EESA06H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Geophysics, Deep Time, Scientific Method
12 Feb 2016
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Alfred wegener 1912 -> introduced the continental drift -> pangea: land mass of all the continents a long time ago. Canadian geophysicist, j. tuzo wilson (1970s)-> introduced plate tectonic. The rate of plate motion is relatively fast. Geology involves vastly greater amounts of time -> deep time. Mid-ocean ridge (mor): a giant mountain range that lies under the ocean. Earth is at least 4. 55 billion years old! Fossils show animals existed 545 million years ago. Fossils show humans have only been around for 3 million years. Traditional geologists were prospectors (roughed it out), and now these traditional geologists are known as exploration geologists->they look for gold, silver, diamonds, etc. Modern day geoscientists have the responsibility to find/protect water resources, mitigate effects of natural hazards, etc. Modern day geoscientists can specialize in lots of areas (most, but not all examples include): Engineering geologists: determine which infrastructure should be built.
