THE PLANET EARTH

THE FORMATION OF THE EARTH WAS AN OFFSHOOT OF THE FORMATION OF THE UNIVERSE.
Formation of the Universe: Big Bang Theory Formation of the Solar System: Nebular Hypothesis

The Universe
ORIGIN: Big Bang Theory contends that the Universe originated from a cosmic explosion (origin unknown) that hurled matter in all directions first proposed by the Belgian priest Georges Lematre in the 1920s Edwin Hubble justified Lematres theory through observations that the Universe is continuously expanding; galaxies are moving away from each other

THE SOLAR SYSTEM: leftover from the Big Bang

the sun
the planets the satellites and rings comets and asteroids

meteoroids and dust

COMPOSITION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM BY MASS

OBJECT Sun Jupiter all other planets comets satellites and rings asteroids meteoroids and dust PERCENTAGE OF MASS 99.85% 0.10% 0.04% 0.01% (?) 0.00% 0.00% 0.0000001% (?)
Source: Abell, Morrison, and Wolff, 1987

The Solar System

ORIGIN: Nebular Hypothesis proposed by Immanuel Kant and Pierre Simon de Laplace in the 18th century the solar system originated from a single rotating cloud of gas and dust, starting 4.6 billion years ago, which contracted due to gravity

The Solar System: Nebular Hypothesis

Time 1 The Big Bang produced enormous amount of matter: rotating cloud of gas and dust.

Time 2

The rotating gas-dust cloud began to contract due to gravity. Most of the mass became concentrated at the center, forming the SUN.
The remaining matter condensed to form the planets: terrestrial and jovian

Time 3

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/astronomy/solar-system/contraction.jpg

Mercury
Venus

- inner or terrestrial planets (nearest the sun) - rocky composition: largely silicate rocks and metals (Si, Fe, O) - giant or Jovian planets (outer planets; far from the sun) - lack solid surfaces: in gaseous or liquid form - composition: light elements (H, He, Ar, C, O, Ni) - neither a terrestrial or Jovian planet - similar to the icy satellites of the Jovian planets

Earth
Mars Jupiter

Saturn
Uranus

Neptune Pluto

The Solar System

The scientists agreed that for a celestial body to qualify as a planet: a.it must be in orbit around the Sun; b.it must be large enough that it takes on a nearly round shape; and c. it has cleared its orbit of other objects

The Solar System

THE EARTH
started as dust ball from the nebular gas and dust brought together by gravity (accretion), which was heated (heating) and eventually segregated into layers (differentiation) as it cooled when cooling set in, the denser elements (e.g., iron) sank while the lighter ones floated out into the surface, creating a differentiated Earth

THE DIFFERENTIATED EARTH

Discontinuities/Boundaries
1. Mohorovicic crust mantle 2. Gutenberg core mantle 3. Lehmann outer core inner core
From study of seismic waves

Internal Structure of the Earth

Mechanical layers 1. Lithosphere a. Upper crust brittle; 4-15 km depth b. Lower crust/uppermost mantle ductile; 15 to 100 or 200 km depth 2. Asthenosphere weak sphere; beneath the lithosphere and within the upper mantle 3. Mesosphere solid, rocky layer

THE EARTHS VITAL STATISTICS

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION (by mass)

34.6% 29.5% 15.2% 12.7% Iron Oxygen Silicon Magnesium

SHAPE
Oblate spheroid flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator

SIZE
Earths circumference was first calculated by Eratosthenes

Circumference = 360 degrees

800 km

7 degrees

VITAL STATISTICS
Equatorial Radius = 6378 km Polar Radius = 6357 km
Equatorial Circumference = 40076 km Polar Circumference = 40008 km Volume = 260,000,000,000 cu. miles

Density = 5.52 g/cm3

THE EARTHS LARGE SCALE FEATURES

External Features of the Earth

Lithosphere is made up of moderately rigid plates (may consist of oceanic or continental lithosphere) = 7 major plates + several smaller plates

External Features of the Earth

1. Continents 2. Ocean basins

 Thick (30-60 km), old (250-4000 my) and light It does not subduct Largest features:
Mountain belts Cratons

Mountain Belt First proposed by L. Kober as orogen in 1921 Orogen - an extensive belt of rocks deformed by orogeny, associated in places with plutonic and metamorphic rocks An orogeny is an episode of mountain building Mountain ranges such as the Andes, Alps, Himalayas and Gran Cordillera

 Thin, geologically young (<250 my) and dense Three major topographic units:
Continental margin Deep-ocean basin Oceanic ridges

Continental Margin The transition to the deep ocean basin The shallowest portion is the shelf The sloping edge of the continent as it merges into the deep ocean basin is the slope The wedge of sediment that has accumulated at the base of the slope is the rise

http://www.utdallas.edu/~pujana/oceans/contmar.html

Oceanic Ridge Undersea mountain ranges Deep-ocean Basin

External Features of the Earth

1. Continents 2. Ocean basins

ISOSTASY
from a Greek word meaning same standing basically concerned with the buoyancy of the blocks of the Earths crust as they rest on the mantle changes in the load over certain regions causes the lithosphere to make adjustments until isostatic equilibrium (i.e., neither rising or sinking) is reached

PRATTS THEORY
Elevation is inversely proportional to density. Thus, the higher the mountain, the lower is its density; that is, light rocks float higher.

depth of compensation

AIRYS THEORY
Mountains have roots which extend down into the mantle. Thus, elevation is proportional to the depth of the underlying root.

antiroot

root

depth of compensation

HOW OLD IS THE EARTH?

Earth: ________ Oldest dated Earth rocks: 3.4 to 4.03 b.y.
Meteorites and moon rocks: ~4.5 b.y.