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Overview of Earth Science Branches

The document is an assignment on Earth science submitted by Krizia Mae J. Santos. It defines Earth science as the study of the solid Earth, its waters, and air. It outlines the main branches of Earth science as geology, oceanography, climatology and meteorology, environmental science, and astronomy. It also provides two news articles on recent geological discoveries and lists 10 facts about the Earth, such as that it is not a perfect sphere, days are increasing in length over time, and the Moon is moving away from the Earth.

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zhhaa maee
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198 views4 pages

Overview of Earth Science Branches

The document is an assignment on Earth science submitted by Krizia Mae J. Santos. It defines Earth science as the study of the solid Earth, its waters, and air. It outlines the main branches of Earth science as geology, oceanography, climatology and meteorology, environmental science, and astronomy. It also provides two news articles on recent geological discoveries and lists 10 facts about the Earth, such as that it is not a perfect sphere, days are increasing in length over time, and the Moon is moving away from the Earth.

Uploaded by

zhhaa maee
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

KRIZIA MAE J.

SANTOS

10-EINSTEIN

ASSIGNMENT #1

1. Define Earth Science

Earth sciences, the fields of study concerned with the solid Earth, its waters, and
the air that envelops it. Included are the geologic, hydrologic, and atmospheric
sciences.

[Link]

2. Branches of Earth Science

Geology- study of the Earth’s solid material and structures and the processes that
create them.

Oceanography- study of everything in the ocean environment

Climatology and Meteorology- includes the study of weather patterns, clouds,


hurricanes, and tornadoes. Can help us better understand how and why climate
changes.

Environmental Science- study the effects people have on their environment, including
the landscape, atmosphere, water, and living things

Astronomy- study of everything in the universe beyond Earth's atmosphere.

[Link]
branches/

3. News Updates
NEWS #1

- Comet impacts formed continents when Solar System entered arms of Milky
Way

Date:
August 24, 2022
Source:
Curtin University
Summary:
New research has found evidence that Earth's early continents resulted from being
hit by comets as our Solar System passed into and out of the spiral arms of the
Milky Way Galaxy, turning traditional thinking about our planet's formation on its
head.

[Link]

NEWS #2

- Simple method destroys dangerous 'forever chemicals,' making water


safeUsing common reagents in heated water, chemists can 'behead' and break
down PFAS, leaving only harmless compounds

Date:
August 18, 2022
Source:
University of California - Los Angeles
Summary:
If you're despairing at recent reports that Earth's water sources have been
thoroughly infested with hazardous human-made chemicals called PFAS that can
last for thousands of years, making even rainwater unsafe to drink, there's a spot of
good news. Chemists have developed a simple way to break down almost a dozen
types of these nearly indestructible 'forever chemicals' at relatively low
temperatures with no harmful byproducts.

[Link]

4. Trivia and Facts

1. Earth is not actually a sphere


- Contrary to what most people may think, the Earth is not actually a perfect sphere.
It is actually a shape called an oblate spheroid.

2. The Earth is made mostly of just four elements

- If you could grind down, melt, and filter the entire mass of Earth, most of the stuff
you'd get would consist of just four different elements. These are, in order of
concentration, iron (32.1%), oxygen (30.1%), silicon (15.1%), and magnesium
(13.9%). The remaining 8.8% is everything else. 

3. A day isn't quite 24 hours 

- Also, contrary to what most of us have come to believe, a day on Earth isn't quite
24 hours. In fact, at present, the Earth rotates completely around its axis once
every 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds. 

4. And a year isn't 365 days, either

- Since we are on the subject of the passage of time on Earth, you might be
surprised to learn that a year isn't actually 365 days. In fact, the Earth completes
one full orbit of the Sun every 365.2564 days.

5. The vast majority of fresh water on Earth is frozen

- Despite 70% of the Earth's surface being covered with water, only about 2.5% is
freshwater. Of course, that is still a lot of water, but even all of that isn't freely
accessible to life on Earth. Of that 2.5%, something like 70% is locked up in ice,
with another 7% contained in soil moisture and the atmosphere. The rest, almost a
rounding error on the grander scale, is free for life to consume. 

