1. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Earth Science, 13e Tarbuck & Lutgens

2. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Introduction to Earth Science Earth Science, 13e Chapter 1 Stanley C. Hatfield Southwestern Illinois College

3. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Earth Science  Encompasses all sciences that seek to understand Earth Earth’s neighbors in space Our Course is Earth and Space Science What is Space Science?

4. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Earth Science  Earth Science includes Geology – literally the “study of Earth” Oceanography – a study of the ocean Meteorology – the study of the atmosphere and the processes that produce weather Astronomy – the study of the universe

5. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Space Science  The term space science may mean: a.The study of issues specifically related to space travel and space exploration, including space medicine. [1]space travelspace explorationspace medicine [1] b.Science performed in outer space (see space research).space research c.The study of everything in outer space; [2] this is sometimes called astronomy, but more recently astronomy can also be regarded as a division of broader space science, which has grown to include other related fields. [3] [2]astronomy [3]

6. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. People and the environment  Environment Surrounds and influences organisms Physical environment encompasses water, air, soil, and rock Term “environmental” is usually reserved for those aspects that focus on the relationships between people and the natural environment

7. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. People and the environment  Resources An important focus of the Earth sciences Includes water, soil, minerals, and energy Two broad categories Renewable – can be replenished (examples include plants and energy from water and wind) Nonrenewable – metals (examples include metals and fuels)

8. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Wind Energy Renewable Energy Resource

9. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. People and the environment  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

10. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Composite Nightime Image of Earth’s City Lights

11. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. People and the environment  Environmental problems Human-induced and accentuated Urban air pollution Acid rain Ozone depletion Global warming Natural hazards Earthquakes Landslides

12. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. People and the environment  Environmental problems Natural hazards continued Floods Hurricanes World population pressures

13. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Scientific inquiry  Science assumes the natural world is Consistent Predictable  Goal of science To discover patterns in nature To use the knowledge to predict

14. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Scientific inquiry  An idea can become a Hypothesis (tentative or untested explanation) Theory (tested and confirmed hypothesis) Paradigm (a theory that explains a large number of interrelated aspects of the natural world)  Scientific method Gather facts through observation Formulate hypotheses and theories

15. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Scientific inquiry  Scientific knowledge is gained through Following systematic steps Collecting facts Developing a hypothesis Conduct experiments Re-examine the hypothesis and accept, modify, or reject Theories that withstand examination Totally unexpected occurrences

16. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Early evolution of Earth  Origin of Earth Most researchers believe that Earth and the other planets formed at essentially the same time Nebular hypothesis Solar system evolved from an enormous rotating cloud called the solar nebula Nebula was composed mostly of hydrogen and helium

17. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Early evolution of Earth  Origin of Earth Nebular hypothesis continued 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

18. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. The Nebular hypothesis

19. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Early evolution of Earth  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

20. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Earth’s “Spheres”  Hydrosphere Ocean – the most prominent feature of the hydrosphere Nearly 71 percent of Earth’s surface About 97 percent of Earth’s water Also includes fresh water found in streams, lakes, and glaciers, as well as that found underground

21. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Earth’s “Spheres”  Atmosphere Thin, tenuous blanket of air One half lies below 5.6 kilometers (3.5 miles)  Biosphere Includes all life Concentrated near the surface in a zone that extends from the ocean floor upward for several kilometers into the atmosphere

22. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Earth’s “Spheres”  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 Lithosphere – rigid outer layer Divisions of Earth’s surface – continents and ocean basins

23. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Earth’s layered structure

24. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. 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  System – any size group of interacting parts that form a complex whole

25. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Earth system science  System Closed systems are self-contained (e.g., an automobile cooling system) Open systems – both energy and matter flow into and out of the system (e.g., a river system)

26. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Earth system science  Feedback mechanisms Negative-feedback mechanisms resist change and stabilize the system Positive-feedback mechanisms enhance the system  Earth as a system Consists of a nearly endless array of subsystems (e.g., hydrologic cycle, rock cycle)

27. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Earth system science  Earth as a system 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 Humans are part of the Earth system

28. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. End of Chapter 1