Outline # 1 Intro ductio n ESS 315/POE 313

What is Enviro nmenta l Geology?

-The study of the functioning of Eart h systems and how they affect and are affected by human activit ies.

Assessing 30 years “Thinking Green”

-are we makin g progress?

Earth Syste ms and Cycles

What is a system?

-structured set o f objects (components) whic h are interconnected (related and operate together ) to one another.

-any portio n of the universe that can be isolated from the rest of the universe for the purpose of observing
changes

Types of Systems

-isolated systems
-closed systems
-open systems

In open systems linkages between components cause mutual adjustments (feedback) between com ponents. As
one variable affects a second variabl e, the second variable causes a change in the f irst variable.

negative feedback (self -regulation ) vs positive feedback (snowball effect ).

Earth Cycles ( Cycling provides stability in a system)

Energy , Hydrologic , Carbon, Tectonic

Human C omponen t (Popul ation Dynamics)

-Linear vs exponentia l growth
-Population Doublin g Tim e (Rule of 70) 70 / growth rate (%)
-Total F ertilit y Rate (TFR): average numb er of children born to a woman of child -bearin g years
Twenty-Five Years of “Thinking Green”
-In 1971 Barry Commoner advanced four laws of ecology that have
had a major impact on our thinking in classic book The Closing
Circle.
1. Everything is connected to everything else.
2. Everything must go somewhere.
3. Nature knows best.
4. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

What do these laws convey in the context of

environmental science?
Twenty-Five Years of “Thinking Green”
-hydrocarbon emissions from automobiles decreased by >50%.
-number of large cities violating clean-air standards has dropped from 40 to 9.
-lead emissions reduced by 98% because of the use of unleaded gasoline.
-industrial toxic waste spills cut by 43%.
-many species have been removed from the endangered species list.
-mandatory recycling laws have been implemented in 6600 U.S. cities.
-100 million acres have been set aside as wilderness areas.
-since 1979 the country has invoked energy savings = to five times all the new
sources combined.
-the number of environmental groups on college campuses increased from 50
in 1989 to over 2000 in 1995.
Earth Systems and Cycles
A system is a set of (components) which are
interconnected (related and operate
together) to one another.
The universe is the only truly isolated system
where there is no exchange of energy or
matter through its boundary.

The earth may be considered a closed system

where there is only an exchange of energy
through its boundary.

Open systems such as the hydrosphere or QuickTime™ and a

TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
lithosphere exchange energy and matter are needed to see this picture.
over their respective boundaries.
Earth Systems and Cycles

In open systems linkages between components cause mutual

adjustments (feedbacks) between components. As one
variable affects a second variable, the second variable
causes a change in the first variable.
-Negative Feedback (self-regulation)
-Positive Feedback (snowball effect, self-enhancing)
 Earth’s Energy Cycle

1 watt = 1 joule of energy per second or 1 joule will produce 1 watt of power for 1
second.
5000
Earth’s Energy Balance: How is the earth’s carbon cycle tied
to its energy balance?
Hydrologic Cycle: Reservoir and Fluxes (shown by
red arrows.
Reservoir Percent of Total
Oceans 97.25
Ice Cap/Glaciers 2.05
Groundwater 0.68
Lakes 0.01
Soil Moisture 0.005
Atmosphere 0.001
Streams/Rivers 0.0001
Biosphere 0.00004
Reservoir Average Residence Time
Seasonal Snow Cover 2 to 6 months
Ice Cap/Glaciers 20 years to millenia
Groundwater (shallow) 10 to 100’s of years
Groundwater (deep) 1000’s of years
Lakes 50 to 100 years
Soil Moisture 1 to 2 months
Atmosphere 8 days
Streams/Rivers 2 to 6 months
 QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

Seismicity and plate tectonics. Note the relationship of

depth of foci and tectonic plate boundary.
 QuickTime™ and a
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Relationship between active volcanism and tectonic plate

boundaries.
Outline # 1 Intro ductio n ESS 315/POE 313

What is Enviro nmenta l Geology?

-The study of the functioning of Eart h systems and how they affect and are affected by human activit ies.

Assessing 30 years “Thinking Green”

-are we makin g progress?

Earth Syste ms and Cycles

What is a system?

-structured set o f objects (components) whic h are interconnected (related and operate together ) to one another.

-any portio n of the universe that can be isolated from the rest of the universe for the purpose of observing
changes

Types of Systems

-isolated systems
-closed systems
-open systems

In open systems linkages between components cause mutual adjustments (feedback) between com ponents. As
one variable affects a second variabl e, the second variable causes a change in the f irst variable.

negative feedback (self -regulation ) vs positive feedback (snowball effect ).

Earth Cycles ( Cycling provides stability in a system)

Energy , Hydrologic , Carbon, Tectonic

Human C omponen t (Popul ation Dynamics)

-Linear vs exponentia l growth
-Population Doublin g Tim e (Rule of 70) 70 / growth rate (%)
-Total F ertilit y Rate (TFR): average numb er of children born to a woman of child -bearin g years
Population doubling time = 70/growth rate (%).
 QuickTime™ and a
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are needed to see this picture.
Compare the population doubling time of the African nations
versus North America or Europe.
 Per capita carbon dioxide
emission by country.

QuickTime™ and a
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are needed to see this picture.
 QuickTime™ and a
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Global carbon dioxide production by country.

Relative importance of
atmospheric gases and
particulate matter on global
warming versus cooling.
Anthropogenic concentrations of CO2,
CH4 and N2O) over the last 10,000
years (large panels) and since 1750
(inset panels). Measurements are
shown from ice cores (symbols with
different colors for different studies) and
atmospheric samples (red lines). The
corresponding radiative forcings relative
to 1750 are shown on the right hand
axes of the large panel (IPCC, 2007).

The atmospheric concentrations of CO2

and CH4 in 2005 exceed by far the
natural range over the past 650,000
years.
 QuickTime™ and a
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What potential feedback mechanisms would result from
decreasing sea ice and what effect would this have on
long-term climate change? What effect would loss of sea
ice have on sea level rise?