6. The Earth's largest living thing

- Known as the honey mushroom (Armillaria  ostoyae), one single example of this


fungus covers 2,384 acres in Oregon's Blue Mountains.

7. The driest place on Earth sits adjacent to the biggest body of water.
- The Atacama Desert in Chile is known as the driest place in the world, but despite
it being dry-to-the-bone, the desert is actually right next to the biggest body of
water on Earth—the Pacific Ocean. Though it's hot in the Atacama Desert, its
temps average at about 63°F.

8. Days on Earth are increasing.

- Yup—they're getting longer. At its inception 4.54 billion years ago, a day on Earth
would have registered as six hours long. Nowadays, we all know that a day lasts
24 hours, but that's ever-changing. In fact, the days increase by 1.7 milliseconds
every century.

9. Earth used to be purple

- Some experts—like Shil DasSarma—believe that Earth may have been purple at
one point in time. Fueling that fire is the fact that ancient microbes may have
relied on a different molecule other than the green chlorophyll to grab the sun's
rays. Instead, that molecule—retinal—could have made things we know as green
today look more purple.

10. The Moon is moving away from the Earth

- This is imperceptible to us on Earth, but the Moon actually moves away from us at
around 1.48 inches (3.78 cm) per year. This means that a month was much shorter
in the past and will be longer in the future. The Moon will also break free of
Earth's gravitational influence in around 15 billion years.

[Link]
[Link]

Common questions

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Knowing that Earth is mainly composed of four elements—iron, oxygen, silicon, and magnesium—accounts for geophysical phenomena and resource distribution. This knowledge supports strategies for resource management as these elements form the basis of Earth's minerals and ores, guiding exploration and sustainable extraction methods .

Earth's oblate spheroid shape, being slightly flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator, affects global phenomena like gravity and climate patterns. This shape causes variations in gravitational force, which influences ocean currents and atmospheric circulation. These variations contribute to differential heating and cooling, leading to diverse climate zones and weather patterns around the planet .

The increasing duration of Earth's days, due to the gradual slowing down of its rotation by 1.7 milliseconds per century, results in longer days over time. This change can influence ecological patterns, affecting timing in ecosystems and impacting biological rhythms, which are crucial for long-term environmental and conservation planning .

With only 2.5% of Earth's water being freshwater, and most of it locked in ice or soil moisture, this scarcity necessitates careful conservation strategies and global policies. Governments and organizations must prioritize managing accessible freshwater resources to ensure sustainability, balance human use with ecological needs, and address impacts from climate change .

Chemists have developed a method to break down nearly indestructible 'forever chemicals' (PFAS) using common reagents in heated water, turning them into harmless compounds without producing harmful byproducts. This finding offers a potential solution to mitigating pollution from these persistent chemicals, significantly impacting the field of environmental protection .

Modern theories suggest that Earth's early continents may have been formed by comet impacts, rather than traditional geological processes alone. Recent evidence indicates that as the Solar System passed through the spiral arms of the Milky Way Galaxy, comet impacts helped shape the continents, challenging previous beliefs about Earth's formation .

The Moon is moving away from Earth at about 1.48 inches per year. This gradual distancing can affect Earth's tides and, over billions of years, could lead to longer days and a different climate. Eventually, in about 15 billion years, the Moon could escape Earth's gravitational influence, drastically altering natural systems like ocean tides and potentially even climate and biological rhythms .

The concept of a 'purple Earth' suggests that ancient life forms used retinal instead of chlorophyll for photosynthesis, potentially leading to a different ecosystem. Understanding such historical scenarios helps scientists explore how alternative biochemical pathways could support diverse life forms and influence planetary climates and habitats during early evolutionary stages .

Geology and meteorology intersect in understanding Earth's climate systems through interactions between land surfaces and atmospheric processes. Geophysical formations influence weather patterns, climate zones, and atmospheric circulation, while atmospheric conditions can affect erosion and geological formations, underscoring their interdependent role in global climate dynamics .

Research into using organisms like the honey mushroom for bioelectricity is significant for sustainable energy, offering alternatives to fossil fuels. Such biological resources, capable of covering vast areas while being self-regenerative, provide a decentralized and eco-friendly means to contribute to clean energy production, supporting efforts in sustainable development .

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