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HISTORY OF THE PLANET EARTH gly.fsu/~parker/Academy/ Instructor: Bill Parker

Jan 31. Science - Earth's Origin and Moving Plates. Feb 7. Origin of Life - Evolution and Fossils. Feb 14. Major Inventions I: Bodies, Shells, Backbones, Lungs & Legs. Feb 21. Major Inventions II: Wings, Terrible Lizards & Hairy Shrews. Feb 28. Fire and Ice: Death and Destruction. Mar 14.

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HISTORY OF THE PLANET EARTH gly.fsu/~parker/Academy/ Instructor: Bill Parker

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  1. Jan 31 Science - Earth's Origin and Moving Plates Feb 7 Origin of Life - Evolution and Fossils Feb 14 Major Inventions I: Bodies, Shells, Backbones, Lungs & Legs Feb 21 Major Inventions II: Wings, Terrible Lizards & Hairy Shrews Feb 28 Fire and Ice: Death and Destruction Mar 14 Florida and Future History HISTORY OF THE PLANET EARTH http://gly.fsu.edu/~parker/Academy/ Instructor: Bill Parker • Department of Geological Sciences • Office: 207 Carraway Bldg • Phone: 644-1568 • email: wparker@mailer.fsu.edu

  2. History of the planet EARTH

  3. What can SCIENCE tell us? 2. Make observations about world around us 1. Start with a question - “how? ” Not “ why? ” 3. Develop hypothesis which answers question Infinite possible observations “How” in a mechanical sense 4. Test hypothesis repeatedly “Cloven hoofprint of theory” Hypothesis is attempt to relate observations to the question in a cause-&-effect sense Hypothesis must be falsifiable 5. Propose theory based on hypothesis This is where the work is To save time/effort, may work with multiple hypotheses “If I hadn’t believed it, I couldn’t have seen it!” Choice of question is subjective. 6. Test theory repeatedly Theory implies integration Publish and encourage colleagues to test Theories are much more than opinions 7. If theory passes exhaustive tests, declare a law If it fails, patch it up We still test theories Very few Laws – Geology has none

  4. Ground Rules • Occham’s Razor - parsimony - K.I.S.S "Pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate". • Uniformitarianism – James Hutton “The Present is the key to the Past” We can use modern observations to infer past events – all sciences assume this Now realize rates can vary, but natural laws remain the same. Alternative view called “Catastrophism” Hutton had gradualistic view

  5. Ways of Knowing Different methods answer different kinds of questions. • Scientific • Faith Based • Aesthetic (Artistic) Most apparent conflicts are because we did not fully understand the question. • Political

  6. The Big Bang In the Beginning… 12 –18 Billion Years Ago

  7. The Universe ~ 2 Billion Years Ago

  8. The Milky Way Galaxy you are here

  9. Supernova An exploding star producing abundant heavy elements Crab Nebula from supernova in 1054 Nebula A cloud of dust and gas Eskimo Nebula

  10. Planet Planet Orbit Inclination of Orbit Planet Rotation Moon Orbit Moon Rotation Planet Density Mercury CCW 7 CCW No moons No moons 5.4 Venus CCW 3.4 CW No moons No moons 5.2 Earth CCW 0 CCW CCW CCW 5.5 Mars CCW 1.9 CCW CCW na 3.9 Jupiter CCW 1.3 CCW CCW CCW 1.3 Saturn CCW 2.5 CCW CCW na 0.7 Uranus CCW 0.77 CCW CCW na 1.3 Neptune CCW 1.8 CCW CCW na 1.6 Pluto CCW 17 CCW CCW na 2.1 Origin of the Solar System Question: How did earth (and other planets) come to be? Data: What can we observe?

  11. Form hypothesis: Nebular Hypothesis Immanuel Kant - 1755

  12. Test the hypothesis: dynamics of rotating fluids and Fibonacci numbers other planetary nebulae Beta Pictoris

  13. Problems 1. Pluto 2. Asteroids 3. Earth’s Moon

  14. Planetary Differentiation Hypothesis 1: Cold homogenous accretion Requires earth to melt to differentiate Hypothesis 2: Hot inhomogenous accretion

  15. Continental crust – Granite 2.6 g/cm3 Oceanic crust – Basal 3.0 g/cm3 Isostasy Mantle – Peridotite 3.3 g/cm3

  16. Plate Tectonics

  17. Plate Boundaries

  18. Geologic Time

  19. 1st Atmosphere: H2O, H2S, HCl, CO, CO2, NO2 from volcanoes 1st Oceans: acidic, brackish, anoxic

  20. How Do We Know? No free Oxygen? No red beds Detrital pyrite & uraninite Few continents? No continental sediments Deep water sediments (cherts, muds, graywackes) High heat flow? Ultamafic lavas - Komatiites

  21. Pre-Cambrian Rocks

  22. Greenstone Belts Formation: Meteorite impacts?

  23. Evidence of Life Cyano-bacteria Stromatolites

  24. Homework What is life? What are the requirements for something to be considered alive?

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