Professional Documents
Culture Documents
© Ncert Not To Be Republished: HE Arth
© Ncert Not To Be Republished: HE Arth
he
is
UNIT
bl
pu II
be T
THE EARTH
re
o R
d
he
D
o you remember the nursery rhyme argument. At a later date, the arguments
“…Twinkle, twinkle little star…”? considered of a companion to the sun to have
been coexisting. These arguments are called
is
Starry nights have always attracted us since binary theories. In 1950, Otto Schmidt in
the childhood. You may also have thought of Russia and Carl Weizascar in Germany
somewhat revised the ‘nebular hypothesis’,
bl
these stars and had numerous questions in
your mind. Questions such as how many stars though differing in details. They considered that
are there in the sky? How did they come into the sun was surrounded by solar nebula
containing mostly the hydrogen and helium
pu
existence? Can one reach the end of the sky?
May be many more such questions are still
there in your mind. In this chapter, you will
along with what may be termed as dust. The
friction and collision of particles led to formation
of a disk-shaped cloud and the planets were
be T
by different philosophers and scientists The most popular argument regarding the origin
regarding the origin of the earth. One of the of the universe is the Big Bang Theory. It is also
earlier and popular arguments was by German called expanding universe hypothesis. Edwin
no N
philosopher Immanuel Kant. Mathematician Hubble, in 1920, provided evidence that the
Laplace revised it in 1796. It is known as universe is expanding. As time passes, galaxies
Nebular Hypothesis. The hypothesis considered move further and further apart. You can
that the planets were formed out of a cloud of experiment and find what does the expanding
©
material associated with a youthful sun, which universe mean. Take a balloon and mark some
was slowly rotating. Later in 1900, Chamberlain points on it to represent the galaxies. Now, if
and Moulton considered that a wandering star you start inflating the balloon, the points marked
approached the sun. As a result, a cigar-shaped on the balloon will appear to be moving away
extension of material was separated from the from each other as the balloon expands.
solar surface. As the passing star moved away, Similarly, the distance between the galaxies is
the material separated from the solar surface also found to be increasing and thereby, the
continued to revolve around the sun and it universe is considered to be expanding.
slowly condensed into planets. Sir James Jeans However, you will find that besides the increase
and later Sir Harold Jeffrey supported this in the distances between the points on the
THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH 15
balloon, the points themselves are expanding. The expansion of universe means increase
This is not in accordance with the fact. Scientists in space between the galaxies. An alternative
believe that though the space between the to this was Hoyle’s concept of steady state. It
galaxies is increasing, observations do not considered the universe to be roughly the same
support the expansion of galaxies. So, the at any point of time. However, with greater
balloon example is only partially correct. evidence becoming available about the
expanding universe, scientific community at
present favours argument of expanding
universe.
d
The Star Formation
he
The distribution of matter and energy was not
even in the early universe. These initial density
differences gave rise to differences in
gravitational forces and it caused the matter
is
to get drawn together. These formed the bases
for development of galaxies. A galaxy contains
a large number of stars. Galaxies spread over
bl
vast distances that are measured in thousands
of light-years. The diameters of individual
pu galaxies range from 80,000-150,000 light
years. A galaxy starts to form by accumulation
Figure 2.1 : The Big Bang of hydrogen gas in the form of a very large
The Big Bang Theory considers the cloud called nebula. Eventually, growing
be T
following stages in the development of the nebula develops localised clumps of gas. These
clumps continue to grow into even denser
re
universe.
gaseous bodies, giving rise to formation of
o R
violently. This led to a huge expansion. the distances the light will travel in one
It is now generally accepted that the year is taken to be one light year. This
equals to 9.461 10 12 km. The mean
no N
(ii) In the next stage, the gas cloud starts in the same period sometime about 4.6 billion
getting condensed and the matter years ago. Till recently (August 2006), Pluto was
around the core develops into small- also considered a planet. However, in a meeting
rounded objects. These small-rounded of the International Astronomical Union, a
objects by the process of cohesion develop decision was taken that Pluto like other celestial
into what is called planetesimals. objects (2003 UB313)discovered in recent past
Larger bodies start forming by collision, may be called ‘dwarf planet’. Some data regarding
and gravitational attraction causes the our solar system are given in the box below.
material to stick together. Planetesimals
d
are a large number of smaller bodies. Why are the inner planets rocky while
(iii) In the final stage, these large number of others are mostly in gaseous form?
he
small planetesimals accrete to form a
fewer large bodies in the form of planets. The difference between terrestrial and jovian
planets can be attributed to the following
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM conditions:
(i) The terrestrial planets were formed in the
is
Our Solar system consists of eight planets. The close vicinity of the parent star where it
nebula from which our Solar system is supposed was too warm for gases to condense to
to have been formed, started its collapse and core solid particles. Jovian planets were
bl
formation some time 5-5.6 billion years ago and formed at quite a distant location.
