This book investigates various aspects of the phenomenon of atmospheric oxygen depletion, and summarizes our current knowledge of atmospheric oxygen. The authors address the currently available records indicating that atmospheric oxygen is undergoing nonlinear decline. The consensus in the research community is that the main reason for this decline is the combustion of fossil fuels (which is growing nonlinearly). However, the short length of the currently available records, alongside the technological and social uncertainties that may risk speed up oxygen depletion, raise questions about the time scale of the decline, in particular, when oxygen depletion may cause physiological impact on humans and animals. The authors analyze this uncertainty to postulate the near term impact of depleted atmospheric oxygen, and perform multidisciplinary complex modelling of oxygen with long-term horizon estimations.

Autorentext

Dr. Valerie Livina is a mathematician specialising in time series analysis. She develops and applies novel techniques for data analysis and modelling. Her interests include analysis of various geophysical datasets and instrumental sensor records in order to uncover new phenomena and better understand dynamical systems describing nature. Valerie joined the National Physical Laboratory (UK) as a Senior Research Scientist in 2012. She has more than 20 years of research and teaching experience in pure mathematics, statistical physics and time series analysis in Russia, Israel and UK. Since 2007, she has developed the so-called 'tipping point toolbox' for early warning, detection and forecast of transitions and bifurcations in time series of dynamical systems. Dr. Livina has published more than 40 papers in international physical journals and more than 10 papers in Russian mathematical journals. She has reviewed 50+ research papers for 20+ international journals in physics and environmental sciences since 2005. In the past 10 years, Valerie attended 100+ conferences and workshops (more than 20 as an invited speaker) and 100+ training and developmental courses. Dr. Livina is a Chartered Mathematician of the Institute of Mathematics and its Application (CMath MIMA) and a member of the European Geosciences Union.

Dr. Teresa Vaz Martins obtained her PhD in statistical physics and currently studies information processing in biophysics, with focus on data analysis. She uses stochastic models and Bayesian inference for model selection. She is broadly interested in applying methods of nonlinear and statistical physics to gain a deeper understanding of complex systems, in particular related to environmental issues.

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. Oxygen in the past.- 3. Oxygen at present.- 4. Oxygen in future.- 5. Solutions?.- 6. Questions.