Understanding the earth system

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This volume features revised presentations from the International Conference on "Understanding the Earth System: Compartments, Processes and Interactions," held in Bonn from November 24-26, 1999. Organized by the German National Committee on Global Change Research as part of the Bonn Science Festival 1999-2000, the event received generous support from sfg Strukturforderungsgesellschaft Bonn/Rhein-Sieg Ahrweiler mbH, which is gratefully acknowledged. Additional funding for workshops and publications came from the German Federal Ministry for Science and Research (BMBF) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Germany's major research funding agency. The editors express their gratitude for the assistance, advice, and patience of those who contributed to this volume. The contributions aim to document debates on critical issues within the emerging field of earth system science and to encourage necessary scientific discussions. While efforts were made to maintain consistency in terminology, style, and quotation methods, the diversity of contributors has led to some discrepancies. The contents include a panorama of earth system analysis from both scientific and humanistic perspectives, starting with an examination of the transition from global change research to earth system science.