The Earth system. Welcome to Change Two insights about our planet are so important that I will repeat them here – even tho we all actually already know them.

1. The Earth is a "system." The five spheres of our planet – atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, geosphere, and anthroposphere – must be considered together, as they influence each other thru the exchange of energy and matter. Feedback loops between them ensured that the Earth system remained stable for most of Earth's history, allowing life to develop.

2. Today, humans have become a force within the Earth's system. The use of fossil fuels, with climate change as the most visible and severe consequence, and the overexploitation of natural resources, along with the resulting impairment of many ecosystems, have already massively altered the state of the Earth. In the Anthropocene, human actions increasingly endanger the well-being of future generations and make ensuring the stability of the Earth system the greatest challenge we now face. Both insights require action and thus also a change in the teaching and research of the geosciences.

But what form can this transformation of the geosciences take? To this end, the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has now taken a position in a future report; I was involved in the drafting of the report. The present article contains parts from the Leopoldina report.

At the core of the report is the system concept as the overarching motif. A system consists of components that are interconnected thru energy, material, and force flows and interact thru feedback mechanisms. A system has defined boundaries, beyond which there is neither two-way interaction nor feedback, but there can be an influence from outside the system without feedback. The Earth system science was proposed by NASA as early as 1986. Since then, Earth system sciences have focused heavily on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and oceans, where interactions are most evident.

The new report from the Leopoldina, on the other hand, covers the compartments of the Earth system from the Earth's core to the upper atmosphere, including, for example, tectonic processes and mantle melting. In Figure 1, arrows indicate the transfer of mass, heat, and radiation or forces between the compartments. Arrows in both directions indicate that the compartments are interconnected thru feedbacks. The Earth system encompasses a vast spectrum of timescales: from billions of years for the Earth's mantle to years or less for gasses in the atmosphere. Modern system theory states that human behavior is influenced by feedback with the Earth system. These interactions are shown on the right side.

The report presents three guiding principles that the geosciences can use to orient themselves with Earth system science as an overarching model. These guiding principles are:

Advancing scientific discoveries. Curiosity and the joy of discovery will always be the foundation for the exploration of the Earth. For example, how our planet was formed, how and when life first emerged, or whether we are alone in the universe are questions that have always fascinated humanity and will continue to do so in light of methodological advances.

Create a precise diagnosis of the Earth's condition. Climate archives from sediments provide clues about the effects of critical thresholds; these findings from the past are important for crucial questions regarding the functioning of today's ocean-atmosphere-cryosphere system. Diagnosing the state of the Earth's surface and oceans, the causes and consequences of the various changes, and predicting their future course is of utmost importance for the future of modern civilization and the development of solutions.

Provide solutions. Earth system science must provide solutions to mitigate climate change and other global environmental changes for decision-making and adaptation measures. This also includes the development of resilience to natural hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and extreme weather events. Another task for applied research is the formulation of strategies for sustainable exploration, production, and recycling of resources necessary for the decarbonization of energy generation and mobility, the provision of raw materials, and the adequate availability of water.

To modernize German geosciences and secure their leading role in addressing numerous societal challenges, the report proposes the following six measures:

 

1. Establish Earth system science as a guiding principle. This should not replace existing disciplines, but rather connect them to solve the big questions thru curiosity-driven research and solutions for society.

    

2. Building capacities for Earth observation. Monitoring changes in the Earth system and using them to predict future developments requires extensive Earth observation capacities and analytical tools. A national roadmap could advance investments in Earth observation and data management infrastructures.
    
3. Develop digital infrastructures and capacities for Big Data. To determine the limits and critical thresholds of global change, resource availability, and georisks, large digital infrastructures, initiatives for a national data strategy, and high-performance computing infrastructure are required. The development of "digital twins" of the Earth is also included in the application.
    
4. Further develop university education. An attractive program should potentially convey to students the connection between fundamentals and application for solving future problems in the context of the Earth system. This can be done as a master's course following the existing disciplinary programs or as an independent degree program. The training should take into account the expected evolution of the traditional geoscience job market into new fields such as geodata management and analytics, the development of predictive models and methods for assessing the vulnerability of public and private infrastructures, or the implementation of negative emission technologies.
    
5. Building competencies for communicating proposed solutions. Future scenarios of a changing Earth and solution options require the competence to communicate them to the public and to political decision-makers. This includes the ability for mutual communication of solutions. Relevant skills should be imparted at universities and research centers.
    
6. Strengthen networking. This means the development of critical mass between universities and research institutions for the realization of large infrastructures and their utilization. Networking also concerns the German geoscientific societies. They should coordinate to present a united front institutionally in public and with stakeholders.
   
   
   
   The certainly not uncontroversial report contains numerous examples, illustrated with new imagery, of current fundamental research questions in the geosciences, the analysis of the Earth system in the Anthropocene, natural hazards, and the availability and sustainable use of natural resources. For all those who deal with science strategy or the further development of study programs, as well as for all the young people among us who are interested in a vision for the future of their subjects, reading the report is highly recommended. Here it can be accessed in both German and English. I'm already looking forward to the subsequent discussions on the Earth system.
   
   
   
   Your and your
   
   Friedhelm von Blanckenburg, Chairman of the DMG