The ten types of interactions that can occur within the earth system often occur as a series of chain reactions. This means one interaction leads to another interaction, which leads to yet another interaction--it is a ripple effect through the earth's spheres. For example, a forest fire may destroy all the plants in an area (event biosphere). The absence of plants could lead to an increase in erosion--washing away--of soil (biosphere lithosphere). Increased amounts of soil entering streams can lead to increased turbidity, or muddiness, of the water (lithosphere hydrosphere). Increased turbidity of stream water can have negative impacts on the plants and animals that live in it (hydrosphere biosphere).
How Is Earth System Science Conducted?
Earth system science is conducted by examining each event sphere and sphere sphere interaction; this approach is referred to as an "Earth system science analysis" or an "ESS analysis." The examination of the interactions is accomplished by asking oneself the following questions:
1. How may each of the earth's four spheres (hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere) have caused the event to occur? (The answers to this question are the sphere event impacts.)
2. What are the effects of the event on each of the earth's four spheres (hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere)? (The answers to this question are the event sphere impacts.)
Note: When you do an ESS analysis, you will list the answers to Questions 1 and 2 together under event sphere interactions.
3. What are the effects of changes in one of earth's four spheres (hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, or biosphere) on each of the other spheres (hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, or biosphere)? (The answers to this question are the sphere sphere interactions.)
This approach of answering the questions above is performed during every ESS analysis; simply replace the term "event" with the event you wish to investigate.
An Example of an Earth System Science Analysis.
An ESS analysis was performed on the forest fires event that occurred in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. This forest fires event occurred in 1988 and destroyed tremendous areas of the park.
Below are some of the event sphere interactions discovered during an ESS analysis of the Yellowstone forest fires event: