The International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) was a research programme that ran from 1987 to 2015 dedicated to studying the phenomenon of
global change. Its primary focus was coordinating "international research on global-scale and regional-scale interactions between Earth's biological, chemical and physical processes and their interactions with human systems."
The
International Council of Scientific Unions
The International Council for Science (ICSU, after its former name, International Council of Scientific Unions) was an international non-governmental organization devoted to international cooperation in the advancement of science. Its members ...
, a coordinating body of national science organizations, launched IGBP. It looked at the total Earth system, the changes that are occurring, and the manner in which changes are influenced by human actions.
IGBP aimed to describe and understand how the physical, chemical and biological processes regulate the Earth system. It also sought to increase knowledge of how humans are influencing global processes, such as the
carbon cycle
The carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth. Carbon is the main component of biological compounds as well as a major compon ...
,
nitrogen cycle
The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it circulates among atmospheric, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems. The conversion of nitrogen can be carried out through both biolo ...
,
sulfur cycle
The sulfur cycle is a biogeochemical cycle in which the sulfur moves between rocks, waterways and living systems. It is important in geology as it affects many minerals and in life because sulfur is an essential element (CHNOPS), being a con ...
,
water cycle
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle or the hydrological cycle, is a biogeochemical cycle that describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth. The mass of water on Earth remains fairly co ...
and
phosphorus cycle. "It delivers scientific knowledge to help human societies develop in harmony with Earth's environment."
IGBP research was organised around six projects representing the Earth system -
land
Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various isla ...
,
atmosphere
An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A ...
,
ocean
The ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of the surface of Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. An ocean can also refer to any of the large bodies of water into which the wor ...
and where they meet (land-atmosphere, land-ocean, atmosphere-ocean) and two further projects looking at the Earth system as a whole: Past Global Changes (PAGES) which looks at palaeoclimate, and the Analysis, Integration and Modelling of the Earth System (AIMES), which helps set the agenda for Earth system models. Plus four joint projects - carbon, water, human health and
food security
Food security speaks to the availability of food in a country (or geography) and the ability of individuals within that country (geography) to access, afford, and source adequate foodstuffs. According to the United Nations' Committee on World ...
- with the other three international global-change programmes.
In 2004, IGBP published a landmark synthesis, ''
Global Change and the Earth System: A Planet Under Pressure'' (Steffen ''et al'').
The synthesis stated that humanity was now the main driver of change at the planetary scale and that Earth is now operating in a "no analogue" state. Measurements of Earth system processes, past and present, have led to the conclusion that the planet has moved well outside the range of natural variability in the last half million years at least.
From 2008 to 2015,
Sybil Seitzinger was executive director of the IGBP.
IGBP projects
* Analysis, Integration and Modeling of the Earth System (
AIMES
The International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) was a research programme that ran from 1987 to 2015 dedicated to studying the phenomenon of global change. Its primary focus was coordinating "international research on global-scale and region ...
)
*
Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC)
*
Global Land Project (GLP)
*
International Global Atmospheric Chemistry The International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC) project is a non-profit organization created in the late 1980s to address growing international concerns over rapid changes observed in Earth's atmosphere.
It developed under joint sponsorship ...
(IGAC)
* Integrated Land Ecosystem–Atmosphere Processes Study (iLEAPS)
* Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (IMBER)
* Land-Ocean Interaction in the Coastal Zone (
LOICZ)
* Past Global Changes (
PAGES
Page most commonly refers to:
* Page (paper), one side of a leaf of paper, as in a book
Page, PAGE, pages, or paging may also refer to:
Roles
* Page (assistance occupation), a professional occupation
* Page (servant), traditionally a young mal ...
)
*
Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study The Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) is a global and multidisciplinary research project dedicated to understanding the key biogeochemical-physical interactions and feedbacks between the ocean and the atmosphere. Further, SOLAS seeks to l ...
(SOLAS)
* Integrated History and Future of People on Earth (IHOPE)
IGBP joint projects
*
Global Carbon Project
*
Global Land Project
* Global Environmental Change and Human Health (GECHH)
* Global Environmental Change and Food Systems (GECAFS)
* Global Water System Project (GWSP)
*International Nitrogen Initiative
International partners
*
Earth System Science Partnership The Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP) was a partnership under the auspices of the International Council for Science (ICSU) for the integrated study of the Earth system, the ways that it is changing, and the implications for global and regional ...
*
World Climate Research Programme
The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) is an international programme that helps to coordinate global climate research. The WCRP was established in 1980, under the joint sponsorship of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Inter ...
*
Diversitas
*
International Human Dimensions Programme
The International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP) was a research programme that studied the human and societal aspects of the phenomenon of global change.
IHDP aimed to frame, develop and integrate social science ...
See also
*
Systems Geology
Systems geology emphasizes the nature of geology as a system – that is, as a set of interacting parts that function as a whole. The systems approach involves study of the linkages or interfaces between the component objects and processes at all ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Organizations established in 1986
Climatological research
International organizations based in Sweden
Systems sciences organizations
Systems geology
International scientific organizations