earth sits in the Goldilocks region

earth lies in the Suns habitable zone. Which allows for liquid water

the life system support for humanity is the Earth

environmental ignorance, leads to problems for humans

geology is the study of solid earth

physical geology is materials and processes

historical geology is earths past based on the records

environmental geology is applying geologic information to the interaction between people and their environment

earthquakes and landslides are hazards

depletion of metals, water, and gas. we dig it, we mine it, we pump it

pollution is still a problem, produced by humans

production of waste, food becomes waste, carbon dioxide is pollution

more carbon dioxide makes the earth warmer

our waste is a bi product of global warming

as the atmosphere gets warmer, it holds more water

more rain and droughts happen because of the hotter atmosphere

earthquake is a natural problem

unnatural problem is pollution

problems made worse by humans are floods and climate change

mitigating must know how the earth system works

scientific inquiry and method is the universe behaves in a consistent and predictable manner

the goal of the scientific inquiry and method is to discover underlying patterns

scientific inquiry patterns make predictions and use the results to improve explanation

steps of the scientific method are collect data, develop multiple hypotheses, test them, scientific theory, law

law of superposition is younger sedimentary rocks lie on top of older ones

superposition can tell you the age of each layer

a scientific theory is not a speculation

all scientific explanations must be testable and falsifiable

our solar system consists of Sun, planets, moons (60+), belt of asteroids, millions of comets

mercury, venus, earth, mars, Jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune, pluto is the order of the planets

our main problems on earth is that resources are not unlimited

Resources deplete due to population growth per capita consumption increase
Resource consumption increases as we grow in technology and grows as we industrialize

US makes up 4.6% of the global population?

the US consumes 30% of earths energy resources

1 American = 5 people on the planet

sustainability is the ability to maintain a system indefinitely

This is only possible if (and only if) growth and per capita consumption levels out is sustainability

David Brower said that rapid growth is cancer, humans are the cancer of the earth

Scientists knew that Easter island once had trees because pollen spores were found in the soil as well as bird bones

Easter Island had increased erosion because of deforestation for population growth

The 2015 Pluto flyby took 10 years to make happen

all planets align the same besides pluto

all planets have a smooth and predictable orbit

all planets orbit counterclockwise

inner planets are more dense than the outer planets

venus spins clockwise instead of counterclockwise like the other planets

The nebular hypothesis is that the solar system is condensed out of dust and gas cloud

tighter more condensed the gas means the high the velocity

nebular hypothesis cloud is made of mostly hydrogen, helium, and dust

nebular cloud hypothesis spins fast to form a disk

The Nebular Hypothesis Cloud created planets by the combination of particles

our solar system is in the milky way galaxy

the big bang theory explains the orgins of the universe

the universe is expanding outwards in all directions

all matter was once at a single point

the expansion of the universe began 13.7 billion years ago

our solar system is 4.6 billion years old

our universe is 13.7 billion years old

there is estimate 100 billion other galaxies

estimated 100 billion stars in our universe

earth needs an internal heat source to be habitable

geologic Time Scale says the law of superposition allowed all rocks to be put in proper order/sequence

actual dating/age comes from radiometric dating

it takes 11 days to count to 1 million

50 years of geologic time is 50 mm or 2 inches of sediment

1 million years of geologic time scale is 3200 feet of sediment

long periods of time allow slow processes to make great changes

Risk = probability times expected consequence

Human risk awareness partially depends on the type of process perception time

we are exposed to sun radiation everyday when we go outside

gases surrounding the earth is the atmosphere

all of the water on the surface is the biosphere

the biosphere is the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere

geosphere is concentric regions of matter that makes up Earth (atmosphere and hydrosphere)

population growth is the root cause of environmental problems

earths crust is broken up into separate plates

rigid plates move due to heat convection

heat convection causes layering

birds are here today and found during the mesozoic time period

earth has had 5 mass extinctions, we are currently on the 6th

massive volcanic eruptions are due to global climate change

massive volcanic eruptions bring carbon dioxide and dust into the atmosphere

Depletion of the ozone layer allows intense UV radiation into the atmosphere

we see very few impact craters because of erosion over time

coesite is only found in nuclear or impact craters

new data shows that large impacts still occur

astroids traveling at a great speed is an impact hazards

impact hazards create a large temperature spike and causes global cooling due to dust that blocks out the sun

impact hazards make the food chain collapse

elements were found at the asteroid impact that caused the extinction of dinosaurs were coesite and tsunami elements

risk mitigation= intercept and deflect

NASA DART experiment was the test to see our deflection of astroids and it was a sucess

the earths mantle is 1800 miles deep

earths crust is 5-20 miles deep

order is inner core, outer core, mantle (asthenosphere), and the crust

the crust and mantle makes up the plates and the lithosphere

the crust is made of rigid low density rocks

the crust is the outermost layer

the mantle is made of rigid rocks with medium density

the outer core is made of metallic liquid

the inner core is made of metallic solid with the highest density

two plates coming or crashing together makes moutains/volcanoes

The closer to the center of the Earth, the minerals are more plastic

rocks deform at the surface due to fracturing

the convergent boundary is compressed

the divergent boundary is tension

the asthenosphere is like a thin layer underneath the plates

granite makes up the continents

basalt is more dense than granite

basalt is created from divergent plate movements(oceanic crust)

granite is created from convergent boundaries (continental crust created)

the Himalayas are a recent example of subduction zone

Transform (shear) movements is when the plates slide past each other (grinding of plates)

