The Origin and Structure of the Earth PDF

THE ORIGIN AND STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH Rosemarie C. Tuto Objectives ▪ Explain the origin of the universe and the solar system ▪ Recognize the Earth’s unique characteristics being the only plane in the solar system that is suitable for life. ▪ Enumerate the four subsystems of the...

THE ORIGIN AND STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH Rosemarie C. Tuto Objectives ▪ Explain the origin of the universe and the solar system ▪ Recognize the Earth’s unique characteristics being the only plane in the solar system that is suitable for life. ▪ Enumerate the four subsystems of the Earth. Universe and Solar System ▪ Solar Nebula- scientific theory about the origin of the solar system is a spinning cloud of dust. ▪ Big Bang Theory- universe originated from an enormous explosion Earth and Earth’s System CO2 rest ▪ Earth was made up of molten and later cooled down had volcanoes belching out massive amounts of carbon dioxide, steam, ammonia, and methane—no oxygen. Photosynthesis ▪ Using sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water to food energy and oxygen ▪ First synthetic organisms were free-living bacteria containing chlorophyll Endosymbiosis Theory ▪ Proposed by Lynn Margulis ▪ The eukaryotic cells are once primitive prokaryotic cells which merged with plant and animal cells and live in a constant symbiosis with these cells. Geologic Time Scale Rosemarie C. Tuto Geologic Time Scale Calendar for events in the Earth history. Subdivides all time into units: eons, eras, periods, and epochs. Geologic Time Scale  Largest intervals of geologic time Eons scale and are hundreds of millions of years in duration Eras Smaller time intervals of eons. Significant events in earth’s history are used to determine the boundaries of the eras  Periods Subdivisions of eras The events that bound the periods are widespread in their extent but are not as significant as those which bound the eras. Epochs a division of time that is a subdivision of a period and is itself subdivided into ages, corresponding to a series in chronostratigraphy.  HISTORY OF THE EARTH Approximately 4.5 billion years old The only planet in the solar system that is able to support and sustain life. 18  EARTH SUBSYSTEMS ATMOSPHERE GEOSPHERE HYDROSPHERE BIOSPHERE 19 ATMOSPHERE- very shallow layer TROPOSPHERE STRATOSPHERE Lowest part of the Contains the ozone atmosphere in the atmosphere Contains most of the weather- clouds, rains, snow 20 21  ATMOSPHERE MESOSPHERE THERMOSPHERE EXOSPHERE It is where the High energy Actual “final meteors burn up x-ray and UV frontier” of Temperature again decreases radiation the Earth’s with the height, form the sun gaseous reaching 90 are absorbed envelop degrees Celsius 22 23 GEOSPHERE Largest of the four spheres Extends from the surface to the center of the planet 24 HYDROSPHERE Dynamic mass of water (streams, lakes, glaciers, underground water) 25 BIOSPHERE All life on Earth 26 Continental Drift Continental landmasses shift position on Earth’s surface. Alfred Wegener in 1912, a German geophysicist and meteorologist Noticed that the coasts of western Africa and eastern South America look like the edge of interlocking pieces of jigsaw puzzle Pangaea- “all lands” in Greek, single supercontinent 28  1.The Apparent Fit of The Continent EVIDENCES SUPPORTING 2.Rock and Mountains CONTINENTAL DRIFT Correlation 3.Paleoclimate Date 29  MOVEMENT OF PLATE TECTONICS 30 Movements of Plates Plates are moving at a speed at 1 to 10 cm per year Most of the seismic activity occurs at the plate boundaries Oceanic crust and Continental crust EARTH’S INTERNAL STRUCTURE 32 CRUST Thin, topmost layer of the earth 2 layers: SiAl and SiMa Like the shell of a hard- boiled egg Two crusts: continental and oceanic crust 33 MANTLE Middle layer of the Earth Solid rocky shell that extends to the depth of nearly 2,900 km Lithosphere-solid portion Asthenosphere- liquid portion 34 CORE Center of the earth, also draws the gravitational pull Composed of iron-nickel alloy Outer core- liquid form Inner core- solid form 35 Current Advancements 1. Pluto is being demoted from being a true planet. 2. Expeditions of rover to Mars 3. Newly discovered dwarf planet, much farther than Pluto 4. Hubble space Telescope and other man-made satellites have brought a vast amount of information about our solar system and the universe 5. The faster expansion of the universe 36