UNIT 3 recorded the location of the specimens where

they were found; and performed atmospheric

Introduction to Earth System Science
 Weather is the fluctuating state of the
atmosphere over a short period of time.
 Climate is the average weather over a
certain period and area
I. What is Earth System Science?
• Earth System Science is an integration of
chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics.
It is the study of Earth as an integrated system.
It seeks to understand the past, current, and
future states of Earth.
• Earth System Science considers interactions
between Earth’s “spheres” – atmosphere,
geosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
and geophysical measurements. From his
records, he recognized patterns that reveal
underlying processes, such as the transport of
heat in ocean currents and the influence of
temperature on plants.
« Vladimir Vernadsky, one of the founders of
geochemistry, popularized the term noosphere.
In his theory of Earth development, he stated
that geosphere was the first phase of Earth that
was developed. The second phase was the
biosphere or biological life. The emergence of
life on Earth transformed the geosphere. Then
the noosphere, the sphere of human
consciousness, is the third phase. The
development of human cognition then
transformed the biosphere. Today, the study of
human impact on the biosphere led to the
concept of sustainability, which is the capacity
of the Earth to continue to support human life

• Many scientists had built the foundations for

understanding Earth systems. They include
James Hutton, Alexander von Humboldt,
Vladimir Vernadsky, James Lovelock, and Lynn
Margulis.

« James Hutton, the father of modern geology,

was a Scottish farmer and naturalist. It was in
farming that he observed how land was shaped
by destructive forces of wind and weather
systems. He described how Earth was formed in
a repeated cycle of erosion and sedimentation,
with heat from volcanic activity as the driving
force. He also introduced the concept of
uniformitarianism, implying that the geological
forces (such as those that trigger erosion and
volcanic activities) in the past are the same as
those in the present, making it possible to
determine Earth’s history by studying rocks.

« Alexander von Humboldt, a 19th-century

geographer, helped establish the

foundation for Earth System Science through his

observations of nature. He, together with his
colleagues, traveled to America; collected
botanical, zoological, and geological specimens;