The Earth System Science Group focuses on understanding the Earth as a whole system, comprising life and its environment, including the atmosphere, ocean, sea-ice, land surface, ice sheets, and crustal rocks. The group's research interests span the full range of Earth system timescales, from the formation of the planet 4.6 billion years ago to current and future human-induced global change. We are particularly interested in the ongoing co-evolution of life and the environment.
News and events
Klimaforsker Tim Lenton om klimaforandringerne: Jeg er optimistisk omkring, at vi kan overkomme udfordringerne, for jeg er overbevist om, at vi har kapaciteten til at gøre det
Ræson, 25 October 2018
Gaia 2.0
HuffPost.es, 20 September 2018
Gaia 2.0: l’umanità sa, ma non agisce
Micron, 21 September 2018
Terre: mise à jour Gaia 2.0?
Le Monde, 14 September 2018
Gaia Hypothesis: Humans have fundamentally altered Earth's self-regulating system
Newsweek, 13 September 2018
Famous theory of the living Earth upgraded to 'Gaia 2.0'
Science Daily, 13 September 2018
Climat: Le plus urgent et le plus dangereux est la fonte des calottes glaciaires
Libération, 8 August 2018
The Gaia hypothesis revived
Science Friction with Natasha Mitchell, ABC RN, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 22 July 2018
Vanishing ecosystem in the Barents sea: why it's a wake up call
Radio FM4, Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, 20 July 2018
Scientists propose solution to 'Gaia puzzle'
Phys.org, 2 July 2018
Scientists finally have an explanation for the 'Gaia puzzle'
The Conversation, 2 July 2018
Timeline: The history of climate modelling
The Carbon Brief, 18 January 2018
The impacts of climate change
BBC Radio 4, 16 November 2017
Sea temperature changes contributing to droughts
University of Exeter, 18 July 2017
Scientists assessing Woodbury Common fire site in global warming investigation
devonlive.com, 20 July 2017
Glastonbury 2070? How the festival might have to cope with 4℃ of global warming
The Conversation, 21 June 2017
Global climate change story map wins award
University of Exeter, 23 May 2017
Oxygen, the Breath of Life
BBC Radio 4, 8 May 2017
All hail the humble moss, bringer of oxygen and life to Earth
The Guardian, 15 August 2016
Humble moss helped create our oxygen-rich atmosphere
The University of Exeter, 15 August 2016
Fossil fuel burning 'postponing next ice age'
The Guardian, 13 January 2016
Changing Climate: The Solutions
BBC Radio 4, 23 November 2015
Society 'to be hit by climate change'
BBC News online, 16 November 2015
Changing Climate: The Science
BBC Radio 4, 16 November 2015
Oceans of Acid
BBC Radio 4, Costing the Earth, 23 September 2015
Searching for signs of abrupt ecological shift
Radio Ecoshock, 17 September 2015
A warmer North Pacific is staying warmer with dramatic impact on marine life
Inside Climate News, 1 September 2015
Leading earth scientists release free educational application
University of Exeter, 29 July 2015
Climate scientists discuss future of their field
Nature, 7 July 2015
Minister for Universities and Science visits University of Exeter
University of Exeter, 23 June 2015
Carbon Removal Research - Opportunities for Action
Virgin Earth Challenge Blog, 16 June 2015
Global warming causes more global warming
CBS News, 30 March 2015
Direct evidence for a positive feedback in climate change
University of Exeter, 30 March 2015
Policy makers should not discount the damages from future climate tipping points
University of Exeter, 23 March 2015
Predicting Tipping Points
Article by Richard J.Blaustein in World Policy Journal Spring 2015 p32
First animals oxygenated the oceans
The University of Exeter's press release about research led by Professor Tim Lenton (Geography) which suggested that the first animals oxygenated the oceans, paving the way for the evolution of complex life forms, prompted coverage including a column in The New York Times and reports in Fox News, The Scientist, LiveScience, National Geographic Italia, Ocean News & Technology, SmartBrief, The Hindu, Hindustan Times ePaper (Indore), The Sentinel, North Africa Business – Newsvine, International Business Times, Navhind Times, Nature World News, Latin Post, Headlines & Global News, Haaretz.com, The Gulf Today, The Financial Express, The Times Of India, FreeNewsPos.com, The Examiner, Netfonds, International Science Times, Phys.Org ,Discovery.com , Press-News.org, Bio-Medicine, Science Codex, EurekAlert!, Science Daily and others.
Climate change - and it's for free
Climate News Network, 21 December 2013
Which academic research caught the public imagination in 2013?
