EARTH

SCIENCE: AN

INTRODUCTI
ON
What is Earth
Science?
the study of the Earth
and its neighbors in
space.
The Four Earth
Sciences
 Geology
 Meteorology
 Astronomy
 Oceanography
Geology: Science of the
Earth
 deals with the
composition of Earth
materials, Earth
structures, and Earth
processes
Meteorology: Science of
the Atmosphere
study of the
atmosphere and how
processes in the
atmosphere
determines Earth’s
weather and climate
Astronomy: Science of the
Universe
 study of the
universe and the
heavenly bodies
Oceanography: Science of
the Oceans
study of the Earth’s
oceans—their
composition,
movement, organisms
and processes
Importance of Studying Earth
Science
 an understanding of the rocks and
minerals that make up the solid Earth, and
how these materials interact with
atmosphere, the world water supply, and
living organisms provides the foundation
for all natural and environmental sciences.
Importance of Studying Earth
Science
 can lead to discovery of sources of
energy, mineral resources and fresh water.
Importance of Studying Earth
Science
 understanding the
dynamic structure of
the Earth’s crust
and interior helps
us to predict and
avoid natural
hazards.
Importance of Studying Earth
Science
 studying the rock record gives us insight
into past environmental changes, from
which we may able to make predictions
about how the Earth could change in the
future.
THE SOLAR
SYSTEM
What Is The Solar
System?
 The Solar System is made up of all the
planets that orbit our Sun. In addition to
planets, the Solar System also consists of
moons, comets, asteroids, minor planets,
dust and gas.
The Solar
System
 Everything in the Solar
revolves around the Sun.
System orbits or
The Sun contains around 98% of all the
material in the Solar System. The larger an
object is, the more gravity it has. Because the
Sun is so large, its powerful gravity attracts all
the other objects in the Solar System towards
it.
 Satellite
any such object in space
that moves in a definite
orbit around a larger body.
Earth is a satellite of the
sun, revolving at a speed of
about 66, 600 miles per
hour.
If collisions
occur?
 Yes, the earth collides
with thousands of small
members of the solar
system everyday.
How did the
Solar
System
form?
Formation of the Solar System Theories
 Planetisimal theory
 Nebular theory
 Planetisimal Theory
According to the planetesimal theory
developed T. C. Chamberlin and F. R.
Moulton
by in the early part of the 20th cent., a
star passed close to the sun. Huge tides were
raised on the surface; some of this erupted
matter was torn free and, by a cross-pull from
the star, was thrust into elliptical orbits around
the sun. The smaller masses quickly cooled to
become solid bodies, called planetesimals. As
their orbits crossed, the larger bodies grew by
absorbing the planetesimals, thus becoming
planets.
 Nebular Theory
developed by Immanuel Kant and given scientific form by P. S.
Laplace at the end of the 18th cent., assumed that the solar system
in its first state was a nebula, a hot, slowly rotating mass of rarefied
matter, which gradually cooled and contracted, the rotation
becoming more rapid, in turn giving the nebula a flattened, disklike
shape. In time, rings of gaseous matter became separated from the
outer part of the disk, until the diminished nebula at the center was
surrounded by a series of rings. Out of the material of each ring a
great ball was formed, which by shrinking eventually became a
planet. The mass at the center of the system condensed to form the
sun.
THE SUN
 The Sun
 The Sun is actually a large star.
Because the Sun is closer to us than any other star, it appears as a
ball of orange, yellow, or white light in the sky.
Like most stars, the Sun is a large mass of hydrogen and helium
gases that constantly “burn” and re-generate, giving off heat energy
and light.
 Layers of the Sun
The inner layers are the Core,
Radiative Zone and Convection
Zone.
The outer layers are the
Photosphere, the Chromosphere,
and the Corona
Layers of the Sun
Core- source of all the
Sun's energy
- has a very high
temperature, more than 15
million degrees Kelvin, and
the material in the core is
very tightly packed or
dense.
 Layers of the
Sun
 Radiation
surrounding
zone- the
region the core of the Sun.
- Throughoutthis region of
the solar interior, energy, in
the form of
radiation, is transferred by
with the surrounding
interactio its
n atoms.
- The temperature is a little
cooler than the core and as a result
some atoms are able to remain intact.
 Layers of the
Sun
 Convection
continues
zone- to
Energy
towar the
move surface d convection
currents
through of the heated and cooled
gas.
 Layers of the
Sun
 Photosphere- the deepest layer
of the Sun that we can observe
directly.
- It reaches from the
surface visible at the center of the
solar disk to about 250 miles (400
km) above that.
 Layers of the
Sun
Chromosphere- an irregular layer
above the photosphere where the
temperature rises from 6000°C to
about 20,000°C. At these higher
temperatures hydrogen emits light
that gives off a reddish color.
 Layers of the
Sun
 Corona- outermost layer of the
Sun, starting at about 1300 miles
(2100 km) above the solar surface
(the photosphere).
- The corona cannot be seen
with the naked eye except during a
total solar eclipse, or with the use
of a coronagraph.
Solar Activities
 Sunspots
 Prominences
 Solar flares
Sunspots
dark, irregular patches of the
photosphere
gigantic areas of the solar
surface, 800 to 80,000 kms across
and less brilliant than the
surrounding regions.
 Prominences
 a large, bright, gaseous feature
extending outward from the
Sun's surface, often in loop
a shape
 billowing arches of gas
represent the completion
of the loop of flowing gas
Solar
Flares
 sudden
fountains
eruptions which
spray of very hot gases into space.
after 15 to 30 minutes, the explosive
phase begins and for 15 minutes or
more, the flare gives off x-rays, uv rays,
visible light and radio waves
occurs when magnetic energy that has
built up in the solar atmosphere is
suddenly released.
 solar flares have brought destruction
with electrical equipment
electrical
causing power failure
THE PLANETS
 Inner
ThePlanets
four planets closest to the
Sun are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and
Mars. All four of these planets are
made up of a rocky material and
therefore are called the terrestrial
planets. These planets are also
known as the inner planets.
 Mercur
 yplanet from the Sun
first
 a big metal ball of iron
 contain almost no air
 just a little bit larger than Earth's moon
 smallest planet in our solar system
fastest moving planet in our
Solar System
during the daytime the temperature is
hotter than an oven; during the night, the
temperature is colder than a freezer
 Venu
 s planet from the Sun
second
Earth's closest neighbor and the second
brightest object in our night sky
has more volcanoes than any of
the other planets in our Solar System
hottest planet in the Solar System
atmosphere is made up from mainly carbon
dioxide. This gas acts like the glass of
a greenhouse and keeps the
surface of the planet hot enough to melt
lead.
 Eart
h planet from the sun
 third
 has one moon
 fifth largest planet in our Solar System
Earth’s atmosphere is mainly made up
of nitrogen, oxygen, and water vapor.
There is a small amount of ozone in our
atmosphere and this is what filters some of
the damaging radiation from the Sun.
The only planet in the solar system with
an atmosphere that can sustain life
 Mar
s the "Red Planet“
 called
 fourth planet from the sun
very dry and barren, but there is evidence
that Mars was once covered with volcanoes,
glaciers and flood waters.
too cold for liquid water to exist for any
length of time, but features on the surface
suggest that water once flowed on Mars.
Today, water exists in the form of ice in the
soil, and in sheets of ice in the polar ice caps.
 Outer
The Planets
remaining 5 planets in our solar
system are known as the outer planets:
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and
Pluto. The first 4 of these planets are also
known as the Gas Giants. Their
atmosphere consists mainly of hydrogen
and helium. These planets have soupy
surfaces and gets denser as you sink to
the middle. Not possible to land on. The
outermost planet, Pluto, is unique among
the outer planets.
 Jupite
 ther largest planet of all of the planets.
Its diameter is 11 times larger than Earth’s
diameter
Its mass is greater than the masses of all
the other planets combined.
 a very stormy planet.
 Satur
n largest planet in our Solar
second
System and it is a gas giant like Jupiter
 lightest planet
 has beautiful rings made of ice and rocks.
 its atmosphere is cloudy and windy.
 Uranu
veryscold, windy and, like most of the other
planets, poisonous to humans.
 coldest planet
Like Jupiter and Saturn, Uranus is a gas
giant.
Scientists also believe that on the surface
of Uranus there may be a huge ocean. And
some scientists think that this ocean may be
very hot, maybe even as hot as 2760 degree
Celsius.
 Neptune
a very windy place. No other planet in the
Solar System has winds that are as strong as
Neptune's
 the windiest planet
has no definite surface layer. Instead, the
gas transits into a slushy ice and water layer.
most distant planet from the sun, Neptune
is the third most massive. Despite its great
size, it was the last planet to be discovered,
because it lies so far away.
 Plut
o planet.
 a dwarf
 It is rocky and has one big moon.
After 76 years of classification as a planet,
Pluto was demoted in 2006 to a dwarf planet,
in part because of its size but also because of
its minor gravitational effects on the bodies
around it. It remains one of the most well-
known non-planetary bodies in the solar
system.