Keeping Forces of Nature in Check

One of the biggest reasons that there is life on the Blue Planet (earth), is the number of forces that are in balance. Once the equilibrium of the natural balanced system or stabilizers is changed, earth can quickly become a big, ice rock. Here is a list of five top contributors that keep nature forces in check. We take them for granted, but they are so delicate that we can actually alter them in a way that can jeopardize our own survival.

1. Balance of the forces of the Tectonic Plates. It is hard to believe, but we are born, raised, and die on top of a small layer of land roughly 10 miles thick. It floats on top of hot melted rock which we call magma. The magma flows underneath the surface of the earth and ocean, and cools very slowly. Problems start when the flow of this hot liquid is disrupted, when it finds its way out to the surface due to accumulation of pressure and energy, or when it expands as it become cold. Major seismic activity has never been witnessed by humans, but a massive chain of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes can throw out so much CO2, and debris that can fully stop solar light for years.
2. Balance of Co2. Having an atmosphere too clear, can give entry to a number of radiations of heat, cosmic rays, ultraviolet light, and infrared irradiation that would make the earth look just like the moon. The water would evaporate away in the places where most radiation is experienced. The water would solidify in the places where more radiation is reflected back to space. In a few words, the earth would be a cold piece of rock. Too much Co2 would render the atmosphere less transparent, which would capture a lot of the heat that otherwise would be reflected back to space. Unfortunately, the levels of Co2 are on the rise and with it, the global temperature. Every day there is more concern about the melting of the polar ice and glaciers. The additional heat is changing the climate, and we will be seeing more and stronger hurricanes, and storms; in other places less and less rain.
3. Chemical Balance of the Oceans. Every liquid, and even our bodies, has a level within the PH scale which measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is. If by any chance a living creature has its PH levels changed, it will affect its molecular, and electrolytic properties, and eventually it would die. The most affected living organisms by such changes are the fragile micro-organism. They too are important as the entire ecosystem of the water depends on the micro-organisms (plankton) diluted in the water. They are the bottom of the food chain and also a big source of oxygen, because like any plants, vegetable plankton do convert Co2 into oxygen. They are fragile life forms, and the contents of salt, acid, and other chemicals in the water can affect their development. A sudden drop of plankton will mean, less oxygen, but also, the life in the sea in general will drop.
4. Balance of melting water out of glaciers. Glaciers are deposits of water that accumulate in the form of ice in high altitude mountains, then they gradually melt and form water streams. A great percentage of the rivers that provide drinking water and energy to our cities are born out of glaciers. Without them, cities like Los Angeles and New York would definitely go through a very hard time to find enough water to keep its tens of millions of habitants alive. A small sustained increase of temperature of 10 degrees Celsius can melt most of the glaciers on earth, creating a global water crisis. Many of the rivers out of the Kilimanjaro Mountains in Africa are already suffering such an effect. The average temperature of the world is increasing slowly and it is conceivable that within this generation, many major glaciers will start to melt too fast to sustain water flow. Countries will engage in war for water and water could become a commodity such as oil in many cities.
5. Balance of salinity in waters. Have you ever wondered why places like Norway do not have artic temperatures? Or why Washington State is considered a rain forest? Or why places Like Chicago or Moscow are much colder than New York City? The reason is the water. Thermodynamically speaking, fluids become heavier when they are cold, and lighter when they are hot. In many cases when there is a big differential in temperature, hotter atoms tend to repel colder ones. The ocean is like a huge tube of water, and as you go deeper it gets colder. However, water closer to the equator tends to gain temperature due to friction with air and the sun. Water close to the artic gets colder and moves to the bottom of the sea, creating a vacuum. This vacuum brings warmer water from the tropics. This water eventually, cools down and moves to the bottom of the ocean and returns back to the tropics. This cycle is continuous, and grows or diminishes in winter or summer. During these times of transition is when big storms and hurricanes are formed in the sea. The melting of the ice in the artic, can lower the salt contain of water, and together with the global warming can disrupt this balance, making earth suffer severe weather extremes- especially in winter.

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