Chapter 1 An Intro
Chapter 1 Lecture
Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology
Eleventh Edition
An Introduction to
Geology
Tarbuck and Lutgens
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
The Science of Geology
• Geology is the science that pursues an understanding of planet Earth
• Physical geology examines Earth materials and seeks to understand the many processes that operate on our planet
• Historical geology seeks an understanding of the origin of Earth and its development through time
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
The Science of Geology, Continued
• Geology, people, and the environment
• More people now live in cities than in rural areas
• Populations are affected by geologic hazards and rely on natural resources
• Geologic hazards are natural processes that adversely affect people
• Natural resources addressed by geology include:
• Water, soil, metallic and nonmetallic minerals, and energy © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
The Development of Geology
• The nature of Earth has been a focus of study for centuries
• Catastrophism—Earth’s landscapes were shaped primarily by catastrophes
• Uniformitarianism—the physical, chemical, and biologic laws that operate today have operated throughout the geologic past
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
The Development of Geology
• The magnitude of geologic time involves millions and billions of years
• Earth is 4.6 billion years old
• An appreciation for the magnitude of geologic time is important because many processes are very gradual
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
The Geologic Time Scale
• Figure 1.6 here
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
The Nature of Scientific Inquiry
• Science assumes the natural world is consistent and predictable
• The goal of science is to discover patterns in nature and use the knowledge to make predictions • Scientists collect data through observation and measurements
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
The Nature of Scientific Inquiry, Continued
• How or why things happen are explained using: • Hypothesis—a
Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology
Eleventh Edition
An Introduction to
Geology
Tarbuck and Lutgens
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
The Science of Geology
• Geology is the science that pursues an understanding of planet Earth
• Physical geology examines Earth materials and seeks to understand the many processes that operate on our planet
• Historical geology seeks an understanding of the origin of Earth and its development through time
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
The Science of Geology, Continued
• Geology, people, and the environment
• More people now live in cities than in rural areas
• Populations are affected by geologic hazards and rely on natural resources
• Geologic hazards are natural processes that adversely affect people
• Natural resources addressed by geology include:
• Water, soil, metallic and nonmetallic minerals, and energy © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
The Development of Geology
• The nature of Earth has been a focus of study for centuries
• Catastrophism—Earth’s landscapes were shaped primarily by catastrophes
• Uniformitarianism—the physical, chemical, and biologic laws that operate today have operated throughout the geologic past
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
The Development of Geology
• The magnitude of geologic time involves millions and billions of years
• Earth is 4.6 billion years old
• An appreciation for the magnitude of geologic time is important because many processes are very gradual
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
The Geologic Time Scale
• Figure 1.6 here
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
The Nature of Scientific Inquiry
• Science assumes the natural world is consistent and predictable
• The goal of science is to discover patterns in nature and use the knowledge to make predictions • Scientists collect data through observation and measurements
© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc.
The Nature of Scientific Inquiry, Continued
• How or why things happen are explained using: • Hypothesis—a