Earths Place in the Space

History of the Earth

 Beginning of Earth
The earth along with the other planets are
thought to be born out of a cloud of gas
surrounding the early sun
 Reconstructing the Early Earth
The history of Earth is recreated using many
Scientific Methods
(Including the study rocks)
Age of the Earth is Estimated as 4.6 Billion
Years
World oldest rock outcrops are gneisses found
in west Greenland about 3.8 Billion Years
Sedimentary rocks found in South Africa(3.5 )
Absolute Ages: Early Attempts
Salt in Ocean
If we know rate salt is added, and how much salt
is in ocean, can find age of oceans.
Sediment Thickness
Add up thickest sediments for each period,
estimate rate.
Both methods gave age of about 100 million years
Problem: Rates Variable
 4.6 to 4.2 Billion Years ago
The earths interior compacted under gravity.
Heat from Radioactive elements caused it to
melt.
Heavier Elements(Fe, Ni etc) sank towards
center to form liquid core.
Buoyant lighter materials (Silicates) created
outer layer known as mantle (semi solid)
Hot gases (Co2 , N2 ,Steam etc) were ejected
out radiating heat of the interior to surface
 4.2 to 3.8 Billion Years ago
Earth cooled and molten rock hardened to
form primitive and brittle Crust
Magma emerged from Volcanic Eruptions
spread out in vast sheets.
Whenever this crust was punctured by
Meteorites also Magma Surged out and
spread out in vast sheets.
Upon solidification First true continental
crust formed (is floated on denser Mantle)
 3.8 to 2.5 Billion Years ago
The Gases (including Water Vapor) which
escaped in to atmosphere formed cooled and
formed clouds .
Massive thunderstorms occurred and rain
filled the early oceans.
First rivers and streams appeared and Erosion
process started.
First sedimentary rocks formed in ocean bed.
First living organisms formed
 By 2.5 Billion Years ago
The crust had strengthened and thickened in
to mobile plates
Continents began to collide amalgamate or
split as they slowly drifted across the surface
of globe
This process produced more land areas and
islands
 By 1.9 Billion Years ago
O2 replaced CO2 as second largest constiuent
in the atmosphere
Premature organisms used CO2 and expelled
O2 as waist product.
Ozone layer formed protecting earth from
UV rays allowed more sophisticated life
forms to evolve.
 Over the last 600 million years
Little changes have been occurred in the
inner structure of the earth which was formed
when gravity arranged materials of different
densities into separate layers.
 This dinosaur footprint is in shale near Tuba City, Arizona.
It tells you something about the relative age of the shale,
since it must have been soft mud when the dinosaur stepped
here.