GEOL 103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Gaia Hypothesis, Thermodynamics, Resource Depletion
Document Summary
1st law of thermodynamics - conservation: energy is neither created nor destroyed, only changes form. 2nd law of thermodynamics - entropy: physical systems move from high energy states to low energy states (equilibrium). A system is a set of components functioning together as a whole . Most systems are hierarchical, composed of smaller systems that are made up of smaller interacting parts. Integration: integration refers to the strength of the interactions among the various parts of the system, ex. Remember, the 2nd law (entropy) states that energy will move to the lowest (less complex) state. Complexity accelerates cycling of matter & entropy production, depleting resources, and causing pollution. Positive and negate feedback loops: positive feedback: occurs when a part of the system responds to change in a way that magni es the initial change. An increase in global temperature causes a further increase by melting glaciers and snow that re ect sunlight back into space.
