Introduction to Earth Science

ES Module 1

Astronomy

The study of the moon, stars, and other objects in space

Meterology

The study of the earth's atmosphere in relation to weather and climate

Geology

the study of the origin, history, and structure of Earth

Oceanography

Study of Earth's oceans

Environmental Science

The field of study that looks at interactions among human systems and those found in nature

Geosphere

The mostly solid, rocky part of the Earth; extends from the center of the core to the surface of the crust.

Atmosphere

A thin layer of gases surrounding Earth

Hydrosphere

All the water on earth

Cryosphere

the frozen water part of the Earth system

Biosphere

part of Earth in which life exists including land, water, and air or atmosphere

Cartography

The science of making maps

Equator

an imaginary line drawn around the earth equally distant from both poles, dividing the earth into northern and southern hemispheres and constituting the parallel of latitude 0°.

Latitude

Distance north or south of the equator

Longitude

Distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees

Prime Meridian

The meridian, designated at 0° longitude, which passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England.

International Date Line

the line of longitude that marks where each new day begins, centered on the 180th meridian

Mercator projection

a map projection of the earth onto a cylinder

Conic projection

a map created by projecting an image of Earth onto a cone placed over part of an Earth model

Gnomonic projection

made by projecting points and lines from a globe onto a piece of paper that touches the globe at a single point

Topographic map

A map that shows the surface features of an area.

Contour line

A line on a topographic map that connects points of equal elevation

Contour interval

the difference in elevation from one contour line to the next

Geologic map

A map showing the distribution of rock units and structures across a region.

Map legend

Explains the meaning of symbols used on a map.

Map scale

The relationship between the size of an object on a map and the size of the actual feature on Earth's surface.

Remote sensing

The acquisition of data about Earth's surface from a satellite orbiting the planet or other long-distance methods.

Landsat satellite

Information-gathering satellite that uses visible light and infrared radiation to map Earth's surface.

Sonar (Sound Navigation and Ranging)

a system that uses reflected sound waves to detect and locate objects underwater

Global Positioning System (GPS)

A system that determines the precise position of something on Earth through a series of satellites, tracking stations, and receivers.

Geographic Information System (GIS)

A computer system that stores, organizes, analyzes, and displays geographic data.