Articles | Volume 17, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-17-141-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-17-141-2026
Research article
 | 
30 Jan 2026
Research article |  | 30 Jan 2026

Setting up the physical principles of resilience in a model of the Earth System

Orfeu Bertolami and Magnus Nyström

Cited articles

Barbosa, M., Bertolami, O., and Francisco, F.: Towards a Physically Motivated Planetary Accounting Framework, The Anthropocene Review, 7, 191–207, https://doi.org/10.1177/2053019620909659, 2020. a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h
Barnosky, A., Hadly, E., Bascompte, J., Berlow, E., Brown, J., Fortelius, M., Getz, W., Harte, J., Hastings, A., Marquet, P., and Martinez, N.: Approaching a state shift in Earth's biosphere, Nature, 486, 52–58, 2012. a, b
Berkes, F. and Folke, C.: Linking social and ecological systems: management practices and social mechanisms for building resilience, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-78562-4, 1998. a
Bernardini, A., Bertolami, O., and Francisco, F.: Chaotic Behaviour of the Earth System in the Anthropocene, Evolving Earth, 3, 100060, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eve.2025.100060, 2025. a, b, c, d
Bertolami, O.: Greening the Anthropocene, Anthropocenica, 3, 51–75, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3924903, 2022. a
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Short summary
Resilience is a key property of social-ecological and biophysical systems, reflecting their capacity to adapt to change. Ensuring a sustainable future amid climate change depends on Earth System resilience. We propose a model framing resilience physically, linking it to metastable states and energy dissipation. Interactions among Planetary Boundaries, such as CO2 and aerosol levels, can create dynamic friction that prevents runaway effects, aiding sustainability in the Anthropocene.
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