EarthEarth SystemsSystems ScienceScience JasonJason BeringerBeringer MonashMonash UniversityUniversity OutlineOutline Climate/EarthClimate/Earth systemsystem SpheresSpheres andand cyclescycles Feedbacks,Feedbacks, interactionsinteractions andand couplingscouplings GlobalGlobal ChangeChange TheThe EarthEarth SystemSystem TheThe earthearth behavesbehaves asas aa systemsystem inin whichwhich thethe componencomponentsts areare allall connected.connected. DiffersDiffers fromfrom climateclimate systemsystem inin thethe inclusioninclusion ofof AnthroposphereAnthroposphere andand BiogeochemicalBiogeochemical cyclingcycling http:// epod.usra.edu/archive/images/theearthsystem.jpg Gaia hypothesis - planetary self-regulation Gaia concept introduced by Lovelock and Margulis in 1970’s. Treats the earth as a living entity. States that life on earth controls the physical and chemical conditions of the environment Challenge to a Darwinian idea of organism evolving / responding to environment Points to stable conditions, such as oxygen levels and climate, as evidence that living organisms maintain a life- sustaining environment Little understanding of processes, feedbacks and dynamics Earth System Science similar in interdisciplinary approach – seeks to understand the mass and energy transfers among interacting components of the Earth System TheThe EarthEarth SystemSystem TheThe EarthEarth isis aa systemsystem EnergyEnergy isis thethe driverdriver Atmosphere,Atmosphere, Biosphere,Biosphere, Hydrosphere,Hydrosphere, GeosphereGeosphere ,, CryosphereCryosphere ,, ComponentsComponents areare closelyclosely linkedlinked HumanHuman modificationmodification (Anthroposphere)(Anthroposphere) TheThe EarthEarth SystemSystem TheThe EarthEarth systemsystem isis linkedlinked throughthrough severalseveral majormajor coupledcoupled cycles:cycles: –– EnergyEnergy cyclecycle –– WaterWater cyclecycle –– CarbonCarbon cyclecycle –– NitrogenNitrogen –– RockRock cyclecycle InfluencesInfluences climateclimate BudgetsBudgets ofof fluxesfluxes intointo andand outout ofof variousvarious reservoirsreservoirs DefinitionsDefinitions ReservoirReservoir –– GivenGiven amountamount ofof materialmaterial FluxFlux –– AmountAmount ofof materialmaterial transferredtransferred fromfrom oneone reservoirreservoir toto anotheranother TurnoverTurnover timetime –– AverageAverage timetime spentspent byby anan elementelement inin aa reservoirreservoir Source/sinkSource/sink –– FluxFlux ofof materialmaterial into/outinto/out ofof aa reservoirreservoir BudgetBudget –– BalanceBalance ofof sinkssinks andand sourcessources CycleCycle –– SystemSystem ofof twotwo oror moremore connectedconnected reservoirs.reservoirs. ((Physical cycles (Supercontinent cycle, rock cycle, energy) or Biogeochemical cycles ( H2O, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus) ). Recent definition Climate system (IPCC 4AR) “Climate system : The climate system is the highly complex system consisting of five major components: the atmosphere , the hydrosphere , the cryosphere , the land surface and the biosphere , and the interactions between them. The climate system evolves in time under the influence of its own internal dynamics and because of external forcings such as volcanic eruptions, solar variations and anthropogenic forcings such as the changing composition of the atmosphere and land use change .” www.ipcc.ch Last decade of research 1. BiologicalBiological processesprocesses interactinteract withwith physicalphysical ones.ones. BiologyBiology isis important.important. 2. InteractingInteracting humanhuman effectseffects 3. ThresholdsThresholds andand abruptabrupt changechange 4. EarthEarth isis operatingoperating inin aa nonnon --analogueanalogue statestate EvolutionEvolution ofof EarthEarth SystemSystem ScienceScience There is a need to understand our planet's physical and biological phenomena and how they interact, and to determine human contributions to global change Growing concern for environment Science of processes has matured Biological and physicochemical Earth processes and activities often are mutually interlocked or influential Key processes act on a regional, and often global, scale Technology advancing (global monitoring, modelling) Disciplines are interrelated EarthEarth SystemSystem ScienceScience toolkittoolkit ChallengeChallenge toto managemanage globalglobal changechange demandsdemands anan earthearth systemssystems approachapproach Still need for focused disciplinary research Challenge to integrate information to understand dynamics as a whole Complex systems analysis Paleo data and understanding Global observations Place based studies (hotspots) Integrated studies using multiple techniques Coupled 3D earth system models SpheresSpheres andand cyclescycles