Module 1 - Introduction To Earth Science
Module 1 - Introduction To Earth Science
Module 1 - Introduction To Earth Science
Science
Module Overview
In this module, you will be familiarized with the basic concepts and importance of
Earth science and its divisions. This includes the fundamentals of geology,
meteorology, oceanography and astronomy. You will also have a brief recall of the
basic observations and measurements used in Earth science that will be a
significant help as you read through the modules.
Module Pre-test
Learning Objectives
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1. Explain the fundamentals and importance of Earth science
2. Differentiate the four divisions of Earth science
Earth science is the branch of science which deals with the physical constitution
of Earth and its atmosphere. It incorporates all fields of natural science related to
the planet Earth. It came from the Latin word “terra,” which means “earth or ground”
and “scientia,” which means “science.” Earth science focuses on studying Earth
systems and systems in space which consists of weather and climate systems,
and the study of non-living things such as rocks, oceans and planets.
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Earth science is a multidisciplinary science and its purpose is to study the Earth,
its history, composition, atmosphere, oceans and its neighbors in space. This
includes knowledge concerning all the aspects of the Earth system. There are four
divisions of Earth Science: Geology, Meteorology, Astronomy and Oceanography.
I. Geology
Geology is the branch of Earth science which deals with the solid Earth, its
composition and the processes that change them over time. The word geology is
derived from two Greek words, geo (Earth) and logos (study) which means ‘study
of the Earth.’ It deals with the Earth’s fundamental problems such as water, energy,
mineral resources, volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides and floods.
tourchautauqua.com
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1. Uniformitarianism
Geological processes that occur in the Earth today must be the same processes
that occurred in the past. This is an essential concept because it implies that
observations, we make at present about geological processes can interpret and
understand the rock record in the past. This principle is vital to understanding
Earth’s history.
An example is to think of a volcano that erupted, which spewed out lava to form
basalt. With the understanding that geological processes remain the same in the
entire Earth’s history, you may conclude that every time you see basalt, it is
formed from cooling lava. Another example is the rock cycle, which shows the
different processes involved in the formation of igneous, sedimentary and
metamorphic rocks.
Figure 3. The Rock Cycle: an example of the application of the principle of uniformitarianism.
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All the processes involved in the formation of each rock type is gradually
repeating through time. Igneous rock is formed from the cooling and
crystallization of lava or magma (known as the parent all rocks). With heat and
pressure, the formation of metamorphic rock is possible through the process of
metamorphism. Moreover, when rock weather, sediments are transported,
deposited, compacted and cemented to form sedimentary rocks through
lithification. Through the process of melting, all these rock types return as
magma
Uniformitarianism may be put into the phrase, "The present is the key to the past."
This phrase tells us that if we learn about how geological processes occur today,
we can determine how these geological processes formed the landforms and
rocks that we can observe today.
2. Plate Tectonics
Figure 4. Earth's fifteen most massive tectonic plates. Black arrows show the direction of plate
motions. The length of the arrow indicates velocity. Red arrows show how plates move
relative to each other.
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II. Meteorology
III. Astronomy
Astronomy is the study of celestial bodies which include the sun, moon, stars,
planets, galaxies and other non-Earthly bodies and phenomena. It is considered
as the oldest branch in Earth Science. In Module 6 - Astronomy, detailed
information about astronomy will be discussed.
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IV. Oceanography
Oceanography is the study of the oceans of the Earth, their composition,
movement, organisms, life and processes in it. It includes the study of biology,
physics, chemistry, meteorology and geology of the oceans.
Humans have been interested in the oceans since prehistoric times when
people would venture out from their homes along the coast on rafts. Around
2,000 to 3,000 years ago, naturalists and philosophers, including Aristotle,
began to try to study and understand the vast bodies of water. However, the
modern field of oceanography did not emerge until late in the 19th century
when America, Britain, and Europe joined together to fund expeditions to
explore ocean currents, the seafloor, and the life that thrived within the ocean.
Figure 7. Oceanography
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Learning Objectives
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1. Explain the scientific method of solving problems.
2. Review the two systems of measurement and the conversion of units.
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A. Metric System
In this system, each type of measurement (weight, capacity and length) has
one basic unit of measure (meter, gram, liter). Conversions are quickly done by
dividing or multiplying by factors of 10. It is simply done by moving the decimal
point to the right (for smaller prefixes) or the left (for larger prefixes).
Arrange the prefixes from largest to smallest to remember the proper decimal
placement:
Take note in the list above that meter is three places to the right of the prefix
kilo. This means that you need to move three decimal places to the right.
Therefore, the answer is 10,190 meters.
Take note in the list above that the prefix milli is three places to the right of the
unit gram. This means that you need to move three decimal places to the right.
Therefore, the answer is 480,000 milligrams.
B. English System
The United States had not implemented the metric system as its "official"
system of measurement even when the metric system was lawfully accepted
for use in 1866. The US English System of measurement used body parts and
familiar objects as the basis for measurements. An example is shorter ground
distances were measured using the human foot, and longer distances were
measured by paces, with one mile being 1,000 paces. Household objects such
as cups, pails (formerly called gallons) and baskets were used to measure the
capacities.
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Conversion Ratio
The English System needs a conversion ratio (or unit factor) to move between
measurements, unlike the Metric System, which simply moves the decimal
point to convert between its prefixes. In the Metric System, the prefix itself gives
the needed conversion ratio.
A conversion ratio is a ratio equal to one. The ratio contains the units to be used
in the conversion. It can be applied for conversions within the English and
Metric Systems and even conversions between the systems. The conversion
ratio is based on the concept of equivalent values. For the example provided
below, one foot is substituted for its equivalent measure of 12 inches.
Answer: 32 cups
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Your outputs should be written in a short bond paper following the format
indicated below:
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Module Post-test
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Photo Credits
1. unsplash.com (Figure 1)
2. tourchautauqua.com (Figure 2)
3. https://usenaturalstone.org/wild-ride-rock-cycle/ (Figure 3)
4. Steven Earle (2015) CC BY 4.0. Modified after U (Figure 4)
5. https://www.livescience.com/our-solar-system.html (Figure 6)
6. research.tamu.edu/centers/texas-institute-of-oceanography/ (Figure 7)
7. https://courses.lumenlearning.com (Figure 8)
1. c 6. c
2. d 7. a
3. a 8. a
4. b 9. b
5. d 10. c
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