1. Sustaining Geology in a Complex Earth System

2. Resources Plenary lectures at IMA 2002 NSERC reallocation report
Breaking New Ground
MMC
Dynamics of Complex Systems

3. Terms and Concepts
Geology: Study of the Earth, processes, history, materials, life.
Complexity: quantitative term, amount of information needed to describe a system, measured in the level of detail needed to describe the system
Emergence: parts interact in the context of the whole; system properties cannot be studied by physically taking components apart.

4. Earth Lithosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere,
Different length and time scales.
Feedback between component parts as energy and mass are exchanged, transferred and redistributed
Geological context the feedback might occur on a global scale: sedimentation in basins affects ocean chemistry. On a smaller scale we see micron-scale zones in minerals record changes in lake chemistry.

5. Geological context includes time
Time, minutes
Time, thousands of years……
Time, years

6. Humans

7. Human Perspective I Population 1999: six billion
The last billion took 12 years
Rate of growth declining 2.2% in 1963 to ~1% today
9 billion by 2050
1.1billion entering the age range of reproduction

8. Human Perspective II Fire on demand 1.5 m to 500,000 years
Mineral striker 40-50,000 years
Au and Cu use 15,000 years
Cu + Sn to make bronze
By the 16th century Agricola: “when ores are washed, the water which has been used poison’s the brooks and streams and either destroys the fish or drives them away”

9. Humans
Humans have become a major force in the Earth system: intervention in many of the exchanges.
Global warming
Another measure ~ 42.5 G tonnes of material moved by humans, ~ 42.5 G tonnes of material moved by streams, rivers mass wasting etc.
Science now referring to our times as the Anthropozoic era or Anthropocene.
G is an extensive variable

10. Complex Systems

11. Solid and Environmental Earth Sciences
Earth System Science
Interdisciplinary Science
Complex Earth System
Earth System Processes
Complex Dynamical System

12. A Complex or Emergent system has interdependent parts
Dictionary definition of complex uses “interconnected” or “interwoven” which have quite different meanings
“Interdependent” variables help define dynamic systems : coupled differential equations
Strong interactions do not imply interdependence.

13. Complex system: calcite
Normalized H+
concentration at the
face of a growing crystal

14. Complex Earth System: Entropy and Information
Entropy of a physical system is largest when it is in equilibrium
Most complex system is one at equilibrium
Equilibrium systems have no spatial structure and do not change with time
Complex systems have substantial internal structure and such structures change with time.
Sensitivity to initial conditions “butterfly effect”

15. Complex Earth System: Entropy and Information
Manitoba:
Lithology
Geochemistry
Hydrology
Soil
Geophysics
Population
Agriculture
Weather……………
Limnology and varves

16. Complex Earth System: Entropy and Information
Local feedback at
mineral surface that
captures differential
diffusion rates and
thermal diffusion
Composition changes with distance
and time

17. Mineral Resources

18. Extraction and processing of minerals
Example of how we interact with the Earth over time
Feedback between the lithosphere and our environment
Feedback to our economies and social structures
Interconnected or Interdependent?
We seek equilibrium or sustainable conditions where the use of minerals is in balance with human needs.
Complex System

19. All complex systems record Feedback : Social Structure
Public policy
Government
NGOs
Environment
Resources
Economics
Energy

20. Mines Ministers Conference I
Links between exploration and production cycles (6 – 30 years) and resources and reserves
In Canada some resources depleted by the the end of this decade
Demographics ~80% of geologists within 15 – 20 years of retirement
300 of 2.5 Million US high school grads interested in mining

21. Mines Ministers Conference II
More maps
Integrated databases
HQP
Disconnect between University curricula and what is needed by Industry
How can disconnected elements be involved in feedback?

