Branches of Earth Science and Terminology

Branches of Earth Science

• Earth science studies Earth and neighbouring planets, historical events, and formation processes.
• Four main branches:
  • Geology: Study of Earth. Further divided into physical and historical geology.
    • Physical geology: Earth's structure, form, and components.
    • Historical geology: Earth's formation and life's development.
    • Specialities: Seismology (earthquakes) and volcanology (volcanoes).
  • Meteorology: Study of weather, atmosphere, and climate.
  • Oceanography: Study of oceans, tides, waves, processes, and their role in climate change.
  • Astronomy: Study of the universe.

Scientific Terminology

• Much scientific vocabulary comes from Greek and Latin.
• Greek roots are often in early scientific research.
• Latin is often used in naming organisms.
• Word parts (prefixes, roots, suffixes) aid understanding complex terms.
• Root: the primary part of a word.
• Prefix: appears before the root.
• Suffix: appears after the root.

Learning Styles

• Auditory: Learning through hearing.
• Visual: Learning through sight (images, charts).
• Hands-on: Learning through practical experience.
• Holistic: Using prior knowledge to understand new concepts.
• Analytic: Breaking concepts into smaller parts.

Scientific Method

• Series of steps to answer scientific questions.
• Steps may vary depending on the experiment and discipline.
• Key components:
  • Question: The problem being investigated.
  • Background Research: Previous relevant data.
  • Hypothesis: Potential answer (testable).
  • Experiment: Test to answer the question.
  • Empirical Data: Information gathered through observation.
  • Conclusion: Accepting or rejecting the hypothesis based on data.
  • Independent Variable: The tested factor.
  • Dependent Variable: The measured factor.
  • Significance: Statistical meaning of the results.
  • Peer Review: Evaluation by other scientists.
  • Scientific Theory: Hypothesis supported by evidence.
  • Biases: Potential for prejudice towards a result.
  • Steps to using the scientific method:
    • Ask a Question
    • Research Background
    • Formulate a Hypothesis
    • Design and Conduct an Experiment
    • Collect and Evaluate Data
    • Accept/Reject hypothesis
    • Formulate a new hypothesis if necessary

Experimental Design

• Crucial process in science to validate hypotheses.
• Follows a structured approach with five steps.
• Steps:
  • Define variables.
  • Formulate hypotheses.
  • Design an experiment.
  • Assign subjects.
  • Measure the dependent variable.

International System of Units (SI / Metric System)

• Decimal system based on a factor of 10.
• Uses prefixes to denote large/small quantities.
• Key SI units:
  • Length: meter
  • Mass: kilogram
  • Volume: cubic meter
  • Density: kilograms per cubic meter
  • Temperature: Kelvin
• Conversion factors are used for metric/English conversions.

Scientific Experiments and Data Display

• Six steps: Observe, form a hypothesis, design/conduct experiment, collect/evaluate data, accept/reject hypothesis, and create a new hypothesis if needed.
• Data displayed in various ways:
  • Line graphs: Comparing trends over time (numerical data).
  • Bar charts: Comparing data among groups (numerical and categorical).
  • Pie charts: Showing percentages (numerical and categorical).
  • Flow charts: Describing relationships/processes (non-numerical data).

Geologic Time Scale

• Earth's history categorized into units based on events/organisms.
• Four largest divisions: eons (eon, singular).
  • Precambrian eon (early eons) until the emergence of multicellular organisms.
  • Phanerozoic eon (recent eon)
• Eons are subdivided into: Eras, Periods, Epochs
• Stratigraphy: Study of rock layers to understand Earth's history.
• Relative age dating: Determining age based on relationships.
• Absolute age dating: Using radiometric measurements to determine exact age.

Catastrophism and Uniformitarianism

• Catastrophism: Sudden, violent events shape Earth's surface.
• Uniformitarianism: Gradual, observable processes are key.
• Modern view: Uniformitarian processes are dominant but interrupted by global cataclysms.

Radioactive Dating

• Radiometric dating (radioactive dating): Determining age from known decay rates of radioactive isotopes.
• Parent nuclide: The unstable original isotope.
• Daughter nuclide: The stable isotope formed by decay.
• Types of decay:
  • Alpha decay: Alpha particle (Helium nucleus) emitted.
  • Beta decay: Electron emitted, neutron turns into a proton.
  • Gamma decay: High-energy photon emitted, no particle change.
• Half-life: Time for half of the radioactive material to decay.

Fossil Preservation

• Fossils: Remains or traces of ancient organisms.
• Factors affecting preservation:
• Rapid burial
• Hard parts
• Environment (Elements)

Index Fossils

• Index fossils: Distinctive, widespread fossils from a limited time span.
• Principle of fossil succession: Orderly arrangement of fossils in rocks.
• Correlating rock layers and establishing geologic time frames.

Periodic Table

• Organized model of all known elements.
• Arranging elements based on number of protons (atomic number).
• Periods (horizontal rows) and Groups (vertical columns).
• Metals, nonmetals, and metalloids.
• Trends in the periodic table help to predict element properties.

Types of Matter

• Elements: Pure substance composed of identical atoms.
• Molecules: Atoms chemically bonded together.
  • Ionic bonds: Electrons transferred from one atom to another.
  • Covalent bonds: Electrons shared between atoms.
    • Non-polar: Equal sharing
    • Polar: Uneven sharing
• Metallic bonds: Between metal atoms using a "sea of electrons".
• Hydrogen bonds: Bonds between hydrogen atoms to other atoms with a dipole.
• Compounds: Two or more elements chemically combined.
• Mixtures: Two or more substances physically combined.
• States of matter: Solid, liquid, gas, plasma, transition (fusion, evaporation...).

Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter

• Physical properties describe matter without changing its composition.
• Chemical properties describe how matter changes its composition.
• Pure substances: Elements and compounds.
• Mixtures: combinations of compounds and/or elements.

This quiz explores the key branches of Earth science, including geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy. It also covers scientific terminology used in these fields, detailing the origins of vocabulary from Greek and Latin roots. Test your knowledge on these essential concepts!