfc.nasa.gov/video/part01.mov

Learn how satellites are tools for studying the Earth system.
    http://education.gsfc.nasa.gov/video/part02.mov

What will you study in Earth System Science? Here are examples of the kinds of questions that ESS scientists ask ... 
 

Questions for Earth System Scientists What are Earth's  subsystems?  (spheres?) What are the interactions between the Earth's spheres? How do satellites help us understand the Earth as a system?  How has the Earth's average temperature changed over the last 30, 300, 300 thousand, and 300 million years? How does the Sun's energy affect the the oceans, atmosphere and life on Earth?  What is the role of the atmosphere and oceans on the average temperature of the Earth?  How is the Earth changing and what are the consequences for life on Earth?" How does the Earth system respond to natural and human changes?  How well can we predict future changes in the Earth system?

space

A model of the Earth System

What is a System ?     What interactions happen in a System?

The Earth System is too large and complex for us to experiment on.  But we can use models to help us understand larger systems.  Your teacher will guide you in setting up a terrarium which will model our planet's primary components -- land, air, and water, and the role of the Sun in providing us with energy.    The terrarium will help us understand how these parts work together and interact but on a much smaller scale.

Post a picture of your class's terrarium under the Pictures link on the side bar.
 

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