Ecospheric Influences:

The ecosphere is the first source of environmental change, since the interactions between the atmosphere, biosphere, HYDROSPHERE, pedosphere and toposphere produce environmental cycles, trends and steady states. Directional changes or trends OCCUR when a threshold within the ecosphere is crossed, just as what happened when the Antarctic ice expanded during the Late Eocene atmospheric cooling. The ice-‘SHEET has lasted ever since through, recently (December 2000) an area of 20,000 sq. miles (51,000 sq. kms) has been satellite- observed as melted! This has caused grave concern to the environmentalists.

Cosmic Influences:

The sun is the most important source of power of the ecosphere. Steady state changes about periodic and quasi-periodic FLUCTUATIONS are promoted by solar influences. A number of ecospheric processes are finely adjusted to solar cycles. Also some ecospheric processes are attuned to various astronomical pulses, such as orbital changes in the sun and the planets, the solar system’s passage around our galaxy, Milky Way, and the Milk Way’s interactions with the neighbouring galaxies. The bombardment by asteroids and comets may also instigate and encourage biospheric trends.

Geological Influences:

Cycles, steady states and trends in the ecosphere are also produced by geological forces, and the ultimate seat of change lies in the core and mantle process. The core and mantle processes act through the agency of the lithosphere. The mechanism of plate-tectonics influences sea-level change, volcanic and mountain building activities, continental drift and true polar wander. Geological changes have caused long-term bio-diversity trends, since it is largely dependent on relative FRAGMENTATION of land-masses.

Ecospheric Influences:

The ecosphere is the first source of environmental change, since the interactions between the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere and toposphere produce environmental cycles, trends and steady states. Directional changes or trends occur when a threshold within the ecosphere is crossed, just as what happened when the Antarctic ice expanded during the Late Eocene atmospheric cooling. The ice-‘sheet has lasted ever since through, recently (December 2000) an area of 20,000 sq. miles (51,000 sq. kms) has been satellite- observed as melted! This has caused grave concern to the environmentalists.

Cosmic Influences:

The sun is the most important source of power of the ecosphere. Steady state changes about periodic and quasi-periodic fluctuations are promoted by solar influences. A number of ecospheric processes are finely adjusted to solar cycles. Also some ecospheric processes are attuned to various astronomical pulses, such as orbital changes in the sun and the planets, the solar system’s passage around our galaxy, Milky Way, and the Milk Way’s interactions with the neighbouring galaxies. The bombardment by asteroids and comets may also instigate and encourage biospheric trends.

Geological Influences:

Cycles, steady states and trends in the ecosphere are also produced by geological forces, and the ultimate seat of change lies in the core and mantle process. The core and mantle processes act through the agency of the lithosphere. The mechanism of plate-tectonics influences sea-level change, volcanic and mountain building activities, continental drift and true polar wander. Geological changes have caused long-term bio-diversity trends, since it is largely dependent on relative fragmentation of land-masses.