Mrs. Kummer Rm# CH1: INTRO TO EARTH SCIENCE

CH1.1 WHAT IS EARTH SCIENCE?  Earth Science is the study of all things on our earth and in our universe  Earth Science is a PHYSICAL SCIENCE, not a LIFE SCIENCE  It is studied through careful observation and experimentation  We’ve been studying the Earth for a LONG TIME!  780BC: Chinese folks start written records of earthquakes  300BC: The Greeks start cataloging rocks and minerals  317AD: The Mayans in Central America built the first observatory in the Americas to study Astronomy, and developed one of the most accurate calendars  1482: Leonardo Da Vinci makes the first accurate drawing of the telescope…but no prototype  1608: Hans Lippershey applied for the first patent on a 3X magnification Telescope

1.Geology: The study of the earth’s origin, history, and internal and external structure 2.Oceanography: The study of the earth’s ocean systems 3.Meteorology: The study of the earth’s atmosphere 4.Astronomy: The study of the universe beyond earth THE FOUR BRANCHES OF EARTH SCIENCE

 Ecology: Study of the relationship between living things and their environment  5 main branches of Ecology: 1.Lithosphere/Geosphere: study of rocky surface/core of earth 2.Hydrosphere: study of water portion of earth 3.Atmosphere: study of air/gases portion of earth 4.Biosphere: study of life/green surfaces of earth 5.Cryosphere: study of ice surfaces of earth  Each of these branches have many,many ecosystems: a neighborhood of living things and the environment they inhabit ECOLOGY: WHERE THE PHYSICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES COLLIDE

 Ecosystems are typically in delicate balance  If one thing is triggered in an ecosystem, it could threaten the entire ecosystem  What can threaten an ecosystem?  Pollution  Oil Spills  Hazmat Spills (Hazardous Materials)  What are good wastes that doesn’t hurt Ecosystems?  Biodegradable products: they breakdown quickly into harmless substances that can be used by other organisms  Natural Fertilizers like fish guts, food waste, etc. DO WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THESE ECOSYSTEMS?

1.Generate question after making observations of something. 2.Write a problem statement and gather information. 3.Make an educated guess (hypothesis) to answer the question (i.e. IF-THEN STATEMENT). 4.Predict the results of the hypothesis. 5.Perform experiments to test each prediction. 6.Organize results of all experiments (look at data). 7.Summarize what the data are telling you into one general conclusion. THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

 Theory: a hypothesis tested over and over that hasn’t been proven wrong  Theory: becomes “accepted” by peer review/approval in society (popularity vote but with data)  A theory that is tested over and over that hasn’t been proven wrong for hundreds of trials/years becomes a scientific law  There are ~4 laws in physical science: law of universal gravitation, Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, Newton’s laws of motion, the laws of Thermodynamics THEORIES AND SCIENTIFIC LAWS

 Without Scientific Method, you could also answer questions by:  Trial and Error (Edison completed over 1000 failing light bulbs before discovering the light bulb as we know it today)  Blind Experiments-experiments w/o hypothesis (Jack Skellington in Nightmare Before Xmas)  Accidental Discovery (Microwave ovens, Post-It Notes, SuperGlue)  Even with the Scientific Method, be prepared to be wrong more times than you’re right! WHAT ELSE COULD YOU DO?

 In a nutshell, the universe is expanding with the galaxies furthest from earth traveling the fastest  How did this happen? A huge explosion took place in the universe 17 billion years ago sending matter/particles and energy traveling outward in a huge cloud  As the cloud expanded, particles clumped together making many galaxies  Galaxies clumped together making many universes  Universes clumped together making many planets  Here we are today on Earth!  Not real popular, peer reviews denied the theory until 1960s, claiming not enough evidence of evenly distributed energy throughout the universe  In the 1960s, radio telescopes detected low levels of energy, call background radiation, evenly distributed throughout the universe  Peer reviews reviewed and accepted the data promoting this expanding hypothesis origin into the BIG BANG THEORY THE BIG BANG THEORY (NOT THE TV SHOW)

 As you can see, there are many many many many different directions you can go to study Earth Science  You can even spend your whole career applying one tiny piece of Earth Science (like an astro-physicist working on the evidence for the Big Bang Theory) EARTH SCIENCE: WHAT ISN’T COVERED?