How important is Earth (and Earth Science) to society?

The paper on which this article is printed, reading glasses, paste, blade, kitchen slab, spoon, plate,  tiles, cell phone, battery, car, petrol….. What is the common thread that passes through these diverse items? They all contain materials obtained from Mother Earth!

This article, being published sometime after Earth Day (April 22), showcases the significance of the earth and earth science to humans.

Geology is generally understood as a subject that deals with the study of rocks but it is much more than that. It deals with the study of solid earth, its structure and composition, and all the processes that go on beneath and on the earth’s surface. Today we know that Planet Earth is not just solid earth but is a system that includes the atmosphere, hydrosphere (all water bodies), and cryosphere (glaciers, ice caps, and sea ice) in which biosphere (plants, animals, and microbes, including humans) thrives. Therefore, we call this discipline not geology but Earth System Science; the outlook and research in this field, therefore, are inter- and multi-disciplinary.

Source: San Jacinto Times

Earth System Science (ESS) is hugely important to us. It impacts our agriculture and economy;it is needed for our survival and sustenance, for amenities and comforts, for our safety and sound health, and our well-being and happiness. The air that we breathe and the water that we drink belong to Mother Earth; the food and fiber we consume are grown using soil – again from Earth; without these life-sustaining elements, no life would have existed and evolved over millions of years.

First, let us consider earthresources (water, metals, non-metals, construction materials, energy etc.).

Water needed for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use is present as surface water and (under) groundwater.   ESS deals with the water cycle and the distribution and movement of water. Whereas surface water can easily be obtained from rivers and lakes, locating and tapping groundwater presents challenges. Earth scientists use electrical resistivity methods to locate groundwater. Water (pure) is a bad conductor of electricity; so we get high electrical resistivity values where water is present.

Source: Britannica

The importance of metals in our lives is evident even from the names of ages: Iron Age, Copper Age, and Bronze Age. Metals are present in almost everything that we use every day: Iron, copper, manganese, aluminum, zinc, cobalt, etc., and metal alloys are needed for manufacturing ordinary pins, furniture, utensils and crockery, automobiles and airplanes, wires and cables, tins and tumblers and industrial machinery. They are used in electronics, communication, construction, medicine, etc. Gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and rhodium are used in jewelry as are precious and semi-precious stones like diamond, ruby, corundum, and sapphire. Non-metals are used for the manufacture of fertilizers, sulfur and sulfur compounds, cement, glass, chemicals, crackers etc. Metals and non-metals are extracted from ores and other minerals.

ESS aids in locating construction materials like size stones, road metal, sand, laterite bricks, and clay for making burnt bricks. Attractive and durable rocks, e.g. granite and marble, are used for kitchen slabs, wall paneling, pavements, and flooring.

Our society is increasingly dependent on energy for its progress and development. We need energy for lighting, cooking, running air conditioners, automobiles, trains, buses, industries etc. Where does energy come from? It is conventionally obtained from coal, petroleum products (like petrol, diesel, kerosene, and aviation fuel), natural gas, shale gas, gas hydrate (in the near future), and nuclear minerals (uranium and thorium). Renewable, environment-friendly energy is harnessed from wind, water currents, waves, tides, and salinity or temperature differences in ocean water masses – all from Mother Earth.

Source: Aperam

Earth scientists investigate the earth's interior and understand deep-seated processes that produce ore deposits. Armed with this understanding and a knowledge of rock structure, age, and composition, they explore and discover ore and mineral deposits. Commonly used exploration methods aregravity, magnetic, electrical, and seismic (sound reflection and refraction) surveys. It may be noted that food resources are renewable, meaning they can be grown every season or every year. On the other hand, mineral resources are non-renewable. Once mined and used, they are gone. It will take millions of years to form another mineral deposit. Hence, we must not plunder the earth's resources; we must conserve non-renewable mineral and energy resources for future generations.

Second, natural and human-induced disasters.

Periodically we are struck by natural and human-induced disasters like floods and droughts, earthquakes and tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, avalanches and landslides, rockslides and mudflow, cyclones, storms and hurricanes, coastal erosion, soil erosion, forest fires, acid rain, heat waves and cold spells. They cause colossal loss of human/ other lives andproperty damage. The 2004 tsunami, the 1985 Kashmir earthquake, the 1770 Bengal famine, the 1870’s/1890's droughts, and cyclones in the Bay of Bengal are some classic ones that have struck and devastated our country. ESS knowledge offers insights into deep-seated and surface processes of Planet Earth. With this, it is possible to fairly well predict, and mitigate these disasters and minimise their impact. 

Source: Elizabeth Turp

Third, engineering geological projects.

Modern society has embarked on several mega civil engineering projects. For example, dams, reservoirs, nuclear power plants, high-rise buildings, tunnels, highways, railway lines, metro lines and runways. They must not be built across faults (planes along which movement is possible when an earthquake occurs) but on strong foundations. Reservoir water should not seep underground. Alignment of tunnels, highways, and railway/metro lines must consider the direction and slope angle of rocks; otherwise, rocks may cave in and the engineering structures will be rendered unsafe. All this can be ensured with a thorough knowledge of rocks, their structure, and strength properties. Thus, ESS and investigations help in the location, design, construction, and operation.

Meteorologists study parameters and patterns in the atmosphere and oceans, which will enable them to predict rainfall a few days in advance. As the tropical scenario is remarkably complex, predictions are not “on the dot” despite sophisticated mathematical modelling. Besides, the Indian monsoonis a complex phenomenon and has a wide geographical variability.

