Chapter 1

Section 1.1 Earth Science is the name of a group of sciences that deal with the Earth and it’s neighbors in space. There are four major divisions of Earth Science.

1.Geology–the study of Earth (solid earth). a. Historical Geology- the study of earth’s historical development. b. Physical Geology -the study of the materials that make up Earth and the processes that shape our planet

2.Oceanography –the study of Earth’s oceans (composition, movements, processes , life forms and topography)

3.Meteorology–the study of Earth’s atmosphere, climate and weather

4.Astronomy–the study of the universe beyond Earth.

Formation of Earth and our solar system The Nebular Theory A. The nebula was composed mostly of hydrogen and helium. About 5 billion years ago, the nebula began to contract. It assumed a flat, disk shape with the protosun (pre-Sun) at the center 1.The sun began to form in the center of this spinning nebula 2.Heavier elements were pulled in by the Sun’s gravity, forming the inner planets. 3.Outer planets were formed mainly from gases.

A C D E B

Earth Science Chap 1.2 Earth’s 4 major spheres Atmosphere: all the gases that surround the Earth, mostly nitrogen 78% and oxygen 21%, includes the ozone layer

Biosphere: wherever life is found on Earth, includes atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere

Hydrosphere: wherever there is water, like rivers, lakes, oceans, etc . Ocean is the most prominent feature of the hydrosphere. It is nearly 71% of Earth's surface. It holds about 97% of Earth's water . Also includes fresh water found in streams, lakes, and glaciers, as well as that found underground.

Geosphere: includes crust, mantle, and core. Crust: least dense, floated to the surface when Earth was all liquid Mantle: solid and more dense than crust Outer core: liquid, more dense than mantle and crust Inner core: solid because its under high pressure, most dense part of the geosphere

Plate Tectonics: theory that says the crust is made up of big pieces called tectonic plates that move because of uneven heating in the mantle

Chap 1.3 Latitude: the distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees. Each degree is 60 minutes, and each minute is 60 seconds. Latitude ranges from 0o (equator) to 90o (North or South Pole)

Longitude: the distance east or west of the Prime Meridian, measure in degrees. Longitude ranges from 0o (Prime Meridian) to 180o (International Date Line). The Prime Meridian goes through Greenwich, England.

Maps: A flat representation of spherical globe, all maps are a little distorted because maps are 2 dimensions but globes are 3 dimensions

Mercator maps are like a flattened out globes with sections cut out to keep it accurate

Topographic maps: show elevation by using contour lines Topographic maps: show elevation by using contour lines. If the lines are close together there’s a steep slope, if the lines are far apart it’s a flat area

Chap 1.4 System: A group of interacting parts that all affect each other and work together, like hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere all interacting with each other

Sources of Energy Sun—drives external processes such as weather, ocean circulation and erosional processes Earth’s interior—drives internal processes including volcanoes, earthquakes and mountain building

Resources: Energy and materials used to support life, including food, housing, etc

Nonrenewable: can’t be replaced within a person’s lifetime (about 70 years), but can be recycled. Examples include coal, oil, and minerals

Renewable: can be replaced within a person’s lifetime, like animals, plants, solar energy, wind energy, etc

Population: The number of organisms of the same species It used to take 1,000s of years to add 1 billion to our population, now it takes about 15 years Why has our population increased so fast? Better education, medicine, farming techniques, sanitation

World population: 6.5 billion U.S. population: A little over 300 million