PLAN FOR TONIGHT

• Reminder - Test #1 – Today

• Class will resume at 7:45
• Record the session
• Week 6 Class notes
• No review
• No quiz
• Astronews
• Earth

Acadia University is located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq nation.
 1% bonus if you participate

LEISURE, PLAY & MENTAL HEALTH: HOW TO INCORPORATE MEANINGFUL RECREATION INTO YOUR
LIFE

February 27th 5:30 – 7:30pm – Fountain Commons

This session will be led by Robin (she/her)

who is a graduate counselling student
currently completing her practicum with the
Acadia Counselling Centre. Prior to studying
at Acadia, Robin worked as a recreation
therapist, supporting individuals facing
complex mental health challenges in
establishing healthy coping strategies,
participating in healthy leisure options, and
implementing realistic lifestyle changes
Scan Me! through evidence-based programs.

https://forms.office.com/r/ Following the conversation, you will be able

05Pdx6e5cG to engage in some “recreation stations”, where
different options will be set up for you to
participate in different “flow state” activities.

2
DANI IS BETTER!
NOW MARLO HAS IT

No sleep for us
EARTH IS NOT A QUIET PLACE

Active Geology. This image, taken from the International Space Station in 2006, shows a plume of ash
coming from the Cleveland Volcano in the Aleutian Islands. Although the plume was only visible for around
two hours, such events are a testament to the dynamic nature of Earth’s crust. (credit: modification of
work by NASA)
Much of what we know about the other planets is based on what and how we know about earth
OUR SPACESHIP

Blue Marble. This image of Earth from space, taken by the Apollo 17 astronauts, is
known as the “Blue Marble.” This is one of the rare images of a full Earth taken during
the Apollo program; most images show only part of Earth’s disk in sunlight. (credit:
modification of work by NASA)
“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's
home. That's us. On it everyone you love, 7
everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of,
every human being who ever was, lived out their
lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering,
thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and
economic doctrines, every hunter and forager,
every hero and coward, every creator and
destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant,
every young couple in love, every mother and
father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer,
every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician,
every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every
saint and sinner in the history of our species
lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a
sunbeam.”

Carl Sagan Image credit:

Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in
Space NASA/JPL-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO5Fw Caltech
sblpT8
INTERIOR STRUCTURE

Interior Structure of Earth. The crust, mantle, and inner and outer cores (solid and liquid, respectively) as shown as revealed by seismic
studies.
Earthquakes create vibrations in the earth – give us information about the interior structure of the earth
a) S-waves – cannot travel through liquid
b) P-waves – can travel through liquid

Key idea – we have knowledge about the interior structure by studying the way vibrations/waves
pass through the earth
EARTHS MAGNETIC FIELD

Earth’s Magnetosphere. A cross-sectional view of our magnetosphere (or zone of magnetic influence),
as revealed by numerous spacecraft missions. Note how the wind of charged particles from the Sun
“blows” the magnetic field outward like a windsock.
Magnetic field tells us that the core of the planet is a metallic liquid – only way to generate a magnetic field
VOLCANOES MODIFY SURFACES

Formation of Igneous Rock as Liquid Lava Cools and Freezes. This is a lava flow
from a basaltic eruption. Basaltic lava flows quickly and can move easily over distances
of more than 20 kilometers. (credit: USGS)
VOLCANOES AND PLATES

Earth’s Continental Plates. This map shows the major plates into which the crust of
Earth is divided. Arrows indicate the motion of the plates at average speeds of 4 to 5
centimeters per year, similar to the rate at which your hair grows.
EDGES

Rift Zone and Subduction Zone. Rift and subduction zones are the regions (mostly
beneath the oceans) where new crust is formed and old crust is destroyed as part of
the cycle of plate tectonics.
CALIFORNIA IS NOT PERFECT

San Andreas Fault. We see part of a very active region in California where one crustal
plate is sliding sideways with respect to the other. The fault is marked by the valley
running up the right side of the photo. Major slippages along this fault can produce
extremely destructive earthquakes. (credit: John Wiley)
ATMOSPHERE SHAPES SURFACE

Mountains on Earth. The Torres del Paine are a young region of Earth’s crust where
sharp mountain peaks are being sculpted by glaciers. We owe the beauty of our young,
steep mountains to the erosion by ice and water. (credit: David Morrison)
 ATMOSPHERE IS THIN
Structure of Earth’s Atmosphere.
Height increases up the left side of the
diagram, and the names of the different
atmospheric layers are shown at the
right. In the upper ionosphere, ultraviolet
radiation from the Sun can strip
electrons from their atoms, leaving the
atmosphere ionized. The curving red line
shows the temperature (see the scale on
the x-axis).

