What is Earth system science?

Given the concerns that humankind is impacting the Earth´s physical climate system, a broader concept of the Earth as a system is emerging. Within this concept, knowledge from the traditional Earth science disciplines of geology, meteorology and oceanography along with biology is being gleaned and integrated to form a physical basis for Earth system science. The broader concept of Earth system science has also come to include societal dimensions and the recognition that humanity plays an ever increasing role in global change. The Earth system science concept fosters synthesis and the development of a holistic model in which disciplinary process and action lead to synergistic interdisciplinary relevance. However, the development both conceptually and physically of the Earth system model and its quantitative assessment in the classroom and laboratory is a continuing, formative processes which requires nurturing and commitment to eclectic learning beyond one´s discipline. The intersection of disciplinary specialties often provides the most fertile and interesting fields for study, but is easily sidetracked by traditional disciplinary interests and limited understanding. In its purest sense there should be no conflict between a discipline´s interests with emphasis on specifics and depth and the demands for the interdisciplinary focus for Earth system science and global change. Addressing the scientific issues of Earth system science demands both breadth across disciplines and depth within disciplines to meet the future extremely difficult challenges of Agenda 21. In the emergence of Earth system science as an effort to address Agenda 21 challenges, there is also an overriding need to embrace the interests of a broader range of disciplines than those which traditionally have represented Earth science. For the past six years the Cooperative University-based Earth System Science Education Program (ESSE) has been developing undergraduate Earth system science courses, curricula and degree programs at forty-four colleges and universities throughout the country. The experience from these efforts has helped to create content and the means by which Earth system science is being offered successfully at the college and university level. Earth system science courses offer unusual opportunities to incorporate fundamental understanding with a broad appreciation of systems concepts and observational dimensions. In this paper trans-disciplinary concepts and applications to the Earth system are examined, and a strategy to build a repository of educational resources which bridge across disciplines is examined