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Earth Design Update: The Cycles Connected to The Cycles
Dr. Hugh Ross, Ph.D.
Earlier this year I wrote about the delicate balance of nitrogen and sulfur in Earth's soil, describing the complex processes cycling these elements in and out-all fine-tuned for the needs of life on Earth.(1) Subsequent research indicates that the same careful balance and the means to maintain it exist for carbon and nitrogen in Earth's oceans.(2,3)
Hugh Ross launched his career at age seven when he went to the library to find out why stars are hot. Physics and astronomy captured his curiosity and never let go. At age seventeen he was the youngest person ever to serve as director of observations for Vancouver's Royal Astronomical Society. With the help of a provincial scholarship and a National Research Council (NRC) of Canada fellowship, he completed his undergraduate degree in physics (University of British Columbia) and graduate degrees in astronomy (University of Toronto). The NRC also sent him to the United States for postdoctoral studies. At Caltech he researched quasi-stellar objects, or "quasars," some of the most distant and ancient objects in the universe.
Not all of Hugh's discoveries had to do with astrophysics. He observed with amazement the impact of describing for people the process by which he came to personal faith in Jesus Christ. Some have expressed dismay but most have been overjoyed to meet someone who started at religious ground zero and through scientific and historical reality testing, became convinced that the Bible is truly the Word of God. He was stunned to discover how many individuals believed or disbelieved without checking evidence.
Hugh's unshakable confidence that God's revelation of Himself in Scripture and nature do not, will not, and cannot contradict became his unique message. Communicating that message as broadly and clearly as possible became his mission. He scouts the frontiers of origins research to share with scientists and nonscientists alike the thrilling news of what's being discovered and how it connects with biblical theology.
Between writing books and articles and recording the weekly television program Reasons to Believe, he travels around the world challenging high school and university audiences, churches and professional groups to consider the evidence for what they believe. He presents a persuasive case for Christianity without applying pressure. Because he treats people's questions and comments with respect, he is in great demand as a speaker and as a talk-radio and television guest.
As on the continents, intricate processes at work in the oceans take nitrogen out and put it back in, and these processes are directly connected with the flow of carbon into and out of the environment. If these processes of depletion and replenishment are out of balance, life cannot survive. Further investigation reveals that this crucial nitrogen cycle, on which the carbon cycle depends, relies critically on oceanic oxygen cycles. And the oxygen cycle, in turn, is affected by the movement of iron and trace elements from the continents to the oceans,(4) which means that the forces governing continental buildup (tectonics and vulcanism) and erosion (wind and water) must also be carefully balanced and fine-tuned for life.
Planetary physicist John Lewis, whose book Physics and Chemistry of the Solar System I highly recommend, also explains the fine-tuning of chlorine for life. Chlorine does much more than purify swimming pool water. It plays a significant role in determining erosion rates, several metabolic processes, and the acidity of lakes and rivers.(5) As with nitrogen, sulfur, carbon, oxygen, and other life-essential elements, chlorine must be present in just the right amounts in just the right places at just the right times. Does this sound like "The House That Jack Built"?
References:
1. Hugh Ross, "Evidence For Fine-Tuning," Facts & Faith, v. 11, n. 2 (1997), p. 2.
2. Miguel A. Goñi, Kathleen C. Ruttenberg, and Timothy I. Eglinton, "Sources and Contribution of Terrigenous Organic Carbon to Surface Sediments in the Gulf of Mexico," Nature, 389 (1997), pp. 275-278.
3. Paul G. Falkowski, "Evolution of the Nitrogen Cycle and Its Influence on the Biological Sequestration of CO2 in the Ocean," Nature, 387 (1997), pp. 272-274.
4. John S. Lewis, Physics and Chemistry of the Solar System (San Diego: Academic Press, 1995), pp. 485-492.
5. Lewis, pp. 489-492.
© Reasons To Believe 1998
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