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processes that govern the climate and hydrologic system -- incorporating the atmosphere, hydrosphere (oceans, surface and ground water, etc), cryosphere, land surface, and biosphere.  These are clearly central to the description, understanding, and prediction of global change, particularly in terms of impacts on global climate conditions and upon the pervasive and critical hydrologic system.

4.  Human Interactions - The study of the impacts of changing global conditions on human activities.  The global environment is a crucial determinant of humanity's capacity for continued and sustained development.  Research should focus on the interface between human activities and natural processes.  An example would be the studies of the impacts on agriculture from changes in length of growing season.  

5.  Earth System History - The natural record of environmental change is contained in the rocks, terrestrial and marine sediments, glaciers and ground ice, tree rings, geomorphic features (including the record of changes in sea level), and other direct or proxy documentation of past environmental conditions.  These archive the Earth's history and document the evolution of life, past ecosystems, and human societies.  Past geological epochs with warmer or cooler climates relative to present are of particular   scientific interest and should illustrate the range of natural variability.  As past analogues of possible future climates, they contribute both to the understanding of the present Earth system and to the prediction of its future.

6.  Solid-Earth Processes - The study of solid-Earth processes that affect the life-supporting characteristics of the global environment and especially those processes that take place at the interfaces between the solid earth and the atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and the biosphere.  Solid-Earth processes that directly affect the environment are of primary interest; processes that have only indirect effects are excluded.