BSES 34 l KRISTINE JOY REYES 1

INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SCIENCE ➢ Volcanism - The eruption of

molten rock (magma/lava) onto
Lesson 1
the surface.
What is Earth Science?
➢ Earthquakes - The sudden
• Earth Science is the name for all the sciences release of energy due to shifting
that collectively seek to understand Earth and tectonic plates.
its neighbors in space, with practical
➢ Metamorphism - The alteration
applications in resource development,
of rocks due to intense heat and
environmental protection, and disaster risk
pressure.
management.
❖ External Processes – These are
• It integrates concepts from geology, driven by external forces like the
meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy to atmosphere, hydrosphere, and
help future educators. biosphere, influencing Earth's
surface. They include:

GEOLOGY ➢ Weathering – The breakdown

of rocks by physical, chemical,
• Geology = “study of Earth.” and biological means.
• It deals with solid Earth materials like rocks, ➢ Erosion and Deposition – The
minerals, mountains, and canyons. transport of sediments by wind,
water, ice, and gravity.
• Geologists study formation, composition,
interaction, erosion, and human usage of these ➢ Glaciation – The movement
materials. and effects of glaciers shaping
landscapes.
• For example, a mineralogist studies the
composition and structure of minerals such as ➢ Sedimentation - The
halite (rock salt), quartz, calcite, and accumulation of material in
magnetite. rivers, lakes, and oceans.
PHYSICAL GEOLOGY HISTORICAL GEOLOGY

• Studies Earth’s materials and • The study of the composition, relative

understanding the composition of the positions, etc., of rock strata to determine
Earth and the physical changes occurring their geological history. Historical geology
in it, based on the study of rocks, minerals, is dependent on concepts and order of
and sediments, their structures and events related to deep time, as defined by
formations, and their processes of origin a geologic time scale.
and alteration.
• Earth’s history based on evidence preserve
• Seeks to understand the processes that in rocks.
operate beneath and upon the surface.
GEOLOGIST
❖ Internal Processes: These originate
from within the Earth and are • Geologists are the ones who explored the
primarily driven by heat and pressure. rocks, mapped the mountains, explained
They include: the landscape, discovered the Ice Ages,
and laid bare the workings of the
➢ Plate tectonics - The movement continents and the deep Earth.
of Earth's lithospheric plates,
leading to earthquakes, volcanic
activity, and mountain formation.
 BSES 34 l KRISTINE JOY REYES 2

EARTH’S SUBSYSTEMS
OCEANOGRAPHY
Earth is divided into four main systems:
• Study of oceans: their composition,
1. Atmosphere (Air):
movement, life, and processes.
• Acts as Earth’s blanket.
• Earth is 70% covered by oceans.
• Greek word;
• Includes study of: ➢ atmos = gas ,
➢ sphaira = globe or ball
➢ Seawater composition and movement
• Composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen,
➢ Coastal processes 0.9% argon, and 0.1% trace gases.
• Protects from UV rays and regulates
➢ Seafloor topography
temperature.
➢ Marine life • Layers:
➢ Troposphere
➢ Stratosphere
METEOROLOGY ➢ Mesosphere
➢ Thermosphere
• Study of the atmosphere, weather, and climate. ➢ Exosphere
• Involves Earth's motion, solar energy, and 2. Geosphere (Land):
atmospheric reactions. • Comes from the Greek wordgeos meaning
ground.
• Solid part of Earth (crust, mantle, core).
ASTRONOMY • Made of rocks and minerals.
• An understanding of Earth requires that we • Earth’s surface is covered by Regolith, a
relate our planet to a larger universe. Because layer of loose rock particles. It includes soil,
Earth is related to all of the other objects in rocks, and minerals from the crust to the
space core. This layer shapes geologic landforms
• The science of Astronomy - the study of the like mountains and hills.
universe is very useful in probing the origins of
our own environment. 3. Hydrosphere (Water):

• All forms of water (liquid, ice, vapor).

• Includes the cryosphere (frozen water).
THE SCALE OF TIME IN EARTH SCIENCE
• Water on Earth is constantly and
• Some events (like lightning) occur in seconds. consistently moving because of
temperature and salinity. It also plays an
• Others (like Himalaya formation) take millions of important role in absorption and
years. redistribution of solar radiation.
• Geologists consider 50 million years as relatively • Earth is the only planet in the solar system
recent in Earth’s 4.6-billion-year history. that are known to contain water in all three
phases.
4. Biosphere (Life):
THE FORMATION OF EARTH • Came from the Greek word bios meaning
• Originated from the solar nebula (a rotating life.
cloud of gas and dust). • Includes all living organisms and their
habitats.
• This is known as the nebular hypothesis. • Extends from upper atmosphere to deep
ocean trenches.
• Interacts dynamically with other
subsystems.