Earth Science Unit 1

The Scope of Earth Science Earth science can be broken into five major areas of specialization: - the study of objects beyond Earth’s atmosphere Astronomy - the study of the forces and processes that cause the atmosphere to change and produce weather Meteorology

Geology - the study of materials that make up Earth, the processes that form and change these materials, and the history of the planet and its life-forms

- the study of Earth’s oceans Oceanography - the study of Earth’s oceans Environmental Science - the study of the interactions of organisms and their surroundings

Scientists who study Earth have identified four main Earth systems: Earth’s Systems Scientists who study Earth have identified four main Earth systems: - the area from the surface of Earth down to its center Geosphere

Atmosphere Provides the air we breathe - the blanket of gases that surrounds our planet Provides the air we breathe Protects us from Sun’s heat and radiation Effects weather and climate Without it weathering and erosion would not occur and our surface would appear more like the moon which has not changed in nearly 3 billion years. -We would also DIE!

Hydrosphere - all the water on Earth, including the water in the atmosphere Hydrosphere is continually on the move, evaporating from the oceans to the atmosphere, precipitating to the land, and running back to the ocean again. Most prominent feature of the hydrosphere is the ocean. It accounts for 97% of Earth’s water. The other 3% is freshwater found underground and in streams, lakes, and glaciers.

Biosphere - all organisms on Earth as well as the environments where they live TED TALKS BIOSPHERE 2 http://youtu.be/a7B39MLVeIc

All of Earth’s systems are interdependent All of Earth’s systems are interdependent. Notice how water from the hydrosphere enters the atmosphere, falls to the biosphere, and soaks into the geosphere.

Why is Earth Science important to learn? Earth Science studies are critically important to modern society.  An understanding of the rocks and minerals that make up the solid Earth, and how these materials interact with the atmosphere, the world water supply, and living organisms provides the foundation for all natural and environmental sciences.  All of these factors are critical for understanding how the Earth has changed in the past and how it may change in the future.

Mapping Our World Maps are flat models of three-dimensional objects. Cartography – science of map making. Uses imaginary grid of parallel lines to locate exact points on Earth.

Equator – horizontally circles Earth halfway between the north and south poles. Latitude – lines on a map running parallel to the equator. Longitude – is the distance in degrees east or west of the prime meridian. Longitude lines are not parallel, they are large semicircles that extend vertically from pole to pole. Prime meridian – represents 0° longitude.

Time Zones Earth is divided into 24 time zones. Earth takes about 24 hours to rotate once on its axis. Each time zone is 15° wide. Some time zone boundaries have been. adjusted in local areas so cities and towns are not split into different time zones.

Map Types Mercator projection: a map that has parallel lines of latitude and longitude

Conic projection: made by projecting points and lines from a globe onto a cone. Shows distortion near the top and bottom of cone. Has the highest accuracy for smaller areas. Mostly used for weather and road maps.

Topographic Maps: show changes in elevation on Earth’s surface Topographic Maps: show changes in elevation on Earth’s surface. They also show mountains, rivers, forests and other features. Contour Line: line that represents elevation on a topographic map. Contour Interval: difference in elevation between two side-by-side contour lines. Depends on terrain.

• Contour Interval: Horizontal distance between two contours• Close together: Steep slope• Far apart: Gradual slope

• Valleys: Lines form a “V” pattern along valleys• “Vs” point upstream; indicating the direction of the stream flow.• Streams always flow downhill• Contours can and do cross streams

Geologic Maps: used to show distribution, arrangement, and type of rocks located below the soil. Often used with topographic maps.