Why are sea turtles having to swim further out into the Atlantic every year because the plates move farther apart

the movement of plate tectonics control everything

a mineral is composed of one or more elements

a mineral has a orderly internal structure, fixed chemical composition

All minerals have a unique combination of chemistry and structure

all minerals have different physical properties

hardest mineral is diamond, softest is graphite

when something is galvanized or coated in zinc it is rust proof

the physical property of quartz is transparent

quartz wont scratch

car wind shields are everyday use of quartz

a rock is composed of one or more minerals

igneous rocks form from the cooling of magma

Magma melting of older rocks into newer rocks is igneous rocks

igneous rocks make up 90% of earths crust

granite is iron poor

granite forms from the melting of basalt

basalt is iron rich

basalt forms from the melting of the mantle

sedimentary rocks form from the breaking down of older rocks

75 percent of sedimentary rocks are exposed at the surface

feldspar breaks down into clay and ions

Detrial sedimentary rocks are made from eroded and weathered rocks (broken fragments)

quartz gets crushed into sandstone

sandstone gets melted down into glass

clay gets crushed into shale

shale can be used to make bricks and ceramics

calcite gets crushed into limestone

calcite can be used to make concrete

you can find limestone in clear water

chemical rocks form from ions the precipitate over time

gypsum is a chemical rock

we use gypsum for drywall

death valley was once filled with saltwater

it took death valley 20,000 years to dry up

the water in death valley was 800 feet

shallow earthquakes are more deadly

metamorphic rocks transform older rocks by heat and pressure

metamorphic rocks don’t form shallow

roofing shingles and pool tables are made from slate

slate is better than plywood where it doesn’t warp(out of shape)

Foliation is the alignment of minerals in a metamorphic rock due to pressure

Slate and schist are created by foliation

Schist is made of muscovite and biotite

foliation and fractures are planes of permeability and weakness

permeability=fluids

weakness=landslides

The Rock Cycle transforms rocks from 1 type to another

the rock cycle is driven by plate tectonics

magma cools to create igneous rocks

igneous rock transforms to sedimentary rock by weathering/erosion

Heat and pressure of sedimentary rock makes metamorphic rock

Extreme heat of metamorphic rock creates magma

metamorphic rock can become sedimentary rock by erosion/weathering

Heat and Pressure of Igneous rock can become metamorphic rock

Fall Line goes through Macon, Columbus, Augusta

rapids and waterfalls occur on the fall line

In the Piedmont and Blue Ridge region, you find igneous and metamorphic rocks

You'll find more sedimentary rock on the coastal plane

Interior Lowlands have broadly folded sedimentary rock

Some areas in the Interior Lowlands is covered by glacial debris

glacial debris makes fertile farm soil. This explains all the corn in Michigan, etc.

the soil in GA is older

The Appalachian Plateau is flat with elevated sedimentary rocks

Valley and Ridge region is tightly folded sedimentary rocks

The Blue Ridge region has tall mountains and is made of deformed metamorphic and igneous rocks

Piedmont has the same rocks as the Blue Ridge but they are lower elevation

The Coastal Plain has newer material from the erosion of mountains

The Coastal Plain is made of sedimentary rocks gently inclined towards the coast

The collision of African and North American plates made the Appalachian mountains

300 MA, a thick sequence of sedimentary rocks accumulate off shore

250 MA, African & North American plates collide

The collision of African and North American plates made the Appalachian mountains

150 MA, African & North American plates pull apart. This forms a rift valley.

The Atlantic Ocean was made 150 million years ago.

Rift Valley's are formed when the crust pulls apart

Parts of what mountains are found in other countries but they are named differently? Appalachian mountains

Today, the uplifts continue and erosion slowly is making the mountains shorter

Today, new sedimentary rocks are being deposited offshore

The hypothesis of the past is made from the known facts of today

Difference between the piedmont and the Blue Ridge regions is BR is tall mountains, piedmont is more low hills

Granite is made up of feldspar, quartz, and biotite

feldspar breaks down into clay

two main minerals in soil are quartz and clay, and plus organic material

Sediment is mostly made of quartz, sand, and clay

clay is smaller than sand

A horizon colors are dark brown/black

B horizon colors are reds, oranges, and yellows

Water can carry particles both vertically and horizontally

Layers are resulted from vertical movement.

The yellows and reds coloration of the soil means it has iron oxides

saturated soils keep out oxygen

Saturated soils decay slower than faster

Porosity is the amount of void space

Porosity is the electrical attraction between the water and the clay

Clay has a negative charge that pulls onto the positive charge of the water.

Permeability is the ability to transmit water

Permeability decreases with the increase in clay content

Compressibility ability to compact, increases with clay content

ion exchange capacity is the ability to exchange and store nutrients and make soil fertile

Clay has a low permeability

Clay has a high compressibility, shrink/swell, ion exchange, and fertility.

Sand has a high permeability.

Sand has a low compressibility, shrink/swell, ion exchange, and fertility.

Soil loss is a critical issue for expanding population

Soil erosion is normally in balance with soil formation

Sediment pollution is the choking of the drainage system by excess sediment

Sediment pollution increases flooding

sediment pollution also destroys stream ecology and blocks navigational channels

Soil loss reduces agricultural production