Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Prelude: What is Geology? Nature of the scientific method - Class discussion Overview of Earth Systems
Prelude:
Solid Earth
Interior of the Earth is losing heat. Primary source of heat: Radioactive decay Heat loss drives convection, based on density differences
Hotter stuff is lighter and rises Cooler stuff is denser and sinks.
mantle core
Hydrosphere
Cryosphere Biosphere
Atmosphere
Blanket of gases surrounding the Earth
Weather: due to exchange of energy between Earths surface & atmosph. between atmosph. & outer space Strongly interacts w/ surface
Hydrosphere
Water portion of Earth Oceans (most prominent) 71% of surface of Earth Streams, lakes, glaciers, underground water Atmosphere
Cryosphere
Icy portion of Earths crust
Glaciers Permafrost and ground ice Polar ice caps Frozen polar seas
Biosphere
Earths Ecosystems
Earths biosphere occupies both the surface and subsurface to depths of a few kilometers Life occupies an extreme range of environments Life strongly interacts with the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and the solid earth to affect their composition and long-term evolution (these interactions are called ecology!)
Credit: INVAM
Credit: Sharnoff
Against a constant backdrop of gravity, the atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere interact with the rocks of the Earths crust to break them down and transport them to depositional basins (e.g. the oceans) as sediment. The cycle is renewed as internal processes of plate tectonics create new crust and uplift it to form mountain ranges.
Earth
How did the Solar System form?
Earth Formation
Planets thought to have formed:
At same time
From same material as the Sun
Nebular hypothesis Solar system formed from giant cloud of mostly hydrogen and helium, and a small percentage of heavier elements.
Nebular Hypothesis: States that the planets of our Solar System were formed by the accretion of materials from a cloud of gas and dust called a solar nebula. Collapse of the nebula under its own gravity formed a rotating disk around a dense, central core of material. This core eventually became hot enough to form the Sun.