The BiosphereLong unknown in the West, The Biosphere established the field of biogeochemistry and is one of the classic founding documents of what later became known as Gaia theory. It is the first sustained expression of the idea that life is a geological force that can change Earth's landforms, its climate, and even the contents of its atmosphere. A complete, unabridged translation has never before been available in English. This edition - complete with extensive annotations, an introductory essay placing the work in its historical context and explaining its relevance to readers today, and a foreword cosigned by a stellar group of international experts - will be the definitive edition of this classic work. "What Darwin did for life through time, Vernadsky did for life through space on a geological scale". |
Contents
The Biosphere in the Cosmic Medium | 39 |
The Biosphere as a Region of Transformation of Cosmic Energy | 41 |
The Empirical Generalization and the Hypothesis | 45 |
Living Matter in the Biosphere | 50 |
The Multiplication of Organisms and Geochemical Energy in Living Matter | 54 |
Photosynthetic Living Matter | 66 |
Some Remarks on Living Matter in the Mechanism of the Biosphere | 79 |
An Envelope of the Earth | 87 |
Life in the Hydrosphere | 120 |
Geochemical Cycles of the Living Concentrations and Films of the Hydrosphere | 128 |
Living Matter on Land | 136 |
The Relationship Between the Living Films and Concentrations of the Hydrosphere and Those of Land | 142 |
A Biographical Chronology | 145 |
Vernadskys Publications in English | 153 |
Bibliography | 154 |
Acknowledgments | 177 |
Living Matter of the First and Second Orders in the Biosphere | 97 |
The Limits of Life | 107 |
The Limits of Life in the Biosphere | 111 |
Index | 179 |
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Common terms and phrases
Academy of Sciences algae animals aqueous Archean atmosphere atoms autotrophic bacteria benthic biochemical biogeochemistry biological biomass biosphere bottom film carbon chemical elements chemical energy chemistry compounds concept cosmic created depth Earth Earth's crust Earth's surface Eduard Suess empirical envelopes equilibrium existence free oxygen gases geochemical energy Geochemistry geological grams green organisms green plants Grinevald heterotrophic hydrosphere hypothesis idea important inert matter kilometers land Lapo layer limits lithosphere littoral concentrations living films living matter living organisms mass McMenamin mechanism medium meters minerals Moscow multiplication nature observed ocean oxygen Paris penetrates percent Perelman phenomena phenomenon phere photosynthesis planet planetary plankton processes produced protista quantity regions rocks role Russian scientific sima soil solar energy solar radiation species speed of transmission structure Suess Teilhard temperature terrestrial thermodynamic thermodynamic field tion transformation translation uniformitarianism upper vadose Vernadsky Vernadsky's vital vital films Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky Vladimir Vernadsky