Altmetric top 100 papers (#42), 11 December 2013
Major new TV series 'The Tipping Points' features University of Exeter climate researchers
University of Exeter, 18 October 2013
'The Tipping Points,' New Weather Channel Series, Showcases Regions Altered By Warming Climate
The Huffington Post, 14 October 2013
Lift off for MOOCs
University of Exeter, 18 September 2013
Is fighting climate change bad news for biodiversity?
Environmental Research Web, 30 August 2013
€6.3m European Research Council success for Exeter five
University of Exeter, 30 July 2013
A second chance to save the climate
New Scientist 22 May 2013 page 8
NUS Interview with Tom Powell
NUS Student Eats Open Day, hosted by University of Exeter Student's Guild 22 May 2013
Understanding Earth's middle ages
The Leverhulme Trust newsletter April 2013 Page 5
Two Exeter academics appointed Wolfson Research Merit Award holders
University of Exeter 30 April 2013
Is the Earth alive? That depends upon your definition of life
US National Public Radio blog by Marcelo Gleiser, 6 March 2013
Domino effect tips climate over edge
New Scientist 2 March 2013, Pages 6–7
Toxic oceans may have delayed spread of complex life
University of Exeter 28 February 2013
Major methane release is almost inevitable
New Scientist 21 February 2013
An Arctic Wake Up Call
Climate Radio, 22 January 2013 (interview with Professor Tim Lenton)
Climate Tipping Points
Planet Earth Online, 8 January 2013 (podcast)
Inspirational Scientist wins European Award for Communicating Research
University of Exeter, 6 November 2012
Exeter University researcher wins new Marie Curie Prize
theexeterdaily.co.uk, 6 November 2012
First Marie Curie Prize reveals winners
New Europe online, 5 November 2012
British researcher wins new European Prize
European Commission, 5 November 2012
Arctic sea ice collapse triggers record Greenland ice-sheet melt
ABC Radio National Breakfast (Australia) 9 October 2012
Geoengineering - We have plans to cool the planet. Will they work?
Cover story, New Scientist 22 September 2012
Searching for clues to calamity
New York Times, 20 July 2012
Beefing down farming could cut carbon
Simple Climate, 7 July 2012
Dietary changes may ease climate change
Voice of America, 20 June 2012 (interview with Prof Tim Lenton)
Eat less meat and improve farming efficiency
BBC Radio Devon, 20 June 2012 06.41am (interview with Tom Powell)
Eat less meat to save planet, researchers warn
The Telegraph 20 June 2012
We need to slash our meat consumption if we expect to feed a population of 9.3bn by 2050
Mail Online 20 June 2012
Eat less meat and improve farming efficiency to tackle climate change
University of Exeter 20 June 2012
Arctic sea ice may have passed crucial tipping point
New Scientist 27 March 2012
The options and constraints of geoengineering
The Daily Planet News (Edition 6) Planet Under Pressure 27 March 2012
Humble moss helped to cool Earth and spurred on life
BBC News 2 February 2012
First land plants plunged Earth into ice age
New Scientist 1 February 2012
First land plants may have plunged the Earth into a series of ice ages
guardian.co.uk 1 February 2012
First plants caused ice ages
University of Exeter 1 February 2012 (including podcast)
Thanks to plants, we will never find a planet like Earth
Scientific American 1 February 2012
Plants altered early Earth's rivers
Our Amazing Planet 1 February 2012
The arrival of the first plants cooled the planet so much that it triggered a series of ice ages
Mail Online 1 February 2012
Study suggests first plants caused series of ice ages
Sci-News.com 1 February 2012
Arrival of plants triggered ice ages
TG Daily 1 February 2012
Climate's dark dawn
"We are going to have to look at CO2 removal" says Tim Lenton of the University of Exeter, UK.
New Scientist 3 December 2011
Hothouse Earth is on the horizon
"The poles will warm much more than the tropics" says Tim Lenton of the University of Exeter, UK, "so the Arctic could well lose all its ice".
New Scientist 19 November 2011
A very large hole in the Sahara
An interview for Radio 4's Costing the Earth series September 2011.
Early warning of climate tipping points
Nature Climate Change July 2011.