Temperature is kelvin.
300 K is about 26 C

Radius of earth – 6400 km

ATMOSPHERE LEADS TO WEATHER

Storm from Space. This satellite image shows Hurricane Irene in 2011, shortly before
the storm hit land in New York City. The combination of Earth’s tilted axis of rotation,
moderately rapid rotation, and oceans of liquid water can lead to violent weather on our
planet. (credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project)
CLIMATE HISTORICALLY CYCLICAL

Ice Age. This computer-generated image shows the frozen areas of the Northern
Hemisphere during past ice ages from the vantage point of looking down on the North
Pole. The area in black indicates the most recent glaciation (coverage by glaciers), and
the area in gray shows the maximum level of glaciation ever reached. (credit:
modification of work by Hannes Grobe/AWI)
Caused by precession – the tilt of the earth is not constant – when the tilt is away from
the sun during summer, northern hemisphere cools and triggers ice age
Effect is included in climate models and does NOT explain current trends
EARLY LIFE

Cross-Sections of Fossil Stromatolites. This polished cross-section of a fossilized

colony of stromatolites dates to the Precambrian Era. The layered, domelike structures
are mats of sediment trapped in shallow waters by large numbers of blue-green
bacteria that can photosynthesize. Such colonies of microorganisms date back more
than 3 billion years. (credit: James St. John)
BIODIVERSITY

Tree of Life. This chart shows the main subdivisions of life on Earth and how they are
related. Note that the animal and plant kingdoms are just short branches on the far
right, along with the fungi. The most fundamental division of Earth’s living things is onto
three large domains called bacteria, archaea, and eukarya. Most of the species listed
are microscopic. (credit: modification of work by Eric Gaba)
BIOMASS

0.01% of total biomass

2.5% of animal biomass
https://ourworldindata.org/life-on-earth
ATMOSPHERE MODIFIES CLIMATE

How the Greenhouse Effect Works. Sunlight that penetrates to Earth’s lower
atmosphere and surface is reradiated as infrared or heat radiation, which is trapped by
greenhouse gases such as water vapor, methane, and CO2 in the atmosphere. The
result is a higher surface temperature for our planet.
With no greenhouse gases in atmosphere, earth would be much colder than it is
HUMANS MODIFY ATMOSPHERE

Increase of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide over Time. Scientists expect that the
amount of CO2 will double its preindustrial level before the end of the twenty-first
century. Measurements of the isotopic signatures of this added CO 2 demonstrate that it
is mostly coming from burning fossil fuels. (credit: modification of work by NOAA)
SOME CRATERS

Ouarkziz Impact Crater. Located in Algeria, this crater (the round feature in the center)
is the result of a meteor impact during the Cretaceous period. Although the crater has
experienced heavy erosion, this image from the International Space Station shows the
circular pattern resulting from impact. (credit: modification of work by NASA)
MORE RECENT EVENTS

Aftermath of the Tunguska Explosion. This photograph, taken 21 years after the blast, shows a part of
the forest that was destroyed by the 5-megaton explosion, resulting when a stony projectile about the size
of a small office building (40 meters in diameter) collided with our planet. (credit: modification of work by
Leonid Kulik)
Event occurred June 30, 1908 near the Tunguska river – a remote location in what is now Russia
OLDER CRATER

Meteor Crater in Arizona. Here we see a 50,000-year-old impact crater made by the
collision of a 40-meter lump of iron with our planet. Although impact craters are
common on less active bodies such as the Moon, this is one of the very few well-
preserved craters on Earth. (modification of work by D. Roddy/USGS)
LOCAL CRATER?

