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Questions and Answers
Which discipline is specifically the study of the ocean within Earth Science?
What are the four subsystems of Earth that interact with each other?
Why is Earth Science considered vital for society?
Which of the following questions is not typically investigated by Earth Science?
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The study of the universe and celestial objects falls under which branch of Earth Science?
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Which type of plate boundary involves plates moving towards each other?
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What is the average elevation of continents?
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What feature is characterized by deep depressions in the ocean floor?
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Which form of energy primarily drives external geological processes on Earth?
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What subsystem does the hydrologic cycle belong to?
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What geological feature denotes the gently sloping platform extending seaward from a shore?
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Which type of system allows both matter and energy to flow into and out of it?
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Which mountain range is primarily associated with major geological activity and is a key feature of the circum-Pacific belt?
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What is the approximate age of the Earth?
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Which of the following best describes the lithosphere?
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What significant event led to the formation of Earth's layered structure?
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Which layer of Earth is primarily composed of solid iron and nickel?
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What process describes the movement of Earth's lithospheric plates?
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What does the Geologic Time Scale represent?
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Which component of the Earth is made up of the ocean, lakes, and glaciers?
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What element is the primary component of the solar nebula according to the nebular theory?
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What is the primary purpose of scientific inquiry?
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Which of the following best describes the hydrosphere?
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Study Notes
Geologic Time
- Time elapsed since Earth's formation
- Earth is 4.6 billion years old
- The concept of "recent" is different in geologic time
Magnitude of Geologic Time
- Geologic Time Scale divides Earth's history into different units
Scientific Inquiry
- Science assumes the natural world is consistent and predictable
- Goal of science is to discover patterns in nature and use that knowledge to predict
- Hypothesis: A tentative or untested explanation
- Theory: A tested and confirmed hypothesis
- Paradigm: A theory that explains a large number of interrelated aspects of the natural world
- Scientific method: Facts are gathered through observation, hypotheses and theories are formulated, experiments are conducted, and the hypothesis is then accepted, modified, or rejected
Observation and Measurement
- Key aspects of the scientific method
Early Evolution of Earth
- Most researchers believe Earth and other planets formed at the same time
- Nebular theory: The solar system evolved from a rotating cloud called a solar nebula, primarily composed of hydrogen and helium.
- 5 billion years ago, the nebula began to contract, forming a flat disk shape with the protosun at the center.
- Inner planets formed from metallic and rocky clumps, outer planets from fragments with a high percentage of ices
Earth's Spheres
- Hydrosphere: Includes all water on Earth, primarily oceans (71% of Earth's surface, 97% of Earth's water), including fresh water in streams, lakes, and glaciers, and underground water.
- Atmosphere: A thin blanket of air, with half of it lying below 5.6 kilometers (3.5 miles)
- Biosphere: Includes all life, concentrated near the surface, extending from the ocean floor to several kilometers into the atmosphere
- Geosphere: Solid Earth, extending from the surface to the center of the planet, the largest of Earth's four spheres
Geosphere: Solid Earth
- The geosphere is divided into the crust, mantle, and core based on compositional differences.
- The outer portion of the geosphere is divided into the lithosphere and asthenosphere based on material behavior.
Geosphere: Crust
- Earth's thin, rocky outer skin
- Continental Crust: Less dense, varied rock types, granitic
- Oceanic Crust: Dense, basaltic rock
Geosphere: Mantle
- Solid, rocky shell
- More than 82% of Earth's volume
- Upper Mantle: Includes the lithosphere (crust and uppermost mantle) and the asthenosphere (a relatively soft layer)
- Lower Mantle: A strengthened, very hot layer
Geosphere: Core
- Iron-nickel alloy
- Outer Core: Liquid layer, responsible for Earth's magnetic field
- Inner Core: Solid
The Mobile Geosphere
- Plate tectonics: Earth's lithosphere is broken into slabs called lithospheric plates, which are constantly moving.
- Plates move very slowly
- Three types of plate boundaries: Divergent (plates pull apart), Convergent (plates move together), Transform Fault (plates slide past each other)
The Face of Earth
- Continents: Flat features with an average elevation of 0.8 km (0.5 mi), composed of granitic rocks.
- Ocean basins: Average 3.8 km (2.8 mi) below sea level, composed of basaltic rocks.
Major Features of Continents
- Mountain Belts: Primarily the circum-Pacific belt and the Alps/Himalayas
- Stable Interior: Shields - expansive, flat regions of deformed crystalline rock, Stable Platforms - deformed rock covered by sedimentary rock.
Major Features of Ocean Basins
- Continental Margins: Portions of the seafloor adjacent to major landmasses, including the continental shelf (a gently sloping platform extending seaward from shore), the continental slope (a steep drop-off at the edge of the shelf), and the continental rise (a more gradual incline where the continental slope merges with thick sediment accumulations).
- Deep-Ocean Basins: Located between continental margins and oceanic ridges, including abyssal plains (flat features of deep-ocean basins), deep-ocean trenches (deep depressions in the ocean floor), and seamounts (submerged volcanic structures).
- Oceanic Ridge: Also called the mid-ocean ridge, it is a continuous mountain belt that winds around the globe, containing many layers of igneous rock, including the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the East Pacific Rise.
Earth as a System
- Earth is a dynamic system of interacting parts: spheres.
- Earth system science studies Earth as a complex system composed of numerous subsystems.
- System: Any size group of interacting parts forming a complex whole
Earth as a System: Closed and Open Systems
- Closed System: Self-contained (e.g., automobile cooling system)
- Open System: Energy and matter flow in and out (e.g., a river system)
Earth System Science: Earth as a System
- Consists of numerous subsystems (e.g., hydrologic cycle, rock cycle)
- Sources of energy: Sun (drives external processes such as weather, ocean circulation, and erosion), Earth's interior (drives internal processes such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and mountain building)
- Humans are part of the Earth system
Earth Science
- Earth science is the study of our planet, its changing systems, and its position in the universe.
Earth Science: What it Includes
- Geology: Literal study of Earth
- Oceanography: Study of the ocean
- Meteorology: Study of the atmosphere and weather processes
- Astronomy: Study of the universe
Earth Science: Key Questions
- Reasons for seasons
- Weather prediction methods
- Grouping and movement of stars
- Landscape formation
Earth Science: Environmental Science
- Natural hazards
- Resources
- People's influence on Earth processes
Why Earth Science is Important
- Forecasting potential disasters to save lives and property
- Access to Earth's resources
- Environmental protection
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Description
Explore the vastness of geologic time, including Earth's 4.6 billion-year history and the divisions of the Geologic Time Scale. Understand the scientific method, which forms the basis for how scientists study the natural world, including observations, hypotheses, and theories.
