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Earth as a Planet: Course Announcement

Don't forget to take the test and pick up graded homework. First project due in 9 days! Learn about Earth's geology and its characteristics compared to other planets.

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Earth as a Planet: Course Announcement

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  1. Announcements • Don’t forget to take the test! (today, tomorrow, Friday before class) • Don’t discuss the test with classmates until class on Friday. • Pick up graded homework. • First project due in 9 days!

  2. Earth as a Planet 4 October 2006

  3. Course Outline • Naked-eye astronomy • Crash course in physics • Our solar system • The stars • Structure and history of the universe

  4. Course Outline • Naked-eye astronomy • Crash course in physics • Our solar system • The stars • Structure and history of the universe You are here

  5. Today: • Some important characteristics of Earth to keep in mind as we compare it to other planets

  6. The planets, to scale

  7. Earth • My favorite planet • Largest known rock • Very geologically active • Atmosphere of nitrogen and oxygen • 3/4 covered with water • Nice, comfortable surface temperature • Only known home of life

  8. Earth: Geology

  9. Earth: Geology

  10. Earth: Geology

  11. Earth • Made of rock (why?) • Hot inside (why?) • Atmosphere of nitrogen and oxygen (why?) • 3/4 covered with water (why?) • Nice, comfortable surface temperature (why?)

  12. Some partial answers • Made of rock because heavy atoms (Si, O, C, Ca, Na, K, Fe, Mg) tend to form rocks, and light atoms (esp. H, He) are uncommon on earth (why?) • Hot inside because of radioactive decay of rare atoms (U, Th, K, Rb), plus some residual heat from earth’s formation; heat builds up and escapes slowly due to earth’s size • Atmosphere of nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2) because plant life has removed most carbon dioxide (CO2) and produced oxygen • 3/4 covered with water because of size and surface temperature • Nice, comfortable surface temperature because of our distance from the sun

  13. Earth: Life

  14. Earth’s Moon • 1/4 earth’s diameter • 1/80 earth’s mass • Covered with craters, ancient lava flows • Geologically inactive • No atmosphere • Essentially no water • Hot days, cold nights • Only other world humans have visited

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