Earth and Its Creation Myths

Earth and Its Unique Properties

• Earth is the only planet in the solar system that supports life due to its unique properties.
• The planet consists of four subsystems: atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere, facilitating the flow of matter and energy.

Creation of Earth

• Earth's formation resulted from processes that shaped the Solar System, allowing life to emerge over geological time.
• Various creation theories, including cultural myths, explain the origins of Earth.

Korean Creation Myth

• Korean mythology contains a significant creation story: initially, there were no humans, and deities Yul-Ryeo and Mago emerged.
• Yul-Ryeo's resurrection led to the formation of Earth, its components (water, fire, soul), and subsequent creation of flora and fauna.
• Celestial beings, born from Mago, governed life from a celestial castle called 'Magoseong'.

Creation Narratives

• Creation myths are symbolic narratives handed down through generations via oral traditions like stories and poems.

Theories of Universe Formation

• Big Bang Theory: Outlines the universe's formation and subsequent processes leading to stars and galaxies.
• Descartes' Vortex Theory: Proposed by René Descartes; suggests the Solar System formed from whirlpool-like motions of pre-solar materials.
• Buffon’s Collision Theory: George Louis, Comte de Buffon theorized planets formed from debris after the sun collided with a giant comet.

Kant-Laplace Nebular Theory

• Proposed by Immanuel Kant and Pierre Simon Laplace; suggests planets formed from a collapsing nebula, spinning and flattening due to gravity.

Jeans-Jeffrey’s Tidal Theory

• Sir James Hopwood Jeans and Harold Jeffreys posited that planets were formed from material torn off the sun by a passing massive star’s gravitational pull.

Solar Nebular Theory

• Introduced by Emanuel Swedenborg; describes planets forming from a nebular crust surrounding the Sun that eventually broke apart.

Earth’s Formation and Layers

• Through accretion, different types of planets emerged, from terrestrial to Jovian, leading to the composition of Earth's layers:
  • Crust: Composed mainly of light elements (silicon, oxygen, aluminum).
  • Mantle: Consists of rocks; divided into asthenosphere (soft) and lithosphere (rigid).
  • Core: Dense metals (nickel and iron); divided into outer (liquid, magnetic) and inner core (solid, magnetic).

Composition of Earth's Atmosphere

• Composed primarily of nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%).
• Trace gases include argon, carbon dioxide, and others, making up the remaining 1%.

Layers of Earth's Crust

• Oceanic Crust: Dark, more dense, composed of basalt, average thickness of 5-10 km.
• Continental Crust: Light, less dense, made of granite, averaging 40-70 km in thickness.

Biosphere Hierarchy

• The organization of life forms represents the hierarchy of life, sometimes visualized as a pyramid of life, indicating the complexity and interdependence of living organisms.