Earth System Science

How Earth’s land, air, water, and living things are connected—and why it matters for climate change.
Earth System Science Satellite
Satellites help scientists observe changes in land, oceans, and atmosphere as an integrated Earth system.
Earth is the only known planet where the land, oceans, atmosphere, and life interact to create conditions suitable for humans.

The climate story is bigger than temperature and CO₂—it’s about a living planet where land, water, air, and organisms constantly interact. Earth System Science is the study of these connections, revealing how a change in one part of our planet can affect the whole. From melting polar ice to rainforest health, every part of the system is linked, and those links are key to understanding global climate change.

What is Earth System Science?

Earth System Science brings together geology, meteorology, oceanography, ecology, and more to study the planet as a whole. Instead of looking at the atmosphere, oceans, or biosphere separately, scientists look at how energy, water, and nutrients move among them. For example, forests absorb CO₂, which helps cool the planet, while ocean currents move heat around the globe.

Earth System Science Diagram
Illustration: Water, energy, and carbon cycle through the land, oceans, atmosphere, and living things.

How Earth’s Systems Drive and Respond to Climate Change

The planet’s climate is shaped by feedbacks among its systems. When humans burn fossil fuels, we add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, trapping more heat. Warmer air melts glaciers and sea ice, raising sea levels and changing how sunlight is reflected from Earth’s surface. Droughts, floods, and storms change how forests and soil store carbon, while the warming ocean absorbs less CO₂.

These changes can reinforce each other, creating climate “feedback loops.” For example, thawing permafrost releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, causing even more warming.

Did you know? About 93% of the extra heat from global warming is absorbed by the oceans, affecting weather, sea levels, and marine life.

Observing a Living Planet

Understanding climate change means monitoring all parts of the Earth system. Satellites map land use, deforestation, and snow cover. Sensors in oceans and rivers track water temperature and acidity. Ground stations measure greenhouse gases and air pollution. Together, these tools help scientists predict future changes and design better solutions.

Page content based on NASA, NOAA, IPCC, and scientific sources, 2025.