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Intro to Earth Science

What is Science? –noun 1.a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws: the mathematical sciences. 2.systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation. 3.any of the branches of natural or physical science. science. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved August 16, 2007, from Dictionary.com website:

Who invented Science And Why? People who were trying to understand the world around them. Early “science” had strong ties to religion.

What is an Environment?  Environment Surrounds and influences organisms Physical environment encompasses water, air, soil, and rock Term “ ” is usually reserved for those aspects that focus on the relationships between people and the natural environment

Scales Atomic Hand Sample Regional/ Continental Planetary Stellar Galaxy Universe

Scientific Method  Science assumes the natural world is _____________  Goal of science To discover patterns in nature To use the knowledge to predict

 Scientific knowledge is gained through Following systematic steps Make an observation Collecting facts Developing a hypothesis Conduct experiments Re-examine the hypothesis and accept, modify, or reject Totally unexpected occurrences

 Scientific method ______________ (tentative or untested explanation) ______________(tested and confirmed hypothesis) ______________(a theory that explains a large number of interrelated aspects of the natural world)

Let’s Begin! Earth Science starts with the formation of the Earth. Solar Nebula Hypothesis

 Origin of Earth Most researchers believe that Earth and the other planets formed at essentially the same time Solar system evolved from an enormous rotating cloud called the solar nebula Nebula was composed mostly of hydrogen and helium About 5 billion years ago the nebula began to contract Assumes a flat, disk shape with the protosun (pre-Sun) at the center Inner planets begin to form from metallic and rocky clumps Larger outer planets began forming from fragments with a high percentage of ices

 Formation of Earth’s layered structure As Earth formed, the decay of radioactive elements and heat from high-velocity impacts caused the temperature to increase _________________ Iron and nickel began to melt and sink toward the center Lighter rocky components floated outward, toward the surface Gaseous material escaped from Earth’s interior to produce the primitive atmosphere

Earth System Science  Earth is a dynamic body with many separate but highly interacting parts or spheres  Earth system science studies Earth as a system composed of numerous parts, or subsystems  __________ any size group of interacting parts that form a complex whole

Earth's Systems  _____sphere Ocean – the most prominent feature of the hydrosphere Nearly 71% of Earth's surface About 97% of Earth's water Also includes fresh water found in streams, lakes, and glaciers, as well as that found underground

 ______sphere Thin, tenuous blanket of air One half lies below 5.6 kilometers (3.5 miles)  _____sphere Includes all life Concentrated near the surface in a zone that extends from the ocean floor upward for several kilometers into the atmosphere Earth's Systems

 Solid Earth Based on compositional differences, it consists of the crust, mantle, and core Divisions of the outer portion are based on how materials behave ______sphere - rigid outer layer Divisions of Earth’s surface - continents and ocean basins Earth's Systems

Earth's “Spheres"

_______ systems are self-contained

______ systems - both energy and matter flow into and out of the system (e.g. a river system)

 Feedback mechanisms _________-feedback mechanisms resist change and stabilize the system (e.g. friction) _________-feedback mechanisms enhance the change to the system (e.g. greenhouse gasses)

Earth as a System Consists of a nearly endless array of subsystems (e.g. hydrologic cycle, rock cycle) Sources of energy _____– drives external processes such as weather, ocean circulation and erosional processes Earth’s interior (__________) – drives internal processes including volcanoes, earthquakes and mountain building Humans are part of the Earth system

Earth system cycles

Why Should I care?

Why should I care?  Resources An important focus of the Earth sciences Includes water, soil, minerals, and energy Two broad categories ___________– can be replenished (examples include plants and energy from water and wind) ____________ – cannot be replenished “rapidly” (examples include metals and fuels)

 Population Population of the planet is growing rapidly Rate of mineral and energy usage has climbed more rapidly than the overall growth of population

 Environmental problems Local, regional, and global Human-induced and accentuated Urban air pollution Acid rain Ozone depletion Global warming

Natural Disasters Earthquakes Landslides Floods Hurricanes Wildfires