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