Atmospheric homeostasis by and for the biosphere: the gaia hypothesis

James E. Lovelock; Lynn Margulis

doi:10.3402/tellusa.v26i1-2.9731

Authors:

James E. Lovelock ,

Bowerchalke, Nr. Salisbury, Wilts., GB

Lynn Margulis

Department of Biology, Boston University, 2, Cummington Street, Boston, Mass., US

Abstract

During the time, 3.2 × 10⁹ years, that life has been present on Earth, the physical and chemical conditions of most of the planetary surface have never varied from those most favourable for life. The geological record reads that liquid water was always present and that the pH was never far from neutral. During this same period, however, the Earth’s radiation environment underwent large changes. As the sun moved along the course set by the main sequence of stars its output will have increased at least 30% and possibly 100%. It may also have fluctuated in brightness over periods of a few million years. At the same time hydrogen was escaping to space from the Earth and so causing progressive changes in the chemical environment. This in turn through atmospheric compositional changes could have affected the Earth’s radiation balance. It may have been that these physical and chemical changes always by blind chance followed the path whose bounds are the conditions favouring the continued existence of life. This paper offers an alternative explanation that, early after life began it acquired control of the planetary environment and that this homeostasis by and for the biosphere has persisted ever since. Historic and contemporary evidence and arguments for this hypothesis will be presented.

How to Cite: Lovelock, J.E. and Margulis, L., 1974. Atmospheric homeostasis by and for the biosphere: the gaia hypothesis. Tellus, 26(1-2), pp.2–10. DOI: http://doi.org/10.3402/tellusa.v26i1-2.9731

Accepted on 20 Aug 1973 Submitted on 8 May 1973

References

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Schrodinger , E . 1944 . What is Life? Cambridge University Press.

Shannon , C. E. and Weaver , W . 1963 . The mathemati-cal theory of communication . University of Illinois Press .

Sillén , L. G . 1966 . Regulation of O2, N2, and CO2 in the atmosphere: thoughts of a laboratory chemist. Tellus 18 , 198 – 206 .

Tribus , M. and McIrvine , E. C . 1971 . Energy and information. Scientific American 224 , No. 3 , 179 – 188 .

Wigner , E. P . 1961 . The logic of personal knowledge . Routledge and Kegan Paul , London .

Wofsy , S. C. , McConnell , J. C. and McElroy , M. B . 1972 . Atmospheric 0114, CO and COB. J. Geophys. Res . 77 , 4477 – 4493 .

Yeas , M . 1972 . Biological effects in the early atmos-phere. Nature 238 , 163 – 164 .

[CIT0001] Bernal , J. D . 1951 . The physical basis of life . Rout-ledge and Kagan Paul , London .

[CIT0002] Denbigh , K. G . 1951 . The thermodynamics of the steady state . Methuen and Co ., London .

[CIT0003] Evans , R. B . 1969 . A proof that essergy is the only consistent measure of potential work . Ph.D. Thesis, Dartmouth College, University Micro-films, Ann Arbor , Michigan .

[CIT0004] Hitchcock , D. R. and Lovelock , J. E . 1967 . Life detection by atmospheric analysis. Icarus 7 , 149 – 159 .

[CIT0005] Hutchinson , G. E . 1954 . Biochemistry of the terres-trial atmosphere. In Chapter 8 of the Solar system (ed. Kuiper). University of Chicago Press, Chi-cago.

[CIT0006] Junge , C . 1972 . The cycle of atmospheric gases-natural and man made. Quart. J. R. Met. Soc . 98 , 711 – 729 .

[CIT0007] Lewis , G. N. and Randall , M . 1923 . Thermodynamics and the free energy of chemical substrates, Chapter 39 . McGraw Hill , New York .

[CIT0008] Lovelock , J. E . 1972 . Gaia as seen through the atmosphere. Atmospheric Environment 6 , 579 – 580 .

[CIT0009] Lovelock , J. E. and Giffen , C. E . 1969 . Planetary atmospheres: compositional and other changes associated with the presence of life , advanced space experiments (Ed. O. L. Tiffany and E. Zaiteff) pp. 179-193. American Astronautical Soc ., Washing-ton , D.C .

[CIT0010] Lovelock , J. E. and Lodge , J. P . 1972 . Oxygen in the contemporary atmosphere. Atmospheric Environ-ment , 6 , 575 – 578 .

[CIT0011] Margulis , L. and Lovelock , J. E . 1973 . Biological modulation of the Earth's atmosphere . Icarus , in press .

[CIT0012] Sagan , C. and Mullen , G . 1972 . Earth and Mars: evolution of atmospheres and surface tempera-tures. Science 177 , 52 – 56 .

[CIT0013] Schrodinger , E . 1944 . What is Life? Cambridge University Press.

[CIT0014] Shannon , C. E. and Weaver , W . 1963 . The mathemati-cal theory of communication . University of Illinois Press .

[CIT0015] Sillén , L. G . 1966 . Regulation of O2, N2, and CO2 in the atmosphere: thoughts of a laboratory chemist. Tellus 18 , 198 – 206 .

[CIT0016] Tribus , M. and McIrvine , E. C . 1971 . Energy and information. Scientific American 224 , No. 3 , 179 – 188 .

[CIT0017] Wigner , E. P . 1961 . The logic of personal knowledge . Routledge and Kegan Paul , London .

[CIT0018] Wofsy , S. C. , McConnell , J. C. and McElroy , M. B . 1972 . Atmospheric 0114, CO and COB. J. Geophys. Res . 77 , 4477 – 4493 .

[CIT0019] Yeas , M . 1972 . Biological effects in the early atmos-phere. Nature 238 , 163 – 164 .

Reading: Atmospheric homeostasis by and for the biosphere: the gaia hypothesis

Original Research Papers

Atmospheric homeostasis by and for the biosphere: the gaia hypothesis

Authors:

James E. Lovelock ,

Bowerchalke, Nr. Salisbury, Wilts., GB

X close

Lynn Margulis

Department of Biology, Boston University, 2, Cummington Street, Boston, Mass., US

X close

Abstract

References