Any system within the Earth system is considered an open system. Because energy flows freely into and out of systems, all systems respond to inputs and, as a result, have outputs. For example, water and chemicals, as well as energy enter and leave the boundaries of a watershed system. Outputs from one part of the system are inputs for another part. This linked output-input connection is often called ‘feedback’. The inputs and outputs are important for understanding the dynamics of the system you are studying as these are the key for helping us identify one system from another.
The Earth is a system of interacting parts that work together to form our complex planet; it is made up of five major parts or subsystems: Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere, Cryosphere, and Geosphere which are connected to each other in a complex web of processes.
Drought conditions have affected much of the U.S. Southwest and Central Plains in recent years. But scientists now believe future droughts in the last half of this century could be the worst in the past millennium.
Fire is a powerful force on our planet. From South America's rainforests to Africa's savannas and Australia's highlands, fires touch 30 percent of the land surface. Yet whether naturally occurring or set by humans, fires' effects reach far beyond ravaged lands.
An ultra-high-resolution NASA computer model has given scientists a stunning new look at how carbon dioxide in the Atmosphere travels around the globe. Plumes of carbon dioxide in the simulation swirl and shift as winds disperse the greenhouse gas away from its sources.
Can you tell El Nino from La Nina? This interactive was created by UCAR Center for Science Education using satellite images of the height of the ocean surface. Students interpret these images to identify whether they represent El Nino, La Nina, or neither event (La Nada!).
The Earth is a system of interacting parts that work together to form our complex planet; it is made up of five major parts or subsystems: Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere, Cryosphere, and Geosphere which are connected to each other in a complex web of processes.
Drought conditions have affected much of the U.S. Southwest and Central Plains in recent years. But scientists now believe future droughts in the last half of this century could be the worst in the past millennium.
Fire is a powerful force on our planet. From South America's rainforests to Africa's savannas and Australia's highlands, fires touch 30 percent of the land surface. Yet whether naturally occurring or set by humans, fires' effects reach far beyond ravaged lands.
An ultra-high-resolution NASA computer model has given scientists a stunning new look at how carbon dioxide in the Atmosphere travels around the globe. Plumes of carbon dioxide in the simulation swirl and shift as winds disperse the greenhouse gas away from its sources.
Can you tell El Nino from La Nina? This interactive was created by UCAR Center for Science Education using satellite images of the height of the ocean surface. Students interpret these images to identify whether they represent El Nino, La Nina, or neither event (La Nada!).
