GL102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Subduction, Antarctic Plate, Mid-Ocean Ridge
Document Summary
Physical geology - studies earth materials; seeks to understand processes that operate on and beneath its surface. Historical geology - seeks to understand the origin of earth and its development through time. Relationships between people and the natural environment include: natural hazards, resources, world population growth, environmental. Earths landscapes were formed by sudden disasters. The present is the key to the past . Processes we observe on our planet today have been shaping our planet throughout time. Hutton knew earth must be very old. Before the discovery of radioactivity, it was difficult to determine the age of the earth. Current age-dating techniques are constantly being refined. Relative dating - events are placed in proper sequence or order without knowing their age. Law of superposition - younger rock layers are deposited over older rock layers. Principle of fossil succession - fossil organisms succeed each other in a determinable order.