A bit of a mystery

Nalepa, M. (2012). Investigation of the form and age of the Bloody Creek Crater, southwestern Nova Scotia.
https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:888
A BIG ONE

Site of the Chicxulub Crater. This map shows the location of the impact crater created
65 million years ago on Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula. The crater is now buried under
more than 500 meters of sediment. (credit: modification of work by “Carport”/Wikimedia)
This is the event that we believe led to the mass extinction of the dinasours
NEAREST NEIGHBOUR

Apollo 11 Astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin on the Surface of the Moon. Because
there is no atmosphere, ocean, or geological activity on the Moon today, the footprints
you see in the image will likely be preserved in the lunar soil for millions of years (credit:
modification of work by NASA/ Neil A. Armstrong).
EVIDENCE OF GEOLOGICAL ACTIVITY

Two Sides of the Moon. The left image shows part of the hemisphere that faces Earth;
several dark maria are visible. The right image shows part of the hemisphere that faces
away from Earth; it is dominated by highlands. The resolution of this image is several
kilometers, similar to that of high-powered binoculars or a small telescope. (credit:
modification of work by NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)
The maria are believed to be lava flows
OLDER PARTS HEAVILY CRATERED

Lunar Highlands. The old, heavily cratered lunar highlands make up 83% of the Moon’s
surface. (credit: Apollo 11 Crew, NASA)

Crater density is a good measure of the age of a surface – lots of craters = old surface
OLDER PARTS HEAVILY CRATERED

Lunar Highlands. The old, heavily cratered lunar highlands make up 83% of the Moon’s
surface. (credit: Apollo 11 Crew, NASA)

Crater density is a good measure of the age of a surface – lots of craters = old surface
NO ATMOSPHERE

Lunar Mountain. This photo of Mt. Hadley on the edge of Mare Imbrium was taken by
Dave Scott, one of the Apollo 15 astronauts. Note the smooth contours of the lunar
mountains, which have not been sculpted by water or ice. (credit: NASA/Apollo Lunar
Surface Journal)
NOT SO MANY CRATERS

Lunar Maria. About 17% of the Moon’s surface consists of the maria—flat plains of
basaltic lava. This view of Mare Imbrium also shows numerous secondary craters and
evidence of material ejected from the large crater Copernicus on the upper horizon.
Copernicus is an impact crater almost 100 kilometers in diameter that was formed long
after the lava in Imbrium had already been deposited. (credit: NASA, Apollo 17)
MARIA LIGHTLY CRATERED

Mare Cognitum. Far fewer craters here - Credit: NASA / Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Crater density is a good measure of the age of a surface – few craters = younger surface
MOON ROCKS

Rock from a Lunar Mare. In this sample of basalt from the mare surface, you can see
the holes left by gas bubbles, which are characteristic of rock formed from lava. All
lunar rocks are chemically distinct from terrestrial rocks, a fact that has allowed
scientists to identify a few lunar samples among the thousands of meteorites that reach
Earth. (credit: modification of work by NASA)
NO EROSION – WILL BE THERE FOR A LONG TIME

Footprint on Moon Dust. Apollo photo of an astronaut’s boot print in the lunar soil.
(credit: NASA)
VOLCANO VS CRATER

Volcanic and Impact Craters. Profiles of a typical terrestrial volcanic crater and a
typical lunar impact crater are quite different.
CRATER FORMATION

Stages in the Formation of an Impact Crater.

(a) The impact occurs.
(b) The projectile vaporizes and a shock wave spreads through the lunar rock.
(c) Ejecta are thrown out of the crater.
(d) Most of the ejected material falls back to fill the crater, forming an ejecta blanket.
RECENT CRATER

Typical Impact Crater. King Crater on the far side of the Moon, a fairly recent lunar
crater 75 kilometers in diameter, shows most of the features associated with large
impact structures. (credit: NASA/JSC/Arizona State University)
IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT

Appearance of the Moon at Different Phases.

(a) Illumination from the side brings craters and other topographic features into sharp relief, as seen on the
far left side.
(b) At full phase, there are no shadows, and it is more difficult to see such features. However, the flat
lighting at full phase brings out some surface features, such as the bright rays of ejecta that stretch out
from a few large young craters. (credit: modification of work by Luc Viatour)
CONTRAST

The Moon Crossing the Face of Earth. In this 2015 image from the Deep Space Climate Observatory
spacecraft, both objects are fully illuminated, but the Moon looks darker because it has a much lower
average reflectivity than Earth. (credit: modification of work by NASA, DSCOVR EPIC team)
Earth is fully illuminated – sun must therefore be behind the place where the photo was taken from
CRATERING RATES

Cratering Rates over Time. The number of craters being made on the Moon’s surface
has varied with time over the past 4.3 billion years.