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EARTH AS A SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY OF IZOMBE PETROLEUM GAS FLARING IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA

Country:Nigeria
Student(s):1. ANONYE REJOICE.
Grade Level:Secondary School (grades 9-12, ages 14-18)
GLOBE Educator(s):EMMANUEL Onyinyechi AKAWUAKU
Contributors:IWUMBA MERCY IHEOMA
Report Type(s):International Virtual Science Symposium Report
Protocols:Aerosols, Air Temperature, Clouds, Precipitation, Surface Temperature, Water Vapor, Biometry (including Tree Height), Carbon Cycle, Fire Fuel, Green-Up / Green-Down, Land Cover Classification, Earth As a System, Alkalinity, Dissolved Oxygen, Nitrates, pH, Water Temperature, Water Transparency, Soil Fertility, Soil Moisture - Gravimetric, Soil pH, Soil Temperature
Presentation Poster: View Document
Language(s):English
Date Submitted:03/04/2024
Earth is a dynamic system comprising the biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and the lithosphere. They are combination of interrelated, interdependent or interacting parts forming a collective whole or entity. Injury to one, is injury to all. Any change on one affects the rest of them. The case of how gas flaring into the atmosphere from a petroleum gas flow station in Izombe, Imo State of Nigeria is affecting other subsystems (lithosphere, Biosphere and hydrosphere) in the environment reveals more evidence that earth is a system. And what affects one subsystem, directly or indirectly affects others. This research is an investigative research involving questionnaires, and consultation of research works done by other authors in the study area. From the research done by Nwagbara, M. O . & Onwudiwe, H. T (2020), Gas flaring in Izombe introduces pollutants like CO(Carbon monoxide), H2S(Hydrogen Sulphide), SO2(Sulphur Dioxide), NO2(Nitrogen Dioxide), VOCs(Volatile Organic Compounds), SPM(Suspended Particulate Matter) in the atmosphere in the quantity above acceptable limits. And through processes and cycles, which, over time, intermittently store, transform and/or transfer matter and energy throughout the whole Earth system in ways that are governed by the laws of conservation of matter and energy, these pollutants manifest adversely (directly and indirectly) on the other subsystems in Izombe by causing; acid rain, infrastructural decay, pollution of the water system, death of fishes, land pollution, malfunctioning and death of plants, health challenges and death of animals (including humans) in the area. Research done by Ezeigbo, O.R, et al (2013) also determined the extent of land pollution caused by the flare. The report showed that the flare caused increase in acidity of the land, increase in temperature, decrease in moisture content, decrease in organic matter, increase in hydrocarbon content and decrease in Total Viable Microbial Counts of Soil Samples of the Study Area. From the above report, it could be determined the cause of infertility and morbidity of plants in the study area. The protocol used is earth as a system. The research proved that earth is a system by showing that changes in the atmosphere also caused changes in other subsystems.



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