ERSC 144 Lecture 1: What to study Earth Science Notes
Document Summary
12 kilometer deepest man able to driil into. Geosphere (solid earth, land/rock)-----very dynamic (geologic time scale) -construction & agriculture, mining, extract fuels( oil &gas) -1) supports life, 2) transport and redistribution solar energy (climate control), 3) dringking water supplies, 4) agriculture. Why amtosphere is important: life support, 2) climate systems most dynamic of the sub system. Systematic approach( method) by which we objectively( does not depend on scientist) discover truth: observations: Predictability of system behavior and hypotheses have to be testable. Physical causality physical processes are driven by physical causal. Calculations about sun & earth mass (sun more massive) Mathematical foundations developed by newton theory of gravity. Universe: size: distance of most distant object observable with current. Two ways to determine distance 1) cepheid variables pulsating. Periodicity of pulsation can be used to compute brightness at star"s surface= luminosity. ( amount of energy emitted by star) Brightness & luminosity yield distance to cephied variable.
