Understanding Earth: The Self-organization Concept and Its Geological Significance; on the Example of Liesegang-Structures and Electric Fields

The existence of ordered structures in the lithosphere is a well-known and yet remarkable matter of fact. They appear as banded formations, layered and folded structures, diapirs, or cockade ores and in numerous other shapes and forms. Their size ranges from less than one centimeter up to kilometers. In many cases ordered structures develop in self-organized systems, making this concept a useful tool for better understanding complex and diverse processes in geology. In essence, self-organized systems are autonomously shaped units resulting from their inner determination under the influence of environmental conditions. It is important to recognize ordered structures and interpret them as self-organized with respect to their (external) environment and their (inner) components and properties in order to understand their genesis. Conversely, self-organized geological systems that have ordered structures contain valuable information about their genesis that is preserved within the structure. Because geological objects typically preserve only one picture for a very long time-frame, it is important to evaluate the ordered structures from the perspective of self-organization to gain access to the information. Reading this information enables us to learn more about Earth’s history and future, and to use it toward the sustainable management of global resources. For this reason, applying the self-organization concept to geology is also important for the society as a whole.