An Earth system model made of paper
17 May 2018, Teignmouth Community College - Dr Sarah Chadburn
Film Screening - Symbiotic Earth: How Lynn Margulis rocked the boat and started a scientific revolution
15 March 2018, University of Exeter
Climate change and sustainable futures
12 October 2017, Thinking Ahead Institute, London - Professor Tim Lenton
When the climate goes over the edge
29 September 2017, New Scientist Live, Excel London - Professor Tim Lenton
The evolution of Gaia
20 September 2017, Georges Lemaitre Centre for Earth and Climate Research, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Belgium - Professor Tim Lenton
Predicting the evolution of biospheres
31 August 2017, Fundamentals of Life in the Universe Symposium, University of Groningen, The Netherlands - Professor Tim Lenton
Heath Week Family Festival
23 July 2017, Woodbury Common - WildfireLab
Climate at the Quay
13 July 2017, Exeter Quay - Exeter Community Climate Network
The fundamental role of microbial nutrient cycling in the Earth System
22 June 2017, Microbiology Society Workshop, Metropolitan Arts Centre, Belfast - Professor Tim Lenton
Consequences of severe climate change in 2100
23 May 2017, Grand Challenges Seminar, University of Oxford - Professor Tim Lenton
Current knowledge on climate tipping points: should we change climate policy?
11 April 2017, Swiss Global Change Day, Bern - Professor Tim Lenton
Global Climate Change: History and Projected Future Rates under Different Models and the Effect of Climate Change on Biodiversity; COP-21 and future options
28 February 2017, Pontifical Academy of Sciences, The Vatican, Rome - Professor Tim Lenton
Early warning of climate tipping points
6 September 2016, Challenger Society Conference, University of Liverpool - Professor Tim Lenton
Earliest land plants created modern levels of atmospheric oxygen
25-27 July 2016, 38th New Phytologist Symposium, University of Bristol - Professor Tim Lenton
How and when did early plants transform the Earth system?
6 July 2016, International Geoscience Programme Project 591 - Closing Meeting, University of Ghent, Belgium - Professor Tim Lenton
Revolutions that made the Earth/The Anthropocene/Early warning of climate tipping points
15-24 June 2016, Valsavarenche Summer School, Italy - Professor Tim Lenton
Early warning of climate tipping points
26 April 2016, IChemE webinar - Professor Tim Lenton
Revolutions that made the Earth
14 April 2016, The Geological Society of Glasgow - Professor Tim Lenton
Evolutionary modelling of the marine ecosystem
8 April 2016, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples - Professor Tim Lenton
Earth's complexity revolution
18 March 2016, University of Southern Denmark - Professor Tim Lenton
Workshop on emissions pathways and impacts of different global temperature rises
11 March 2016, Department of Energy and Climate Change, London - Professor Tim Lenton
The social and policy implications of climate tipping points
12 February 2016, AAAS Annual meeting, Washington DC - Professor Tim Lenton
Global Conversation - Climate Change
2 February 2016, The Royal Society, London - Professor Richard Betts, Professor Tim Lenton
Revolutions that made the Earth
21 January 2016, Arizona State University, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability
Co-Evolution of Life and Planet: Broad Scale Controls on Biodiversity
1 November 2015, GSA2015 Baltimore USA - Professor Tim Lenton
Environment Question Time
22 October 2015, University of Plymouth - Professor Tim Lenton
Windows to an ancient world
August 2015, A plant evolution walk in the University of Exeter Streatham grounds - Dr Claire Belcher
Earthwalking
14-15 July, Beer to Sidmouth, Devon as part of the Exeter Enquiries artist in residency - Professor Tim Lenton and Tom Powell with Anne-Marie Culhane
Early warning of climate tipping points
8 July 2015, Our Common Future Under Climate Change, UNESCO, Paris - Professor Tim Lenton
Prospects for negative emissions
20-25 May 2015, Plant-for-the-Planet Youth Summit, Tutzing Castle, Germany - Professor Tim Lenton.
"Thank you for supporting the youth with your experience, knowledge and assistance with your inspiring video message. They really appreciated your words and felt very well informed and motivated to develop their Youth Manifesto after watching your video message" Elena Dreher, Plant-for-the-Planet.
Anticipating and avoiding climate tipping points
24 April 2015, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick USA - Professor Tim Lenton
Early warning of climate tipping points
23 April 2015, Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Princeton University, USA - Professor Tim Lenton
Anticipating and avoiding tipping points
18 March 2015, German Physical Society (DPG) conference, Berlin - Professor Tim Lenton
An evolutionary ecology approach to modelling the marine ecoystem and its response to global change
25 February 2015, Plenary at ASLO Aquatic Sciences meeting, Granada, Spain - Professor Tim Lenton
The role of acid-base chemistry in Earth's long-term climate regulation
24 January 2015, Lecture for the Prince's Teaching Institute, Ivybridge Community College, Devon - Professor Tim Lenton
Co-evolution of Eukaryotes and Ocean and Atmosphere Oxygenation in the Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic Eras
19 December 2014, AGU Fall meeting, San Francisco - Professor Tim Lenton
Observing Biodiversity from Space
10-12 December 2014, Workshop at The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, US - Professor Tim Lenton
How might we make a difference in "Human Sustainability: Connecting Environment, Nutrition and Health"?
