The Big Blue Marble Taking a Closer Look

Standards in Middle Grades Concept 1: Structure of the Earth Describe the composition and interactions between the structure of the Earth and its atmosphere. Concept 2: Earth’s Processes and Systems Understand the processes acting on the Earth and their interaction with the Earth systems. Concept 3: Earth in the Solar System Understand the relationships of the Earth and other objects in the solar system.

Standards for High School Concept 1: Geochemical Cycles Analyze the interactions between the Earth’s structures, atmosphere, and geochemical cycles. Concept 2: Energy in the Earth System (Both Internal and External) Understand the relationships between the Earth’s land masses, oceans, and atmosphere. Concept 3: Origin and Evolution of the Earth System Analyze the factors used to explain the history and evolution of the Earth.

Vital Statistics Earth is OLD (4.5 billion years old) The Earth is continually changing

Alfred Wegner 1912 proposed the Theory of Continental Drift (via Centripetal force). Evidence: fossils, rock age, continental boundaries. Prevalent Theories at the time: Land Bridges, “Contraction Theory”

Mini investigation So what did “Pangaea look like?” Using the continent maps with fossil indicators, how might Wegner’s Pangaea have looked?

Pangaea

Plate Motion

Plate discovery Volcanoes

Plate discovery Earthquakes

Delayed support 1929 Arthur Holmes discovers mantle convection mantle convention accepted as the mechanism driving plate tectonics.

Earthquake Investigation

Earth’s Interior Epicenter P waves felt … (travel through both solid/liquid) S waves felt … (travel through liquid only) AA, B, C, D, E, FA, B, D, E BA, B, C, D, E, FA, B, C, E CA, B, C, D, E, FB, C, F DA, B, C, D, E, FA, D, E, F EA, B, C, D, E, FA, B, D, E FA, B, C, D, E, FC, D, F

Earth’s Interior Crust (solid) Mantle (“plastic”) Outer Core (liquid) Inner Core (solid)

Its actually a bit more complicated….

4 ideas behind Plate Tectonics The Earth's surface is covered by a series of crustal plates. The ocean floors are continually moving, spreading from the center, sinking at the edges, and being regenerated. Convection currents beneath the plates move the crustal plates in different directions. The source of heat driving the convection currents is radioactivity deep in the Earths mantle.

Boundary Interactions ConvergentDivergent Transform

Plate Boundaries

Landforms All of earth’s landforms are a function of the interaction between the crust, the mantle, and the atmosphere. –Continent vs. Continent –Continent vs. Ocean –Ocean vs. Ocean

3 “Types” Rocks It is the process that determines the “type” of rock, so rocks can be linked to areas and give us information about past geologic activity. –Igneous –Metamorphic –Sedimentary