Science & Technology in the Environment Objective: Discuss earth science and its relation to the environment.

Earth Science A science that deals with the earth and the area surrounding it Areas of Earth Science: Geology-study of the structure of the solid part of the earth and how the earth was formed Hydrology-study of water found in the land areas of the earth Oceanography-the study of water found in the oceans Meteorology-study of all aspects of the earth’s atmosphere Astronomy-study of the universe beyond the earth Seismology-study of seismic waves or movements produced by earthquakes or explosions Geophysics-deals with physics of the earth

Importance of Earth Science Includes the major areas of natural environment Includes both materials and natural events Natural materials make living, as we know it, possible

Evolutionary Development Evolution-a process of growth, development and change The Earth in Outer Space Outer space-boundless area beyond the earth Universe-everything that exists

Standard Cosmological Model A theory used by scientists to explain the formation of the universe Universe began about 15 billion years ago from a hot dense sea of energy and matter Living organisms are more recent

The Earth’s Formation Formed from cooling of the molten material Theory is that all land was once one mass The mass split and formed continents This theory is called the Continental Drift

The Earth as a Planet Solar System-made up of the sun and the planets that revolve around in it Planet Movement Rotation-the spinning of the earth on its axis; takes 24 hours---one day Revolution-the movement of Earth in space around the sun; one complete rotation takes one year Equinox-when the sun is directly over the equator Solstice-when the earth’s axis tilts at the greatest angle toward or away from the sun Oval orbit-earth’s orbit is oval shaped

The Earth as a Planet The earth is round, but not a perfect sphere Earth is larger at the equator than at the poles

Earth Materials and the Environment Tectonics-the study of the earth’s crust and forces that change it The Lithosphere-has 3 layers Surface-outer layer is called the crust Oceanic crust-crust beneath the ocean Continental crust-part on land Sea level-the point at which the surface of the water and land naturally meet Mantle-located between the crust and the core Core-center of the earth

Earth Materials and the Environment The Hydrosphere-all the water on the earth, which includes liquid, frozen and gaseous forms Water goes through the hydrologic cycle Hydrologic cycle-circulation of water from one part of the hydrosphere to another This process cleans and restores water for future use Oceans-all the earth’s oceans connect to form one global ocean Oceans have a big influence on our environment They play major roles in climate Oceans are homes for fish, seaweed, and other aquatic life Action of water changes land areas Rivers and lakes usually contain freshwater Ground water-water beneath the Earth’s surface Formed by rain, melted snow, and other water sources Water may form an aquifer, which is an underground stream or pool in sand or gravel layers

Earth Materials and the Environment Atmosphere-air that surrounds the Earth Contents Air-mix of gases: nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and others Other materials include water (humidity) and particulate (particles). Moisture in the air is called humidity. The atmosphere has 4 layers Troposphere-first layer next to the earth GassesWeather Stratosphere-above troposphere; extend about 30 miles above the earth Ozone layer-filters out harmful UV radiation from the sun Mesosphere-3 rd layer extending 50 miles above the earth Cold layer of the atmosphere Winds blow west to east in the winter and east to west in the summer Thermosphere-uppermost layer of the earth’s atmosphere

Earth Movement & the Environment Water changes the earth’s surface Weathering-chemical and physical process that changes solid rock into small particles Glacial action-masses of snow and ice that move slowly over the land Wind-natural horizontal air movement Plate tectonics-plates on the earths surface that move Earthquakes-shaking of the ground caused by movement in large sections of the earth’s crust Volcanoes-opening in the earth through which ashes steam and lava are expelled Tsunamis-large wave of water caused by an earthquake or volcanic eruption near the water Planetary winds-air movements that affect the entire planet Local winds- winds that are confined to a local area; sea land breezes

Using Cartography Cartography-the act of map making Map-an image of some type that represents an attribute of the earth Globe-round map Projection-represents round earth’s features on a flat map Bathymetry-shows measurements of water depth in large bodies of water Topography-shows elevations of the land areas of the earth Thematic-shows specific features of the earth, such as areas of forest or human population Inventory-deals with a specific feature and its exact location Navigation-shows the routes to take from one location to another

Using Cartography Remote Sensing-gathering and recording information from a distance Satellites are often used to gather information GPS-Global Positioning System; uses satellites to accurately locate positions on the earth Aerial photos are also used to record information Onboard mapping systems in motor vehicles utilize GPS & satellites to establish locations