Computing the geobiosphere emergy baseline: A novel approach

C. De Vilbiss, M.T. Brown, E. Siegel and S. Arden

Ecological Modelling, 2016, vol. 339, issue C, 133-139

Abstract: We demonstrate a new and novel approach to calculate Earth's geobiosphere emergy baseline (GEB). In this method we use gravitational potential energy dissipated in the generation of Earth's main renewable energy sources. From this gravitational perspective, we recognize three refinements to our understanding of Earths driving energies. First we acknowledge the recent literature suggests that Earth's geothermal energy is from two separate sources, decay of radioisotopes and primordial heat, thus warranting separate solar equivalence ratios (SERs). Second, tidal energy dissipation can be viewed as the loss of Earth's rotational kinetic energy (KE), due to gravitational interaction between Earth/Moon/Sun and frictional forces in Earth's oceans. Seen in this way we draw an equivalence between loss of Earth rotational KE and tidal energy dissipated. Third, Earth's rotational KE and primordial heat are coupled processes of the gravitationally induced accretion of Earth.

Keywords: Emergy baseline; Solar equivalence ratio; Gravitational emergy; Gravitational transformity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecomod:v:339:y:2016:i:c:p:133-139

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2016.05.002

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