The energy cycle Skinner et al. (1999) The earths radiation balance SpheresSpheres andand cyclescycles IPCC 4AR 2007 The hydrosphere and the water cycle There are 4 major pathways of cycling in the global water cycle: precipitation, evaporation, vapour advection , and runoff. The Global Water Cycle - Pathways and Note fluxes in the system Fluxes. (Values in 10 3 km 3/yr). Press & Siever (1998) Global carbon cycle [CO 2] (IPCC 4AR 2007) Global Nitrogen cycle x10 12 gN •Note industrial fixation equivalent to total biological fixation •Most cycling is internal within the reservoir The geosphere TheThe biospherebiosphere Photosynthesis GrossGross PrimaryPrimary ProductivityProductivity Net Primary Plant Net Primary Respiration ProductionProduction NetNet EcosystemEcosystem ProductionProduction Soil Respiration Interactions,Interactions, FeedbacksFeedbacks andand couplingcoupling DynamicDynamic systemsystem interactionsinteractions FeedbackFeedback loopsloops -- positivepositive feedbackfeedback thethe systemsystem respondsresponds inin thethe samesame directiondirection asas thethe outputoutput –– SmallSmall inputinput changechange resultsresults inin aa largelarge outputoutput changechange –– e.g.e.g. respirationrespiration looploop –– changeschanges amplifiedamplified andand systemsystem awayaway fromfrom equilibriumequilibrium NegativeNegative feedbacksfeedbacks thethe systemsystem respondsresponds inin thethe oppositeopposite directiondirection –– ChangeChange resultsresults inin movingmoving backback towardstowards equilibriumequilibrium –– MaintainMaintain equilibriumequilibrium StabilityStability vsvs instabilityinstability Skinner et al. (1999) Positive/negative cloud feedbacks Increased warming by trace gases (including water vapour) Increased air temperatures Increased water vapour Increased cloud amount Increased reflection Increased trapping of solar radiation of terrestrial radiation C g o in ol m in ar g W Net warming or cooling Figure 12.7 Role of cloud in both warming and cooling the atmosphere. LUCC and climate feedbacks f (w oody cover change) Tsurface change %Rainfall change Tsurface during drought ModellingModelling toolstools Earth System models AA numericalnumerical representationrepresentation ofof thethe earthearth systemsystem basedbased onon thethe physical,physical, chemicalchemical andand biologicalbiological propertiesproperties ofof itsits components,components, theirtheir interactionsinteractions andand feedbackfeedback processes,processes, andand accountingaccounting forfor allall oror somesome ofof itsits knownknown properties.properties. IncludesIncludes humanhuman interactionsinteractions toto bebe truetrue ESES modelmodel Numerical models ModelsModels cancan bebe representedrepresented diagrammaticallydiagrammatically (Forrester)(Forrester) VariablesVariables thatthat representrepresent statesstates ofof partsparts ofof thethe systemsystem (reservoirs)(reservoirs) VariablesVariables thatthat drivedrive thethe systemsystem SourcesSources andand sinkssinks FlowsFlows fromfrom oneone variablevariable toto anotheranother viavia ratesrates (fluxes)(fluxes) Haefner (1996) Example - Terrestrial carbon cycle Land,Land, ATMATM andand soilsoil reservoirsreservoirs FluxesFluxes betweenbetween reservoirsreservoirs areare prescribedprescribed (pre(pre -- industrial)industrial) ButBut alteredaltered byby otherother parametersparameters (i.e.(i.e. fertilisationfertilisation effecteffect oror soilsoil respirationrespiration andand temperature).temperature). RemoteRemote sensingsensing toolstools ““ScienceScience ofof obtainingobtaining informationinformation aboutabout anan object/arobject/areaea throughthrough datadata analysisanalysis whilstwhilst notnot inin contactcontact withwith itit.. ”” Important for: Monitoring over space and time – change detection – Land use / soils / geological / agriculture / forestry / water r esources/ urban / environmental applications Assessment of human impact Data used to understand spatial patterns and processes within sp heres and cycles Quantify aspects of the earth system (i.e. carbon uptake) Data input to models – climate/ecological/ SVAT Hydrosphere – Example clouds SatellitesSatellites cancan measuremeasure cloudcloud fractionfraction overover thethe entientirere atmosphereatmosphere andand forfor allall typestypes ofof clouds.clouds. SinceSince mostmost cloudsclouds reflectreflect incomingincoming sunlightsunlight veryvery wewellll andand traptrap heatheat escapingescaping fromfrom thethe Earth'sEarth's surface,surface, clcloudoud fractionfraction isis anan importantimportant parameterparameter inin studiesstudies ofof ouourr planet'splanet's radiantradiant energyenergy budget.budget. Biosphere - NDVI NormalisedNormalised DifferenceDifference