Transcript a Introduction to Geology

Chaos Theory
How long is the coastline of the United States?
Depends on the length of the ruler used…
Chaos Theory
Weather models…..
Only as good as the number of variables inputted….
Butterfly Effect:
In a remote part of the Amazon jungle, a butterfly alights upon a tree limb. The butterfly rests there for a moment,
and then flutters its wings. A week later, the weather in New York is affected. No instruments presently known
could measure the perturbation, but it happens. It is called “the Butterfly Effect.” This strange effect promotes the
idea that in a chaotic system, a very small change to that system applied at a certain point in time makes the
future change in a very dramatic way. Something as small as a butterfly flapping its wings now might affect the
weather system on a global scale six months in the future.
Earth systems are all interrelated, and small variables can cause
significant changes.
Catastrophism
All the Earth’s great landforms are the
result of great catastrophes.
Grand Canyon
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
Arthur’s Seat
James Hutton
Hutton’s Section
Uniformitarianism
The present is the key to the past
Present day processes
Time
Jan 1
Origin of the Earth: January 1
Oldest known rocks: Early March
Living things appear in oceans: May
Land plants and organisms: Late November
Dinosaurs: Dominant from mid-December to the 26th
On the 31st:
Humans appear: 11:49pm
End of last ice age: 11:58:17pm
Fall of Roman Empire: 11:59:49pm
Columbus: 11:59:57pm
World War I: 11:59:59.4pm
Y2K: 11:59:59.9993pm
Every real year equates to 1/7000 of a second
Dec 31
Earth’s Interior
Inner core: Solid iron
Outer core: Molten metallic Ni and Fe
Mantle: 82% of Earth’s
volume. Fe and Mg-rich rock.
Mesosphere: Strong and rigid
Tectonic Plates
Crust + Rigid upper mantle (lithosphere)