Nowadays, there is considerable debate on climate change. What is climate change? Ever since the Industrial Revolution started in the 1850s, combustion of coal, petroleum, and gas (collectively called fossil fuels) increased phenomenally. This led to an ever-increasing emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, resulting in the greenhouse effect. Basically, carbon dioxide (and some other gases) traps some amount of heat in the atmosphere. This warms up the atmosphere in much the same way a greenhouse is warmed up. Hence the name greenhouse effect. Fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and other human activities have increased the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and hence led to an increase in atmospheric temperature. This has led to the melting of ice sheets and glaciers, rise in sea level, changes in the weather pattern, agriculture pattern, etc. These human-induced alterations have been termed climate change. Climate change is distinct from the natural variability of climate. Distinguishing between natural and human-induced changes in climate is a challenging problem studied by earth science specialists. They investigate tree rings, layers in ocean and lake sediments, ice cores, etc. to know how the climate was in the past. Such data, coupled with the present-day weather pattern, are used to model the future climatic scenario. In other words, the mystery of the future can be solved with a mastery over the present and the history of the past.

Source: Euronews

Polar regions – the Arctic and the Antarctic – are refrigerators of Mother Earth! As Polar Regions receive very little solar energy, they are cold; hence, the warm water that comes from tropical regions is cooled. The cold seawater, along with nutrients and dissolved oxygen, sinks to the sea bottom and travels to all major oceans of the world, thus ventilating and nourishing them with nutrients. This is crucial for marine life and ecology. Data on past climate have been obtained by studying ice layers from Antarctica, Greenland, etc. Comparing recent climate data with them provides the basis to conclude that climate change is real and happening. Climate change has resulted in melting polar ice sheets. As a result, the Arctic may be laid bare in a few decades' time, paving the way for exploration and extraction of oil and natural gas hidden there. Nations are making plans for such endeavours.

Geo-engineeringaims at capturing the carbon dioxide that results from human activities and storing it inside the bowels of the earth such that atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, and hence the earth's temperature, comes down.  This is like the reverse of the greenhouse effect and global warming.

Developmental activities have taken a toll on the health of our planet. Our soil, air, rivers, and oceans have been polluted with innumerable types of pollutants. Microplastics is the most recent addition to the list. Environmental geoscientists trace the origin of pollutants and determine the way they are dispersed and transported in the environment. This will enable the planning of remedial action to combat and minimise the effects of pollution.

Urban planning needs a knowledge of ESS. Locating different types of buildings and facilities in different parts of a city, preserving, protecting, and desilting of water bodies, maintenance of Raajakaaluves and storm-water drains and other aspects are important for planning a good city and to avoid disasters in the future. The disaster that struck Bengaluru recently is a case in point.

Source: UFC college of Engineering and Computer Science

Besides being a huge repository of mineral, energy, and food resources, oceans play other noteworthy roles too: Ocean currents distribute nutrients, heat, and oxygen to all parts of the ocean. Without them, marine life would not survive. Currents help in saving fuel for ships. Tides (periodic rise and fall of sea level) are useful in navigation. Ships can easily enter and exit harbours at high tide when the sea level is high.

Besides providing oxygen for all living beings, the atmosphere acts as a protective shield. The ozone layer blocks ultraviolet radiation from reaching the earth, which otherwise would cause skin cancer and scores of other illnesses to humans and other life forms. The magnetosphere, another layer of atmosphere, protects our planet from harmful solar and cosmic particle radiations.

Hippocrates said, “If you want to learn about the health of a population, look at the air they breathe, the water they drink, and the places where they live.”  This statement reflects the importance of earth elements to human health – clean air, clean water, and clean food with macro- and micro-nutrients. It must be noted that too much or too little of any micronutrient is bad for health. For example, arsenic and fluorine in groundwater can cause cancer, skin lesions, and fluorosis. Thus, earth materials (like rocks, soil, water, minerals, dust, and volcanic emissions) and earth processes do have health effects on humans, spurring the growth of a new field called medical geology. Soil (with macro- and micro-elements) has a similar effect on the growth of plants and crops. Agro-geology deals with such studies.

ESS can help forensic scientists in tracking culprits of crimes. For example, consider that a patch of mud or small stones are stuck to the sole of footwear or to the tyre of a vehicle used by a criminal. Detailed studies of the mud/ stone samples can lead us to the place where these samples may have originated – in essence, the place of crime. This is one example of how forensic geology can be used in crime detection.

Source: WordPress

Plans are on the anvil to establish a human settlement on other planets. But do those planets have water, oxygen, and other favourable conditions for human survival? The European Space Agency launched the JUICE space probe recently to find out if Jupiter’s icy moons are capable of hosting extra-terrestrial life in their hidden oceans. Answers to such questions can come from planetary geology, which deals with the study of processes taking place in other planets. With a good understanding of the Earth processes, it is possible to interpret data from other planets and gain insights into the conditions prevailing there. In the age of Chandrayaan, Gaganyaanand Mangalyaan, we must gain enough gyaan about planetary bodies – earth-like planets, meteorites, etc. Asteroids are known to contain rare earth elements and platinum group of elements – elements that are crucially needed to manufacture electronic goods, etc. Moon has also attracted our attention because helium-3 may possibly be extracted from lunar atmosphere; helium-3 is an isotope of hydrogen that can produce 100 times more energy compared to uranium.

As you could see, we need earth system science in all walks of life! Not just humans, all life forms need Mother Earth! ESS contributes significantly to sustaining the planet - by studying it, learning from it, and predicting the possible outcomes that our actions and reactions bring. Awareness of ESS is essential for everyone for the sustainable development of the human race and sustainable development of earth resources. It can fundamentally change the way we see and interact with the world around us.

There is No life, No comforts, No fun WITHOUT Earth Resources and Earth System Science!

The author is Professor of Marine Geology (Retd.), Mangalore University, Adviser, International Geoscience Education Organisation. Email: rshankargeo@gmail.com