Towards a Physically Motivated Planetary Accounting Framework

TL;DR

This paper introduces a physically motivated planetary accounting framework based on Landau-Ginzburg phase transition theory, linking human impact on Earth System variables with thermodynamical transformations, exemplified through climate change and ocean acidification interactions.

Contribution

It presents a novel Landau-Ginzburg inspired model to quantify human impact on planetary boundary variables through thermodynamical principles.

Findings

The framework models human impact as phase transitions in Earth System variables.

It relates substance fluxes to thermodynamical transformations.

Demonstrates the model with climate change and ocean acidification interactions.

Abstract

In this work we present a physically motivated planetary Accounting Framework for the Earth System. We show that the impact of the human activity in terms of the Planetary Boundary variables can be accounted for in our Landau-Ginzburg phase transition physical formulation. We then use the interaction between climate change and ocean acidification mechanisms to exemplify the relation of the concentration and flux of substances of the Planetary Boundaries variables, as proposed by the accounting framework of Kate and Newman, with the underlying thermodynamical transformation, quantifiable by the Landau-Ginzburg inspired model. In this work we present a physically motivated planetary Accounting Framework for the Earth System. We show that the impact of the human activity in terms of the Planetary Boundary variables can be accounted for in our Landau-Ginzburg phase transition physical formulation. We then use the interaction between climate change and ocean acidification mechanisms to exemplify the relation of the concentration and flux of substances of the Planetary Boundaries variables, as proposed by the accounting framework of Kate and Newman, with the underlying thermodynamical transformation, quantifiable by the Landau-Ginzburg inspired model.