the planets were formed about 4.6 billion years (ii) The solar wind was most intense nearer
ago. Our solar system consists of the sun (the
pu the sun; so, it blew off lots of gas and dust
star), 8 planets, 63 moons, millions of smaller from the terrestrial planets. The solar winds
bodies like asteroids and comets and huge were not all that intense to cause similar
quantity of dust-grains and gases. removal of gases from the Jovian planets.
be T
Giant planets. Jovian means jupiter-like. Most been attempts to explain how the moon was
of them are much larger than the terrestrial formed. In 1838, Sir George Darwin suggested
planets and have thick atmosphere, mostly of that initially, the earth and the moon formed a
no N
helium and hydrogen. All the planets were formed single rapidly rotating body. The whole mass
* Distance from the sun in astronomical unit i.e. average mean distance of the earth is 149,598,000
km = 1 @ Density in gm/cm3
# Radius: Equatorial radius 6378.137 km = 1
THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH 17
d
impact’ or what is described as “the big splat”. the earth was further heated up. It is through
A body of the size of one to three times that of the process of differentiation that the earth
he
mars collided into the earth sometime shortly forming material got separated into different
after the earth was formed. It blasted a large layers. Starting from the surface to the central
part of the earth into space. This portion of parts, we have layers like the crust, mantle,
blasted material then continued to orbit the outer core and inner core. From the crust to the
earth and eventually formed into the present core, the density of the material increases. We
is
moon about 4.44 billion years ago. shall discuss in detail the properties of each of
this layer in the next chapter.
EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH
bl
Do you know that the planet earth initially was Evolution of Atmosphere and Hydrosphere
a barren, rocky and hot object with a thin The present composition of earth’s atmosphere
atmosphere of hydrogen and helium. This is
pu
far from the present day picture of the earth.
Hence, there must have been some events–
is chiefly contributed by nitrogen and oxygen.
You will be dealing with the composition and
structure of the earth’s atmosphere in Chapter 8.
be T
processes, which may have caused this change There are three stages in the evolution of
from rocky, barren and hot earth to a beautiful the present atmosphere. The first stage is
re
planet with ample amount of water and
o R
d
to the Oligocene 24 - 37 million Anthropoid Ape
present Eocene 37 - 58 Million Rabbits and Hare
times)
he
Palaeocene 57 - 65 Million Small Mammals :
Rats – Mice
Mesozoic Cretaceous 65 - 144 Million Extinction of Dinosaurs
65 - 245
Jurassic 144 - 208 Million Age of Dinosaurs
Million
Triassic 208 - 245 Million Frogs and turtles
is
Mammals
Permian 245 - 286 Million Reptile dominate-replace
amphibians
bl
Carboniferous 286 - 360 Million First Reptiles:
Palaeozoic Vertebrates: Coal beds
245 - 570 Devonian 360 - 408 Million Amphibians
pu Million Silurian 408 - 438 Million First trace of life on land:
Plants
Ordovician 438 - 505 Million First Fish
Cambrian 505 - 570 Million No terrestrial Life :
be T
Marine Invertebrate
re
Proterozoic 570 - 2,500 Million Soft-bodied arthropods
o R
to the atmosphere. As the earth cooled, the that the oceans are as old as 4,000 million
©
water vapour released started getting years. Sometime around 3,800 million years
condensed. The carbon dioxide in the ago, life began to evolve. However, around
2,500-3,000 million years before the present,
atmosphere got dissolved in rainwater and the
the process of photosynthesis got evolved. Life
temperature further decreased causing more
was confined to the oceans for a long time.
condensation and more rains. The rainwater Oceans began to have the contribution of
falling onto the surface got collected in the oxygen through the process of photosynthesis.
depressions to give rise to oceans. The earth’s Eventually, oceans were saturated with oxygen,
oceans were formed within 500 million years and 2,000 million years ago, oxygen began to
from the formation of the earth. This tells us flood the atmosphere.
THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH 19
d
complex organic molecules and assembled evolution of life from unicellular bacteria to the
them. This assemblage was such that they modern man is given in the Geological Time
he
could duplicate themselves converting Scale on page 18.
EXERCISES
is
1. Multiple choice questions.
(i) Which one of the following figures represents the age of the earth?
bl
(a) 4.6 million years (c) 4.6 billion years
(b) 13.7 billion years (d) 13.7 trillion years
pu (ii) Which one of the following has the longest duration?
(a) Eons (c) Era
be T
d
Project Work
he
Collect information about the project “Stardust” (website: www.sci.edu/public.html
and www.nasm.edu) along the following lines.
(i) Which is the agency that has launched this project?
(ii) Why are scientists interested in collecting Stardust?
is
(iii) Where from the Stardust is being collected?
bl
pu
be T
re
o R
tt E
C
no N
©