22. Research and Training

23. Research
Out of ~320 academics surveyed for the last reallocation exercise ~6% indicated they would be doing research on mineral deposits.
Large portion of NSERC funds now targeted
Discovery grants
NSERC-CRD
Strategic grants

24. Research Atom coordination on mineral surfaces
As3+ v. As5+ mediated by
seasonally controlled bacteria
Pd coordination
by EXAFS
Asbestos and ferrihydrite
from lung tissue

25. Research
Atomic Force Microscopy
LAM-ICP-MS
Synchrotron Radiation

26. NSERC reallocation
“Recognition of the strong interactions that are now occurring between humankind and the Earth System currently constitutes both an urgent research challenge as well as an important research opportunity for Earth Sciences”
“Recognition of the strong interdependence between humankind and the Earth System currently constitutes both an urgent research challenge as well as an important research opportunity for Earth Sciences”

27. NSERC strategy for Future Development of the Discipline
Three areas deemed to be intellectually, socially, economically and culturally significant: Proposals 1, 2 & 3
Global Environmental Change and the Challenge of Greenhouse Warming
Earth Resources: Environmental Stewardship and Sustainable Development (Petroleum, Freshwater, Energy and Mineral Resources)
Earth System Evolution and Dynamics (seismic arrays and analytical instrumentation)

28. Results: Steering Committee* Budget 2002-03 Reallocations Contribution
Proposals Funded Through Reallocations
Total Reallocated  1 2 3 4 5 6 7
           
Chemistry
30,419,700
(3,041,970)
1,505,000
1,000,000
2,005,000
4,510,000
Condensed Matter Physics
8,412,794
(841,279)
825,000
365,000
275,000
1,465,000
General Physics
4,580,501
(458,050)
125,000
280,000
405,000
Solid and Environmental Earth Sciences
20,711,732
(2,071,173)
700,000
600,000
1,300,000
Space, Astronomy and Relativity
6,289,088
(628,909)
515,000
Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics
826,286
(82,629)
190,000
Subatomic Physics
13,845,550
(1,384,555)
175,000
130,000
920,000
255,000
1,845,000

29. Interconnected or Interdependent?

30. Geology curricula Requirements for Grass Roots Exploration:
Acceptable business political and related risks: permitting, environmental, taxes, ownership, social issues, business strategy, price and marketing
Relevance of curricula
Courses added to curricula such as environmental geology, geomorphic process, Earth system science
Mineral deposits represents only one of the areas we are called on to support

31. The “disconnect”
University curricula: geology, math, physics, chemistry, structural geology, paleontology, petrology (Ig/Met/Sed), stratigraphy, sedimentology, basin analysis, instrumental methods, mineralogy, global tectonics, petroleum geology, crystallography, mineral deposits, field mapping, thesis, communications, geochemistry, geomorphology
……………Professional Registration
Electives, 5 courses
Environmental, law, ethics, economics
Soil microbiology……………

32. Sustaining Geology: Interdependence
Research:
number of themes, practical, theoretical and socially relevant
Teaching programs:
Professional Registration requirements
Flexibility to include social relevance
environmental stewardship
mineral and energy resources
sustainable development

33. Sustaining Earth
“Sustaining Earth means keeping the planet’s life support systems functional without going in to a long term decline so that human habitation can be indefinite”
Life support system includes soils, water atmosphere and biosphere.
If any part fails………….
Doesn’t speak to purpose or quality of life

34. Sustaining Geology : Survival
geology is the “service” science to the Earth and the Environment
quantitative data on the physical and chemical behaviour and characteristics of Earth materials
many environmental and industrial process used to be considered relatively benign, advances in technology and theory mean we have gained a much better understanding of what is really going on.
model the behaviour of minerals in natural and industrial systems.
the theoretical and instrumental expertise needed to tackle many mineral extraction, mineral processing and environmental problems is resident in geology departments and geology surveys.
a truly unique aspect to geological work is that it is the geologist (the one who maps the rocks) who samples the minerals in the appropriate spatial and temporal context.

35. Geology : Emergence Interdependence
“Geology” as we currently know it is rapidly becoming the professionally registerable practice of Earth Science
Earth Science suggests an increasing awareness of the whole system, more degree options, more courses. Larger integrated faculty with more facilities.
Geology and our resource requirements need to be framed in a social context
Interdependence