Articles | Volume 14, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-861-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-861-2023
Review
 | 
30 Aug 2023
Review |  | 30 Aug 2023

Working at the limit: a review of thermodynamics and optimality of the Earth system

Axel Kleidon

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Cited articles

Adler, R., Wang, J.-J., Sapiano, M., Huffman, G., Chiu, L., Xie, P., Ferraro, R., Schneider, U., Becker, A., Bolvin, D., Nelkin, E., and Gu, G.: NOAA CDR Program, Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) Climate Data Record (CDR), Version 2.3 (Monthly), Tech. Rep., National Centers for Environmental Information, https://doi.org/10.7289/V56971M6, 2016. a
Aoki, I.: Entropy productions on the Earth and other planets of the solar system, J. Phys. Soc. Japan, 52, 1075–1078, 1983. a
Arya, S. P.: Introduction to Micrometeorology, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, ISBN 978-0-12-059354-5, 1998. a
Atkins, P. and de Paula, J.: Physical chemistry, Oxford Univ. Press, 9th edition edn., ISBN 9780198847816, 2010. a
Bejan, A.: Entropy generation minimization: The new thermodynamics of finite-size devices and finite-time processes, J. Appl. Phys., 79, 1191–1218, 1996. a
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Short summary
The second law of thermodynamics has long intrigued scientists, but what role does it play in the Earth system? This review shows that its main role is that it shapes the conversion of sunlight into work. This work can then maintain the dynamics of the physical climate system, the biosphere, and human societies. The relevance of it is that apparently many processes work at their limits, directly or indirectly, so they become predictable by simple means.
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