Earth Sciences 1022A/B Lecture 1: Earth Science Lecture January 7 2016

• School: Western University
• Department: Earth Sciences
• Course: Earth Sciences 1022A/B
• Professor: Stephen R Hicock

Document Summary

Derived from greek: means the study of earth. Why: it is important for energy and natural resources, solving environmental problems, building cities and highways, predicting and protecting against natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods. Uniformitarianism: fundamental principle that the present is the key to the past. How long: geologic time is measured in billions of years. Thought to be four and a half billion years old. The canadian shield used to be comprised of a mountain chain as large as the rockies. It would have taken that much time to wear it down to the point that it is at now. Where and how: after the big bang (about 14 billion years ago) earth may have formed by the nebular theory. About 5 billion years ago a solar nebula of hydrogen and helium gravitationally contracted into a rotating disc with our sun at the centre, and the planets and moons revolving around it.