What is Earth Science? Textbook Section 1.1 (Chapter 1, Section 1)

What is Earth Science?

Textbook Section 1.1

(Chapter 1, Section 1)

How to Right Side (Respond) to Vocabulary Construct four boxes in a row. Fill

them in as follows:

Word Definition Image Memory Trigger

How to Right Side (Respond) to Vocabulary: Example

Word Definition Image Memory Trigger

Cat feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar

Meow

Vocabulary Earth Science – the name for all

sciences that collectively seek to understand Earth

Geology – the science that examines Earth, its form and composition, and the changes it has undergone and is undergoing

Vocabulary Oceanography – the scientific study of

oceans and oceanic phenomena Meteorology – the scientific study of

the atmosphere and atmospheric phenomena; the study of weather and climate

Vocabulary Astronomy – the scientific study of the

universe; It includes the observation and interpretation of celestial bodies and phenomena

What is our task here? We are going to understand the Earth.

All of it. We will be able to begin to think about answering these questions:

What forces produce a mountain? Why does our daily weather change? Is our climate changing? What causes ocean tides?

Why is this hard (Honors)? Because the Earth is always changing. Our orbit is getting larger. Our land masses are sliding around the

globe. The planet is heating up (global

warming).

Yes, you will have to balance all of these to answer questions about Earth Science.

Disciplines Within Earth Science: How to Respond Make a chart with three columns and

fill them in as follows:

discipline Some of the things that are studied

Memory Trigger

Disciplines Within Earth Science: How to Respond - Example

Here is an example with “biology” filled in. Biology is NOT a discipline of Earth Science.

discipline Some of the things that are studied

Memory Trigger

Biology Living things

Disciplines within Earth Science Geology Oceanography Meteorology Astronomy (don’t have to chart these):

Geobiology, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Paleontology

Geology Meaning: The Study of Earth Geo = Earth -o-stuff-y = The Study of Two broad Subdivisions of Geology:

Physical Geology and Historical Geology

Physical Geology Physical = right here, right now Materials that make up the Earth. How the Earth is currently changing.

(Remember those sliding landmasses?) Processes that create earthquakes,

build mountains, and produce volcanoes.

Processes that break rock apart and create landforms.

Historical Geology Historical = happened in the past How did the Earth form? What happened in Earth’s past? We study physical geology first,

because we want to see if the processes happening today might explain our past.

Respond Do this Right Side for Homework: What are the two main areas of

geology? What do they study? Which do we learn first? Why?

Oceanography The study of the composition and

movements of seawater, as well as coastal processes, seafloor topology, and marine life.

Ocean = the ocean -o-stuff-y = the study of This is a meta discipline. Incorporates:

chemistry, physics, geology, and biology.

Meteorology The study of the atmosphere and the

processes that produce weather and climate.

Mete = ? Composition of the atmosphere. Earth’s interaction with the Sun. Weather Conditions.

Astronomy The study of the universe. Astro = outer space Discussion question: How is it

different to study something when you are inside of it, rather than being outside of it?

Formation of the Earth Earth is one of eight planets (no more

Pluto) that revolve around the sun. Our solar system has an orderly

nature: everything lines up. Earth and the other planets formed at

the same time, from excess material that wasn’t used by the sun.

Nebular Hypothesis

Nebular Hypothesis Different materials have different

heavinesses. Think about a 2L bottle full of water vs

a 2L bottle full of air. In science, we call this term density.

Nebular Hypothesis The more massive you are, the more

gravity you exert. We exert some gravity, but the Earth

is more massive than we are. So if I let go of an overhead pen, it will “fall” to the Earth because that gravity wins.

Nebular Hypothesis When the solar system was being

formed, the more massive planets/stars whisked away the least dense elements due to their gravity.

Thus, the less massive planets (Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars) are left with the more dense elements.

Density and Earth Formation If we went to a swimming pool filled

with water and took our 2L bottles of water and air, which one would sink? Which would float?

More dense materials sink. Less dense materials rise.

Density and Earth Formation When Earth was being formed, it was

being formed out of different substances.

Those substances sank or rose depending on whether they were more or less dense than the substance above or below it.

Thus, Earth has come to have different layers.

Respond Your penpal is a third grade student in

Texas. She wrote you to ask the following, “Why does Earth have layers?” Answer her question in a way that she can understand. Use complete sentences because she needs to learn that, too.