EASC 1000 TOPIC 1- course intro

This is made in preparation of the midterm foe this class which will cove topics 1-3

The subdivision of earth sciences that focus is rocks

The Lithosphere

The subdivision of earth sciences that focus is water (except for water Vapor)

The Hydrosphere

The subdivision of earth sciences that focus is the air and gasses surrounding the earth

The atmosphere

The subdivision of earth sciences that focus is all-living things on earth and how they intersect.

The biosphere

What is a system

A portion of the universe that can be separated from the rest of the universe for the purpose of observing changes that are happening within it.

Isolated system

A system where no energy or matter is exchanged

Closed system

Energy is exchanged but not matter.

Open system

Energy and matter are exchanged

What type of system is earth?

A closed system.

Feed back loop

Occurs when a system is constantly changing in response to a constantly changing variable.

Positive feed back loop

When the System responds to a variable by amplifying the initial change

Negative feedback loop

When a system responds to a variable by contracting against the initial change

One thousand years ago

1 ka ( kilo-annum)

1 million years ago

1 ma (mega-annum)

One billion years ago

1 Ga ( giga-annum)

Who is James Hutton?

The first person to use the rock record to understand the time scale of the earth.

Impact craters

When a fragment of a comets or meteorites strike earth. The collision of this fragment with the atmosphere produces shooting stars when the fragment doesn't completely burn up it will hit the earth creating a large crater

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What are instantaneous geological events

A event such as a earthquake in which the changes to the planet happen quickly with little warning