「地球系統科學」：「地球系統」概念的實踐

From 'Earth Sciences' to 'Earth System Science': A Paradigm Shift to System Theory and Holistic Approach

聖嬰現象、臭氧洞與氣候變遷的接連出現，不僅是地球面臨的危機，同時其相關研究也成為地球科學界所需面對的挑戰。因為要了解這些複雜現象，不僅需要整合跨領域的地球科學知識，同時還要考量人類活動所帶來的影響。本文藉由回顧此三個現象的研究過程，進而呈現一個新的研究架構――「地球系統科學」，並透過對其內涵的探討，發現「地球系統科學」是以一個整體性的哲學概念來重新評估地球系統所具的複雜與非線性本質，並應用「地球系統」的概念，來研究生物與自然環境及人類系統的運作機制及其間交互作用。最後藉由討論氣候模式的演變來闡明地球系統科學如何應用於實際的科學研究。

Intensified El Niño, ozone destruction and climate changes not only pose major threats to the Earth, but also challenge the conventional studies of Earth Sciences. To study and understand these complicated phenomena, scientists would have to take interdisciplinary approaches, as well as human's influence, into account. Beginning with the review of the history of three crises we ever had, this paper advances in discussing what system theory is and how it provided Earth science with a new conceptual framework. The conceptual framework of Earth System Science holds a new holistic approach toward re-evaluation of the very nature of the complexity and non-linearity of the Earth System, and study of various biophysical and biogeochemical interactions in the system. Finally, the application of Earth System Science to scientific research is illustrated by cases of recent progress in climate modeling and simulation.