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How The Earth Works

How The Earth Works. The Solid Earth. Earth Science. Geology Solid Earth Much Larger than Other Parts Many More Kinds of Materials Preserves a History Meteorology – Climatology Oceanography Astronomy Planetary Geology. Earth Systems. External Effects (Astronomical)

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How The Earth Works

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  1. How The Earth Works

  2. The Solid Earth

  3. Earth Science • Geology • Solid Earth Much Larger than Other Parts • Many More Kinds of Materials • Preserves a History • Meteorology – Climatology • Oceanography • Astronomy • Planetary Geology

  4. Earth Systems • External Effects (Astronomical) • Atmospheric Circulation • Oceanic Circulation • Hydrologic Cycle • Rock Cycle • Plate Tectonics

  5. Earth Systems

  6. Earth Systems

  7. Earth Systems

  8. Earth Systems

  9. Earth Systems

  10. Earth Systems

  11. Earth Systems

  12. Earth Systems

  13. Convection

  14. Earth and the Universe • Rotation (Day-Night) • Lunar (Tides) • Annual (Seasons) • Precession and Orbit Variations (Ice Ages?) • Galactic? (250 m.y. period) • Unpredictable Events • Nearby Supernovae • Meteor Impacts • Long-Term Evolution of Sun

  15. Atmospheric Circulation

  16. 1905 Weather Map

  17. Rotation Effects

  18. Rotation Effects

  19. Rotation Effects

  20. Not a Manifestation of the Coriolis Effect! • Too small scale for the Coriolis Effect to be significant

  21. Early Map of Gulf Stream

  22. Surface Currents

  23. Thermohaline Circulation

  24. Hydrologic Cycle

  25. Water • Principal Agent in Modifying Earth’s Surface • Medium for Storing and Distributing Global Heat • The Universal Solvent • Essential for Life • Destructive to Rocks • Lowers Melting Point of Rocks • Reduces Strength of Rocks Under Pressure

  26. The Rock Cycle

  27. Plate Tectonics • Outer Crust of Earth Moves a Few cm/yr • Driven by Convection in Earth’s Interior • Accounts For: • Earthquakes • Volcanoes • Mountain-Building (Orogeny) • Configuration of Continents

  28. Plate Tectonics

  29. Some Unique Aspects of Geology Importance of Relationships • Sequential • Spatial Importance of Time Distinctive Problems of Evidence • Slow Rates • Rare Events • Destruction of Evidence • Inaccessibility

  30. Some Geologic Rates Cutting of Grand Canyon • 2 km/3 m.y. = 1 cm/15 yr Uplift of Alps • 5 km/10 m.y. = 1 cm/20 yr. Opening of Atlantic • 5000 km/180 m.y. = 2.8 cm/yr. Uplift of White Mtns. (N.H.) Granites • 8 km/150 m.y. = 1 cm/190 yr.

  31. Some Geologic Rates Movement of San Andreas Fault • 5 cm/yr = 7 m/140 yr. Growth of Mt. St. Helens • 3 km/30,000 yr = 10 cm/yr. Deposition of Niagara Dolomite • 100 m/ 1 m.y.? = 1 cm/100 yr.

  32. Some Unique Aspects of Geology (Continued) Reliance on Inference and Deduction Intrinsically "Unsolvable" Problems: Mostly where Physical Evidence is Gone • Ancient Landscapes • Mass Extinctions • Ancient Ocean Basins

  33. Scientific Principles in Geology • Parsimony (K.I.S.S.): No ad hoc explanations • Superposition: Young processes overprint older ones • Uniformitarianism: Continuity of Cause and Effect Using these, plus observation, we establish facts about Earth Processes

  34. Superposition:Mindoro Cut, Wisconsin

  35. Geologic Map

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