17 October 2013, Translational Research Event, The Wellcome Trust, London - Professor Tim Lenton
Geo-engineering without the hype
10 October 2013, The New Energy Forum (Synnogy), London - Professor Tim Lenton
Early warning methods for biosphere tipping points
3 October 2013, Biodiversity Resilience Symposium, University of Oxford - Professor Tim Lenton
The environmental implications of negative emissions technologies
24 September 2013, Oxford Conference on Negative Emissions Technologies, Queen's College Oxford - Professor Tim Lenton
National Geographic event - The Arctic: The Science of Change
17 September 2013, The Royal Society, London - Professor Tim Lenton
Geoengineering, Thresholds and the Anthropocene - 2013 Asko meeting
14-16 September 2013, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm - Professor Tim Lenton
Tipping Points: Theory and Examples
6 September 2013, International NCCR Climate Summer School, Grindelwald, Switzerland - Professor Tim Lenton
Biological Controls on Oxygenation in the Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic
27 August 2013, Keynote at Goldschmidt, Florence - Professor Tim Lenton
Capturing evolution and ecology in a global ocean model
8 August 2013, ASP Graduate Student Colloquium: Carbon-Climate Connections in the Earth System, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado USA - Professor Tim Lenton
UK Future Earth Town-Hall Meeting
21 June 2013, The Royal Society, London - Professor Tim Lenton
Advancing Sustainability Research
14 May 2013, Inaugural lecture for Research Focus Week, University of Exeter - Professor Tim Lenton
Chukchi and Beaufort seas ecosystems workshop
30 April - 2 May 2013, Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Washington DC - Professor Tim Lenton
Early warning of environmental tipping points
25 April 2013, ExIStA event, University of Exeter, Chris Boulton
Climate Tipping Points
24 April 2013, a lecture for the Science Museum LATES programme - Professor Tim Lenton
Early warning of climate tipping points
20 March 2013, United Nations Headquarters, New York City, USA - Professor Tim Lenton
Early warning signals for Amazon rainforest dieback
14 March 2013, AMAZALERT project meeting, Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands - Chris Boulton
Potential for CO2 removal in the global food production system: A biomass flows model
24 January 2013, Department of Energy and Climate Change - Tom Powell and Tim Lenton
Earth's fiery future: Forest fire activity and global warming
6 January 2013, Rickmansworth School, Hertfordshire (6th form awards ceremony guest speaker) Dr Claire Belcher
Climate Tipping Points
29 November 2012, Schumacher College, Dartington, Devon - Professor Tim Lenton
Revolutions that made the Earth
21 November 2012, Centre for Research in Earth Sciences, University of Plymouth - Professor Tim Lenton
Fire and the History of our Planet: Engaging the Public in Fire research
5 November 2012, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions in Horizon 2020: Regional and International Impact (Video 42 mins in), University of Cyprus
Early Warning of Climate Tipping Points
31 October 2012, Sustainability Science Centre, University of Copenhagen
Early Warning of Climate Tipping Points
30 October 2012, Met Office - Professor Tim Lenton
Case for Optimism (Kaleider)
6 July 2012, The University of Exeter
Sustainability@Exeter - consultation workshops
21 June, 3 July, 5 July 2012 The University of Exeter
Greenland Sledging Adventure
11-12 May 2012, Greenland. Blog written by Tim during his time filming for the Tipping Points TV Documentary.
Geoengineering@Exeter
1 May 2012, The University of Exeter
Understanding Fire Phenomena in the Earth System Using Interdisciplinary Approaches
23 April 2012, EGU General Assembly, Vienna
Early Warning of Climate Tipping Points
29 March 2012, NAC11 Veldhoven, The Netherlands
Early Warning of Environmental Tipping Points
26 March 2012, Planet under Pressure Conference, London
Workshop on Critical Transitions in Complex Systems
19-23 March 2012, Imperial College, London
Biogeochemical cycles at different scales
15 March 2012, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) - Professor Tim Lenton
Bennett Lecture: Revolutions that made the Earth
5 March 2012, University of Leicester - Professor Tim Lenton
Oxford Seminar: Growing an Energy Source and Storing It's Waste
6 February 2012, The Oxford Martin School
Tipping Points@Exeter
15 December 2011, The University of Exeter
A Changing World
16 November 2011, Green Strategy, The Royal Society, London
Planetary Boundaries Workshop
13 October 2011, hosted at the University of Exeter
Land Colonisation and Earth System Change: A Recurring Pattern
17 August 2011, Keynote at Goldschmidt, Prague
Geoengineering our Climate: Fixing Earth's Future?
14 July 2011, for the TalkScience series at The British Library
