Impact of the Biosphere on the Earth

Cyanobacteria

and Oxygen

BIFs, ozone shield, animals, life on land

Fossil

fuels

Gas, oil, coal Removing CO2 - Ice Ages (?)

Climate

What

if life had not appeared?

Carbon Cycle - Review

Solar Output and Earths T

Suns luminosity (heat output) has increased by about 30 % over the past 4.5 b.y. Earths surface T should have increased linearly as suns output increased. Actual T has not increased significantly; it has varied within a limited range. Suggests that T is regulated by some process.

Development of the Gaia Hypothesis

James Lovelock - English scientist working with NASA in 1960s on planetary exploration. Instead of sending expensive space probes, he suggested that we use Earth as a model in searching for a planet with life. We could determine the chemical composition of the planets atmosphere remotely to see if it is in chemical equilibrium, or not. The composition of a planets atmosphere would reveal the presence or absence of life.

A Planets Atmosphere

A lifeless planet would have an atmospheric composition determined by physics and chemistry alone, and be close to an equilibrium state. The atmosphere of a planet with life would depart from a purely chemical and physical equilibrium as life would use the atmosphere as a ready source, depository and transporter of raw materials and waste products.

Life on Mars and Venus?

Both planets, based on spectroscopic methods, have atmospheres dominated by CO2 and are close to chemical equilibrium. Differences in temperature and their atmospheres are related to distances from sun. No evidence of atmospheric imbalances on these planets to indicate the presence of life.

Life on Earth?

Atmosphere is in a state of deep chemical disequilibrium. CO2 is present as a trace constituent. Oxygen and methane co-exist as reactive gases The unlikely mix of gases has existed for long periods of Earth history. Life on Earth has maintained this composition, totally unlike the atmospheres of Mars and Venus.

Life on Mars?

Compared to Earth, Mars has a stable atmosphere dominated by CO2 and is incapable of much further chemical activity. Lovelock concluded that Mars was probably lifeless. Martian landers have so far not disproven this view.

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An Active Control System

How could a planet maintain an atmosphere in an unstable state for long eons of time? Lovelock reasoned that an active control system must be regulating the atmospheres composition Reasoned that climate might also be regulated so that life could accommodate the 25-30% increase in solar luminosity, otherwise the planet would become increasingly hotter.

Gaia is Proposed in 1972

Life, or the biosphere regulates or maintains the climate and atmospheric composition at an optimum for itself. The notion of the biosphere as an adaptive control system that can maintain the Earth in homeostasis, we are calling the Gaia hypothesis.

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New Version of Gaia

Organisms and their environment evolve as a single, self-regulating system.

Gaia Defended

Responding to criticism that there was no mechanism for evolution by natural selection to lead to altruism on a global scale, Lovelock developed his models of a fictitious planet. Modelling the complex Earth was too difficult, so he created computer simulations of an imaginary simple planet that he named Daisyworld after its dominant life form.

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Daisyworld

A fictitious planet on which life is represented by different-colored daisies: dark, light and neutral. Planet is same distance from Sun as Earth, has enough CO2 for daisies, but no clouds or greenhouse; Sun increases its output with time. Optimum T for daisies is 20 C; will not grow below 5 C or above 40 C. Average T of planet determined by albedo, which is determined by color of daisies. Dark absorbs heat and T rises; light reflects heat and T drops. When Sun gets too hot, T cannot be regulated by daisies and they die.

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White daisies and surface temperature

Temperature on a Lifeless Planet

Planet Temp.

Dark Planet Lighter Planet

Time and suns heat

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Lessons from Gaia

All of Earths systems, including the Biosphere, have interacted to maintain a suitable environment for life to persist. Irreversible changes will eventually cause life to cease to exist on Earth - our planet is in late middle age.

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Evidence for the presence of glaciers or icecaps during the late Neoproterozoic

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