Scribd
Upload
37 views

Understanding of The Earth

Geology is the science of the Earth, its composition, structure, and history. It includes the study of the Earth's crust, mantle, core, oceans, landforms, and minerals. The Earth is roughly spherical in shape, with an elliptical diameter that is 43 km longer at the equator than the poles. It rotates daily on its axis and yearly around the sun. The Earth has three main compositional layers - the crust, mantle, and core. Geology also studies the origins and evolution of the Earth and life over its 4.6 billion year history.

Uploaded by

هشام رعد ناجي
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
37 views

Understanding of The Earth

Geology is the science of the Earth, its composition, structure, and history. It includes the study of the Earth's crust, mantle, core, oceans, landforms, and minerals. The Earth is roughly spherical in shape, with an elliptical diameter that is 43 km longer at the equator than the poles. It rotates daily on its axis and yearly around the sun. The Earth has three main compositional layers - the crust, mantle, and core. Geology also studies the origins and evolution of the Earth and life over its 4.6 billion year history.

Uploaded by

هشام رعد ناجي
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 23

Geology: Geo=Earth

Logy= Science
Is the science of the earth, its composition and structure and its past plant
and animal.

Geology Astronomy
Chemistry
Physics
Biology

Geochemistry : is the study of the chemistry of rocks and of the waters and
atmosphere.
Geodesy: is concerned with measuring the form and size of the earth.

Geomorphology: is the study of land forms, their origin and development.

Geophysics: is the application of the principles of physics to the study of the earth.

Mineralogy: is the study of minerals.

Oceanography: is the study of the oceans and their basins.


Shape of the Earth

Elliptical shape:

Diameter of the earth in the pole = 12640 km

Diameter of the earth in the equator = 12683 km

Rotational velocity of the earth around them self in the equator = 1659 km/h

Rotational velocity of the earth around the sun = 106560 km/h


Compositional Layers

A. Crust
1. Continental crust
• Thicker than oceanic crust - up to 75
km
• Less dense - 2.7 g/cm3

2. Oceanic crust
◼ Thinner than continental crust - about
8 km
◼ More dense - 3.0 g/cm3
Compositional Layers

C. Core
– Central mass about 7000km in diameter
– Average density of 10.8 g/cm3
– 16% by volume, 32% of mass
– Indirect evidence of composition
• Metallic iron
Major Chemical Divisions of the Earth

• Crust
Uppermost surface of the Earth
Thinnest Layer
Largest variety of rock types
• Mantle
Below the crust
Composed of igneous and metamorphic rock silicates
• Core
Below the mantle
Composed dominantly of iron with some nickel and
other elements
Major Physical Divisions of the Earth

• Lithosphere
Crust and strong part of upper mantle
Makes up the tectonic "plates" of plate tectonics
• Asthenosphere
Weak part of upper mantle
Partially molten in some areas
Lithosphere moves over this part of the mantle
• Mesosphere
Lower mantle
Stronger than asthenosphere
• Outer Core
– ~2270 km thick
– Liquid, flows
– Flow creates magnetic field
– Composed of Fe with some Ni and other
elements.
• Inner Core
– ~1200 km thick
– Solid
– Same composition as outer core.
• Origin of the Universe
• Nebular hypothesis: Material begins to clump together as it moves from
the center of Big Bang. Nebular means cloud.
Geologic Time

• Earth is approximately 4.6 Billion Years Old.

• Oldest rock (mineral) on earth (Australia) 4.4 BYO.

• Relative ages based on fossil record.


• Absolute ages based on isotopic dating.
Geologic
Time
The face of Earth
• Earth’s surface
• Continents
• Oceans
• Continents
• Mountain belts
• Most prominent feature of
continents
• The stable interior
• Also called a craton –
composed of shields and stable
platforms
The face of Earth

• Ocean basins
• Continental margins
• Includes the continental shelf, continental slope, and
the continental rise
• Deep-ocean basins
• Abyssal plains
• Oceanic trenches
• Seamounts
The face of Earth

• Ocean basins
• Oceanic ridge system
• Most prominent topographic feature on
Earth
• Composed of igneous rock that has been
fractured and uplifted
The
End

You might also like