01_introduction_students_revised

INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SCIENCE

Prof. Resnick

Please turn off cell phones &

put away

INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SCIENCE

Chapter 1

What is Earth Science?

All sciences which deal with Earth & its place in universe

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THEME:

EARTH IS DYNAMIC!

4 parts to Earth’s system:

1) Atmosphere - carbon dioxide (CO2)

- free oxygen (O2)

- water vapor (H2O)

4 parts to Earth’s system:

2) Hydrosphere – includes:

4 parts to Earth’s system:

3) Biosphere – all life

4) Geosphere – planet

(crust, mantle, core)

4 parts are interrelated:

Ex: Clear cutting a forest

Biosphere:

Atmosphere:

Geosphere:

Hydrosphere:

4 parts are interrelated:

Ex: Volcanic eruption

Biosphere:

Atmosphere:

Geosphere:

Hydrosphere:

Science

Attempts to understand, explain, and predict events

- collects data to discover patterns in natural world

Detective Analogy

Scientists are solving a mystery

Scene of Clues Mystery

the Crime Solved

Uniformitarianism (p. 325)

1787: James HuttonPhysical, chemical, & biologic

laws unchanged through time- forces which appear small can

produce features very largeEx: Colorado River and Grand

Canyon

Hutton’s Unconformity Diagram

Scientific Process

Ask a question:

1) Collect facts by observation or measurement

Scientific Process

2) Explain how or why it happens(hypothesis)

3) Design experiment to test validity of hypothesis

Scientific Process

4) Accept, modify, or reject hypothesis

Theory – well-tested framework that best explains the observations

Scientific Revolution

New information leads to a better explanation of observations

Occurs due to:a) new approach to the

question

b) new technology

Scientific Revolution

Astronomy example:

- Ptolemian Astronomy

Earth is center of universe

- Copernican Astronomy

Sun is center of solar system