IISTA – Andalusian Institute for Earth System Research

OUR SCIENTIFIC AREAS OF WORK

The three rings of the Earth system: Atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere

About our work

Slide 1

Atmosphere

The Earth's atmosphere plays a fundamental role as the medium in which the exchanges of energy and matter that occur in the Earth System take place. In this sense, it is essential to properly characterize its composition, its dynamics and the different processes that exert a vital influence on the Earth's climate. Phenomena such as the intrusions of Saharan dust, increasingly intense and frequent in Andalusia, the exchange of greenhouse gases in our ecosystems and the quality of the air in the city of Granada and the Sierra Nevada Natural Park, are of special interest in the present.

Slide 2

Earth crust

The forest ecosystems of Andalusia are an essential element of the Earth System, since they provide the key to the development of human activity. It is essential to design mechanisms that allow the active and adaptive management of natural resources. Only in this way can biodiversity be conserved as required by international law. The implementation of these tools will allow multifunctional use of forest resources, as well as exploitation (beekeeping, livestock, etc.). It is essential to implement mitigation protocols for the most negative impacts (forest fires, pests, forest deterioration, etc.) and adaptation for future scenarios (climate change, land use changes, etc.).

Slide 3

Hydrosphere

The high proportion of the Andalusian Coast makes this region especially susceptible to the consequences of the expected rise in sea level in the medium and long term, both direct (flooding of occupied areas) and indirect (effects on the current environment and high stretches of rivers and associated ecosystems). The Andalusian estuaries concentrate a wide variety of activities and unique natural areas that are affected at different levels. The hydrosphere is the liquid water component of the Earth. Includes oceans, seas, lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. The hydrosphere covers about 70% of the Earth's surface and is home to many plants and animals.

Atmosphere

The Earth's atmosphere plays a fundamental role as the medium in which the exchanges of energy and matter that occur in the Earth System take place. In this sense, it is essential to properly characterize its composition, its dynamics and the different processes that have a vital influence on the Earth's climate. Phenomena such as Saharan dust intrusions, increasingly intense and frequent in Andalusia, greenhouse gas exchanges in our ecosystems and air quality in the city of Granada and the Sierra Nevada Natural Park, are of special interest at present.

Earth's crust

Andalusia's forest ecosystems are an essential element of the Earth System, as they provide the key to the development of human activity. It is essential to design mechanisms that allow the active and adaptive management of natural resources. Only in this way can biodiversity be conserved as required by international law. The implementation of these tools will allow a multifunctional use of forest resources, as well as exploitation (beekeeping, livestock, etc.). It is essential to implement mitigation protocols for the most negative impacts (forest fires, pests, forest deterioration, etc.) and adaptation for future scenarios (climate change, land use changes, etc.).

Hydrosphere

The high proportion of Andalusia's coastline makes this region particularly susceptible to the consequences of the expected medium and long-term rise in sea level, both direct (flooding of occupied areas) and indirect (effects on the current environment and high stretches of rivers and associated ecosystems). Andalusian estuaries concentrate a great variety of activities and unique natural areas that are affected at different levels. The hydrosphere is the liquid water component of the Earth. It includes oceans, seas, lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. The hydrosphere covers about 70% of the Earth's surface and is home to many plants and animals.

Atmósfera

La atmósfera terrestre juega un papel fundamental como medio en el que tienen lugar los intercambios de energía y materia que acontecen en el Sistema Tierra. En ese sentido, es fundamental caracterizar debidamente su composición, su dinámica y los diferentes procesos que ejercen una influencia vital en el clima terrestre. Fenómenos como las intrusiones de polvo sahariano, cada vez más intensas y frecuentes en Andalucía, los intercambios de gases de efecto invernadero de nuestros ecosistemas y la calidad del aire en la ciudad de Granada y el Parque Natural de Sierra Nevada, son de especial interés en la actualidad.

Corteza terrestre

Los ecosistemas forestales de Andalucía son un elemento esencial del Sistema Tierra, ya que proporcionan la clave para el desarrollo de la actividad humana. Es fundamental diseñar mecanismos que permitan el manejo activo y adaptativo de los recursos naturales. Sólo de esta manera la biodiversidad puede ser conservada como exige el derecho internacional. De la misma manera, la implementación de estas herramientas permitirá un uso multifuncional de los recursos forestales, así como la explotación (apicultura, ganadería, etc.). Todo esto debe tener en cuenta los escenarios de cambio global a los que nos enfrentaremos en las próximas décadas. En este sentido, es esencial para implementar protocolos de mitigación de los impactos más negativos (incendios forestales, plagas, deterioro del bosque, etc.) y adaptación para escenarios futuros (cambio climático, cambios socio-económicos, cambios de uso de suelo, etc.).

Hidrosfera

La alta proporción de Costa de Andalucía hace a esta región especialmente susceptible a las consecuencias del aumento esperado en el medio y largo plazo del nivel del mar, tanto directas (inundación de áreas ocupadas) como indirectas (efectos sobre el medio actual y altos tramos de los ríos y ecosistemas asociados). Los estuarios andaluces concentran una gran variedad de actividades y áreas naturales únicas que se ven afectadas en diferentes niveles. La hidrosfera es el componente de agua líquida de la Tierra. Incluye océanos, mares, lagos, estanques, ríos y arroyos. La hidrosfera abarca alrededor del 70% de la superficie de la Tierra y es el hogar de muchas plantas y animales. Estos cambios en la planificación a medio y largo plazo requieren un entendimiento mejor del conjunto de los procesos naturales, sus efectos, la posibilidad de acción reversible, devoluciones y su sostenibilidad.