Geology and GIS

A few big idea in Geology/Earth Sci.• Big Idea 1- Earth scientists use repeatable observations and testable ideas to understand and explain our planet.. 4.6 Billion years of time…• The

Geology and GIS

Content development

• A bit of content for you non-geology types…

• after

http://www.earthscienceliteracy.org/index.html

A few big idea in Geology/Earth Sci.

• Big Idea 1- Earth scientists use repeatable

observations and testable ideas to understand and explain our planet.

– Works to assist humanity with challenging

problems…

– Combines aspects of biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics…

Big idea 2 - Earth is years old

4.6 Billion years of time…

• The Earth’s rock record provides a natural library for its history (construction, destruction, change, evolution, etc.)

– Life on Earth began 3.5 billion years ago

– The record contains gaps (unconformities)

• Two crust types = oceanic and mafic

• Gradualism vs Catastrophism

• Big Idea # 3 – The Earth is a complex system of interacting rock, water, and life!

– Spheres = geo, hydro, atmo, and bio…

– All processes are the result of changing energy between systems

• Sun

• Core

– These systems are dynamic, constantly changing, and contain feedback systems

Albedo

• Big Idea #4 – The

Earth is a water

planet…

– Water water ever

where from the upper atmosphere to depths

• Big Idea #5 Life evolves on a dynamic Earth and continuously changes our planet

– Fossils are preserved evidence of ancient life

– Evolution, including the origination and extinction

of species, is a natural and ongoing process

– Mass extinctions occur when global conditions

change faster than species in large numbers can adapt

Controversy?

• Life, human life is a mere occurrence of time I say this not to be little our existence, but rather to emphasize the miracle, that we are

here at all

Science and religion

• Xavier Le Pichon

• Fragility and the evolution of our

humanity

• http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2009/fragility/

• Big idea # 7 We (humans) depend on the Earth for

resources

– Recourses mold our civilization

– Natural recourses are limited

– Geology affects the distribution and development of human populations

– Fossil fuels and uranium currently provide most of our energy resource

– Earth scientists help society move toward greater

sustainability

• Big idea #7 Natural hazards pose risks to humans…

– Earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, draughts, sinkholes, landslides, severe weather, etc

– Again gradualism vs catastrophism

– Scale – local to global

– Increasing populations in hazardous areas

• Big idea #8 We (humans) significantly alter each of the Earth’s spheres

– We alter the rate of the Earth’s processes

– We can use the geologic record to distinguish natural vs human influences

– Humans affect the quality, availability, and distribution of Earth’s water through the modification of streams, lakes, and groundwater

– An Earth-science-literate public, informed by current and accurate scientific understanding of Earth, is critical to the promotion of good stewardship, sound policy, and

international cooperation

Homework for this week

• Create an activity that incorporates geology

layers, within any theme of your choosing

• Or Listen to the Xavier Le Pichon podcast and

write paper (no more than two pages) first page a summary of what he was talking about and a

second page as a personal reflection (what do

you personally think about his perspective?) Only the first page will be graded

http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2009/fragi lity/

GIS and Geology options

• Make sure that you use the format provided in the activity book that I sent you…

Some geology layers that you might