CONTRIBUTORS IN

UNDERSTANDING THE
EARTH’S SYSTEM
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE (ESS)
 Is the study of the earth as a system.
 Itconsiders interactions between the Earth’s “spheres” –
atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. It is
a relatively new field whose foundations are established
long ago by scientists in other fields.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE (ESS)
 Earth System Science is an integration of chemistry,
physics, biology, and mathematics. It is the study of the
Earth as an integrated system. It seeks to understand the
past, current, and future states of the Earth.
CONTRIBUTORS IN UNDERSTANDING
THE EARTH’S SYSTEM
 Many scientists had built the foundations of
understanding the Earth systems. They include
James Hutton, Alexander von Humboldt, Vladimir
Vernadsky, James Lovelock, and Lynn Margulis.
CONTRIBUTORS IN UNDERSTANDING
THE EARTH’S SYSTEM
 James Hutton
 Alexander von Humboldt
 Vladimir Vernadsky
 James Lovelock
 Lynn Margulis
James Hutton
 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 the 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 the
Earth's history by studying rocks.
Alexander von Humboldt
 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; recorded the location of the specimens
where they were found; and performed atmospheric 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
 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 the 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.
James Lovelock
 James Lovelock, a British environmentalist, proposed the Gaia hypothesis,
which postulates that the Earth works as a self-regulating system.
 He stated that the living organisms co-evolve with nonliving things in the
environment to form a synergistic, self-regulating system where life is
maintained and perpetuated. He cited as evidence the photosynthetic bacteria
during the Precambrian times.
 The bacteria modified the Earth’s atmosphere to become oxygen-enriched. The
change in the atmosphere then supported the evolution of more complex
organisms.
Lynn Margulis
 Lynn Margulis, an evolutionary theorist, further developed
Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis.
 Margulis noticed that all kinds of bacteria give off gases and thought
that atmospheric gases were from biological sources.
 She collaborated with Lovelock and published a paper on how life
regulates the temperature and chemical composition of the soil and
the atmosphere.
CONTRIBUTORS IN
UNDERSTANDING THE
EARTH’S SYSTEM
QUIZ
Who is the father of modern geology?

A. James Hutton
Who is the father of modern geology?

A. James Hutton
B. Alexander von Humboldt
Who is the father of modern geology?

A. James Hutton
B. Alexander von Humboldt
C. Vladimir Vernadsky
Who is the father of modern geology?

A. James Hutton
B. Alexander von Humboldt
C. Vladimir Vernadsky
D. James Lovelock
 
Who proposed the Gaia hypothesis?

A. Aldo Leopold

 
Who proposed the Gaia hypothesis?

A. Aldo Leopold
B. Alexander von Humboldt

 
Who proposed the Gaia hypothesis?

A. Aldo Leopold
B. Alexander von Humboldt
C. Vladimir Vernadsky
Who proposed the Gaia hypothesis?

A. Aldo Leopold
B. Alexander von Humboldt
C. Vladimir Vernadsky
D. James Lovelock
 
Which of the following happens when human activities
increase the concentration of carbon dioxide and aerosols
in the atmosphere?
A. The atmospheric temperature increases and the climate changes.
Which of the following happens when human activities
increase the concentration of carbon dioxide and aerosols
in the atmosphere?
A. The atmospheric temperature increases and the climate changes.
B. The atmospheric temperature decreases and the climate remain the same.
Which of the following happens when human activities
increase the concentration of carbon dioxide and aerosols
in the atmosphere?
A. The atmospheric temperature increases and the climate changes.
B. The atmospheric temperature decreases and the climate remain the same.
C. The atmospheric temperature remains the same and the climate changes.
Which of the following happens when human activities
increase the concentration of carbon dioxide and aerosols
in the atmosphere?
A. The atmospheric temperature increases and the climate changes.
B. The atmospheric temperature decreases and the climate remain the same.
C. The atmospheric temperature remains the same and the climate changes.
D. The atmospheric temperature and the climate remains the same. 
What did Alexander von Humboldt realize when he
studied the botanical samples he collected?

A. He found out that the temperature had an influence on plant

growth.
What did Alexander von Humboldt realize when he
studied the botanical samples he collected?

A. He found out that the temperature had an influence on plant

growth.
B. He found out that the plants regulate the ocean temperatures.
What did Alexander von Humboldt realize when he
studied the botanical samples he collected?

A. He found out that the temperature had an influence on plant

growth.
B. He found out that the plants regulate the ocean temperatures.
C. He discovered that all atmospheric gases come from plants.
What did Alexander von Humboldt realize when he
studied the botanical samples he collected?

A. He found out that the temperature had an influence on plant

growth.
B. He found out that the plants regulate the ocean temperatures.
C. He discovered that all atmospheric gases come from plants.
D. He discovered that evolution of life started with plants.
How does NASA contribute to the
understanding of the Earth system?
A. They use the satellite images of the Earth show how
beautiful the planet is.
How does NASA contribute to the
understanding of the Earth system?
A. They use the satellite images of the Earth show how
beautiful the planet is.
B. They use satellites to observe how the Earth changes in
response to human influences.
How does NASA contribute to the
understanding of the Earth system?
A. They use the satellite images of the Earth show how
beautiful the planet is.
B. They use satellites to observe how the Earth changes in
response to human influences.
C. They use satellites to study the chemical composition of
the soil and the atmosphere.
How does NASA contribute to the
understanding of the Earth system?
A. They use the satellite images of the Earth show how beautiful
the planet is.
B. They use satellites to observe how the Earth changes in
response to human influences.
C. They use satellites to study the chemical composition of the
soil and the atmosphere.
D. They use satellites to find and observe life on other planets in
the universe.
 
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