Earth system science (ESS) is the application ofsystems science to theEarth.[1][2][3][4] In particular, it considers interactions and 'feedbacks', through material and energy fluxes, between the Earth's sub-systems' cycles, processes and "spheres"—atmosphere,hydrosphere,cryosphere,[5]geosphere,pedosphere,lithosphere,biosphere,[6] and even themagnetosphere[7]—as well as the impact of human societies on these components.[8] At its broadest scale, Earth system science brings together researchers across both thenatural andsocial sciences, from fields includingecology,economics,geography,geology,glaciology,meteorology,oceanography,climatology,paleontology,sociology, andspace science.[9] Like the broader subject ofsystems science, Earth system science assumes aholistic view of the dynamic interaction between the Earth'sspheres and their many constituent subsystems fluxes and processes, the resultingspatial organization and time evolution of these systems, and their variability, stability and instability.[10][11][12] Subsets of Earth System science includesystems geology[13][14] andsystems ecology,[15] and many aspects of Earth System science are fundamental to the subjects ofphysical geography[16][17] andclimate science.[18]
TheScience Education Resource Center,Carleton College, offers the following description: "Earth System science embraces chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics and applied sciences in transcending disciplinary boundaries to treat the Earth as an integrated system. It seeks a deeper understanding of the physical, chemical, biological and human interactions that determine the past, current and future states of the Earth. Earth System science provides a physical basis for understanding the world in which we live and upon which humankind seeks to achieve sustainability".[19]
Earth System science has articulated four overarching, definitive and critically important features of the Earth System, which include:
For millennia, humans have speculated how the physical and living elements on the surface of the Earth combine, with gods and goddesses frequently posited to embody specific elements. The notion that the Earth, itself, is alive was a regular theme of Greek philosophy and religion.[20]
Early scientific interpretations of the Earth system began in the field ofgeology, initially in the Middle East[21] and China,[22] and largely focused on aspects such as theage of the Earth and the large-scale processes involved inmountain andocean formation. Asgeology developed as a science, understanding of the interplay of different facets of the Earth system increased, leading to the inclusion of factors such as theEarth's interior,planetary geology,living systems andEarth-like worlds.
In many respects, the foundational concepts of Earth System science can be seen in the natural philosophy 19th century geographerAlexander von Humboldt.[23] In the 20th century,Vladimir Vernadsky (1863–1945) saw the functioning of thebiosphere as a geological force generating a dynamic disequilibrium, which in turn promoted the diversity of life.
In parallel, the field ofsystems science was developing across numerous other scientific fields, driven in part by the increasing availability andpower ofcomputers, and leading to the development ofclimate models that began to allow the detailed and interactingsimulations of the Earth'sweather andclimate.[24] Subsequent extension of these models has led to the development of "Earth system models" (ESMs) that include facets such as the cryosphere and the biosphere.[25]
In 1983 aNASA committee called the Earth System Science Committee was formed. The earliest reports of NASA's ESSC,Earth System Science: Overview (1986), and the book-lengthEarth System Science: A Closer View (1988), constitute a major landmark in the formal development of Earth system science.[26] Early works discussing Earth system science, like these NASA reports, generally emphasized the increasing human impacts on the Earth system as a primary driver for the need of greater integration among the life and geo-sciences, making the origins of Earth system science parallel to the beginnings ofglobal change studies and programs.
Climatology and climate change have been central to Earth System science since its inception, as evidenced by the prominent place given to climate change in the early NASA reports discussed above. The Earth'sclimate system is a prime example of an emergent property of the whole planetary system, that is, one which cannot be fully understood without regarding it as a single integrated entity. It is also a system where human impacts have been growing rapidly in recent decades, lending immense importance to the successful development and advancement of Earth System science research. As just one example of the centrality ofclimatology to the field, the mission statement of one of the earliest centers for Earth System science research, the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, reads, "the Earth System Science Center (ESSC) maintains a mission to describe, model, and understand the Earth's climate system".[27]
Earth'sclimate system is acomplex system with five interacting components: theatmosphere (air), thehydrosphere (water), thecryosphere (ice and permafrost), thelithosphere (earth's upper rocky layer) and thebiosphere (living things).[28]: 1451 Climate is the statistical characterization of the climate system.[28]: 1450 It represents the averageweather, typically over a period of 30 years, and is determined by a combination of processes, such asocean currents and wind patterns.[29][30] Circulation in the atmosphere and oceans transports heat from thetropical regions to regions that receive less energy from the Sun.Solar radiation is the main driving force for this circulation. Thewater cycle also moves energy throughout the climate system. In addition, certain chemical elements are constantly moving between the components of the climate system. Two examples for thesebiochemical cycles are thecarbon andnitrogen cycles.
The climate system can change due tointernal variability andexternal forcings. These external forcings can be natural, such asvariations in solar intensity and volcanic eruptions, or caused by humans. Accumulation ofgreenhouse gases in the atmosphere, mainly being emitted by people burningfossil fuels, is causingclimate change. Human activity also releases coolingaerosols, but their net effect is far less than that of greenhouse gases.[28]: 1451 Changes can be amplified byfeedback processes in the different climate system components.Earth System science can be studied at a postgraduate level at some universities. In general education, theAmerican Geophysical Union, in cooperation with theKeck Geology Consortium and with support from five divisions within theNational Science Foundation, convened a workshop in 1996, "to define common educational goals among all disciplines in the Earth sciences". In its report, participants noted that, "The fields that make up the Earth and space sciences are currently undergoing a major advancement that promotes understanding the Earth as a number of interrelated systems". Recognizing the rise of thissystems approach, the workshop report recommended that an Earth System science curriculum be developed with support from the National Science Foundation.[31]
In 2000, the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) was begun, and currently includes the participation of 40+ institutions, with over 3,000 teachers having completed an ESSEA course as of fall 2009".[32]
The concept ofearth system law (still in its infancy as per 2021) is a sub-discipline ofearth system governance, itself a subfield of earth system sciences analyzed from a social sciences perspective.[33]
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