41
contains the largest swamp on Earth (area 30),
the West Siberian Plain as a sensitive area because
swamps are well-known methane emitters.
Methane is also important from the aspect of
global climate control. According to Flannery
(2005), in the northern areas of oceans clathrate
(methane hydrate) is contained in great depths (in
the ocean floor) that is a stable compound at great
pressure and low temperature but with increasing
temperatures (e.g. submarine volcanism) enormous amounts of methane could be released in a
short period of time that would detract oxygen
from the sea and increase atmospheric greenhouse effects. Rapid global warming causing the
distinction of species around 55 million years ago
is explained by a similar process. Area 26 is
included among the sensitive areas in Fig. 2.17
because the North Atlantic Ridge shows volcanic
activity today presenting the risk of methane
emission.
Although global warming could also cause
deep sea methane release this could follow surface warming with a delay of a 1000 years.
Probably there are other instable points and
regions in the global Earth system apart from
those presented in Fig. 2.17 but our knowledge is
not enough to identify those. Several scientists
agree that the shortage of knowledge is greatest
in the fields of microorganisms. It is likely
that they have the most significant role in the
self- controlling ability of the global system but
we do not know how.
As we have seen, the opinion of scientists is
divided but they agree that there are several areas in
the global Earth system where disturbance would
cause major changes in the operation of the system
as a whole than in other areas. Further identification of such sensitivity points and areas would be
important because human activities should be limited at such areas otherwise the disturbances of the
global Earth system may hit back on the society.
Natural scientists strongly debated the Gaia
hypothesis even though Lovelock together with
Lynn Margulis stated several facts on the basis of
exact evidence. First of all, they stated that microorganisms are able to change the environmental
conditions of our planet. Living beings not only
simply adjust to their environment but change it
so that it would provide better conditions for
them. This points way beyond the theory of natural selection from Darwin, not denying it but
completing it and this thesis is now widely
accepted among scientists. According to
Goodwin (2002) Lovelock failed orthodox scientific requirements with the name Gaia given to
their hypothesis suggesting that the Earth would
be some sort of a living being. Lovelock had to
withdraw ideas that the Earth would have any
kinds of abilities, intentions or aims to care for
life on it.
Table 2.2 Sensitive areas on Earth according to the descriptions and map outlines of Lovelock (cf. Fig. 2.17)
No.
Sensitive area
No.
Sensitive area
1.
Central America
16.
Sunda and the Philippines
2.
Caribbean islands
17.
Polynesia/Micronesia
3.
Tropical Andes
18.
Southwest Australia
4.
Forests of Amazonas Basin
19.
New Zealand
5.
Forests along the Atlantic shores of Brazil
20.
Patagonia shelf, La Plata estuary
6.
Southern Andes
21.
Amazonas estuary
7.
Mediterranean area
22.
Sunda shelf
8.
Caucasus
23.
Arafura shelf, Great Barrier Reef
9.
Rainforests in Western Africa
24.
New Foundland shelf
10.
Forests of Kenya and Tanzania
25.
Chukchi Sea Shelf
11.
Madagascar
26.
Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Iceland
12.
Karoo and Cape Town flora provinces
27.
Dogger Bank
13.
Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
28.
Kara Sea shelf
14.
Indochina
29.
East Siberian Shelf
15.
China
30.
West Siberian Plain
2.6 Earth Models, “World Models”
contains the largest swamp on Earth (area 30),
the West Siberian Plain as a sensitive area because
swamps are well-known methane emitters.
Methane is also important from the aspect of
global climate control. According to Flannery
(2005), in the northern areas of oceans clathrate
(methane hydrate) is contained in great depths (in
the ocean floor) that is a stable compound at great
pressure and low temperature but with increasing
temperatures (e.g. submarine volcanism) enormous amounts of methane could be released in a
short period of time that would detract oxygen
from the sea and increase atmospheric greenhouse effects. Rapid global warming causing the
distinction of species around 55 million years ago
is explained by a similar process. Area 26 is
included among the sensitive areas in Fig. 2.17
because the North Atlantic Ridge shows volcanic
activity today presenting the risk of methane
emission.
Although global warming could also cause
deep sea methane release this could follow surface warming with a delay of a 1000 years.
Probably there are other instable points and
regions in the global Earth system apart from
those presented in Fig. 2.17 but our knowledge is
not enough to identify those. Several scientists
agree that the shortage of knowledge is greatest
in the fields of microorganisms. It is likely
that they have the most significant role in the
self- controlling ability of the global system but
we do not know how.
As we have seen, the opinion of scientists is
divided but they agree that there are several areas in
the global Earth system where disturbance would
cause major changes in the operation of the system
as a whole than in other areas. Further identification of such sensitivity points and areas would be
important because human activities should be limited at such areas otherwise the disturbances of the
global Earth system may hit back on the society.
Natural scientists strongly debated the Gaia
hypothesis even though Lovelock together with
Lynn Margulis stated several facts on the basis of
exact evidence. First of all, they stated that microorganisms are able to change the environmental
conditions of our planet. Living beings not only
simply adjust to their environment but change it
so that it would provide better conditions for
them. This points way beyond the theory of natural selection from Darwin, not denying it but
completing it and this thesis is now widely
accepted among scientists. According to
Goodwin (2002) Lovelock failed orthodox scientific requirements with the name Gaia given to
their hypothesis suggesting that the Earth would
be some sort of a living being. Lovelock had to
withdraw ideas that the Earth would have any
kinds of abilities, intentions or aims to care for
life on it.
Table 2.2 Sensitive areas on Earth according to the descriptions and map outlines of Lovelock (cf. Fig. 2.17)
No.
Sensitive area
No.
Sensitive area
1.
Central America
16.
Sunda and the Philippines
2.
Caribbean islands
17.
Polynesia/Micronesia
3.
Tropical Andes
18.
Southwest Australia
4.
Forests of Amazonas Basin
19.
New Zealand
5.
Forests along the Atlantic shores of Brazil
20.
Patagonia shelf, La Plata estuary
6.
Southern Andes
21.
Amazonas estuary
7.
Mediterranean area
22.
Sunda shelf
8.
Caucasus
23.
Arafura shelf, Great Barrier Reef
9.
Rainforests in Western Africa
24.
New Foundland shelf
10.
Forests of Kenya and Tanzania
25.
Chukchi Sea Shelf
11.
Madagascar
26.
Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Iceland
12.
Karoo and Cape Town flora provinces
27.
Dogger Bank
13.
Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
28.
Kara Sea shelf
14.
Indochina
29.
East Siberian Shelf
15.
China
30.
West Siberian Plain
2.6 Earth Models, “World Models”