GEOL 104 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: James Hutton, James Ussher, Uniformitarianism

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering
• Course: GEOL 104
• Professor: Daniel Layton- Matthews

Document Summary

Catastrophism: earth"s la(cid:374)ds(cid:272)apes (cid:449)ere shaped pri(cid:373)arily (cid:271)y catastrophes. (cid:1005)6(cid:1004)(cid:1004)"s ja(cid:373)es usher de(cid:272)ided earth (cid:449)as (cid:272)reated i(cid:374) 4(cid:1004)(cid:1004)4 bc. (cid:1005)8(cid:1004)(cid:1004)"s george cur(cid:448)ier looked at the earth a(cid:374)d deter(cid:373)i(cid:374)ed the surface was not the same as it was when it was formed: uniformitarianism: physical, chemical, and biological laws that operate today the operated throughout the geological past. Pri(cid:448)ately pu(cid:271)lished, (cid:862)prese(cid:374)t is the key to the past(cid:863) 1175 concerning the system of the earth, its duration and stability. A view of earth: earth is a small, self-contained planet, 4 spheres, hydrosphere- the water portion, atmosphere- the gaseous envelope, geosphere- the solid earth, biosphere- all plant and animal life. Earth is a dynamic planet with many interacting parts or spheres. System: a group of interacting parts that form a complex whole. Earth system science: aims to study earth as a system composed of numerous interacting parts.