(Earth Science) Lesson 1: Geologic Process

Lesson 1: Continental Drift Theory and the Evidences that support the Theory Continental drift describes one of the earliest ways geologists thought continents moved over time. Today, the theory of continental drift has been replaced by the science of plate tectonics. The theory of continental drift is most associated with the scientist Alfred Wegener. In the early 20th century, Wegener published a paper explaining his theory that the continental landmasses were “drifting” across the Earth, sometimes plowing through oceans and into each other. He called this movement continental drift. Pangaea Wegener was convinced that all of Earth’s continents were once part of an enormous, single landmass called Pangaea. Wegener, trained as an astronomer, used biology, botany, and geology describe Pangaea and continental drift. For example, fossils of the ancient reptile mesosaurus are only found in southern Africa and South America. Mesosaurus, a freshwater reptile only one meter (3.3 feet) long, could not have swum the Atlantic Ocean. The presence of mesosaurus suggests a single habitat with many lakes and rivers. Wegener also studied plant fossils from the frigid Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard, Norway. These plants were not the hardy specimens adapted to survive in the Arctic climate. These fossils were of tropical plants, which are adapted to a much warmer, more humid environment. The presence of these fossils suggests Svalbard once had a tropical climate. Finally, Wegener studied the stratigraphy of different rocks and mountain ranges. The east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa seem to fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and Wegener discovered their rock layers “fit” just as clearly. South America and Africa were not the only continents with similar geology. Wegener discovered that the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States, for instance, were geologically related to the Caledonian Mountains of Scotland. Pangaea existed about 240 million years ago. By about 200 million years ago, this supercontinent began breaking up. Over millions of years, Pangaea separated into pieces that moved away from one another. These pieces slowly assumed their positions as the continent we recognize today. Today, scientists think that several supercontinents like Pangaea have formed and broken up over the course of the Earth’s lifespan. These include Pannotia, which formed about 600 million years ago, and Rodinia, which existed more than a billion years ago. Tectonic Activity Scientists did not accept Wegener’s theory of continental drift. One of the elements lacking in the theory was the mechanism for how it works—why did the continents drift and what patterns did they follow? Wegener suggested that perhaps the rotation of the Earth caused the continents to shift towards and apart from each other. (It doesn't.) Today, we know that the continents rest on massive slabs of rock called tectonic plates. The plates are always moving and interacting in a process called plate tectonics. The continents are still moving today. Some of the most dynamic sites of tectonic activity are seafloor spreading zones and giant rift valleys. In the process of seafloor spreading, molten rock rises from within the Earth and adds new seafloor (oceanic crust) to the edges of the old. Seafloor spreading is most dynamic along giant underwater mountain ranges known as mid-ocean ridges. As the seafloor grows wider, the continents on opposite sides of the ridge move away from each other. The North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, for example, are separated by the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The two continents are moving away from each other at the rate of about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) per year. Rift valleys are sites where a continental landmass is ripping itself apart. Africa, for example, will eventually split along the Great Rift Valley system. What is now a single continent will emerge as two—one on the African plate and the other on the smaller Somali plate. The new Somali continent will be mostly oceanic, with the Horn of Africa and Madagascar its largest landmasses. The processes of seafloor spreading, rift valley formation, and subduction (where heavier tectonic plates sink beneath lighter ones) were not well-established until the 1960s. These processes were the main geologic forces behind what Wegener recognized as continental drift.

Earth Science Lesson 1 Graded Recitation

Graded Recitation for Earth and Life Science Lesson 1

7 Science Chapter 3 Lesson 1 Saving Earth's Vanishing Species

LESSON 1 Origin of Life on Earth Learning Objectives • Describe how Earth was formed. • Describe the events that happened during Earth's formation. When and where did life possibly start? Many cultures develop different versions about the origin of life. However, modern scientists are still exploring the works of some well-known experts in the history of science in search of the true origin of life. Earth is said to be a little over 4.5 billion years (Gigaannum or Ga) old. The oldest material found on Earth that is estimated to be 4.3 billion years old is a zircon crystal. No one witnessed how Earth was formed and what exactly happened during that moment, but there are evidence that show how it all started. Earth's earliest times were geologically violent. There were continuous bombardment from meteorites. As Earth cooled and the surface solidified, the first solid rocks formed. Continents were not yet present; only a huge ocean with scattered small islands. Events such as erosion, sedimentation, and volcanic activities that were assisted by possible meteor impacts, gradually created the oceanic plates, which later evolved into continents. About 3.8 Ga, life on Earth initially began with single-celled organisms called prokaryotes. Over a billion year later, multicellular life evolved. Some studies show that life-forms began to evolve around 570 million years ago (Ma). This evolution started with early arthropods, followed by the fish (530 Ma), and land plants and forests (475 Ma and 385 Ma, respectively). It was only at around 200 Ma that early mammals emerged. Homo sapiens is believed to have evolved about 200000 years ago. Many things were revealed using fossil evidence, yet many questions remain unanswered about the origin of life. Science is continuously searching for answers on what was in the beginning.

LESSON 2 Early Theories on the Origin of Life • Identify the different theories on the origin of life. • Describe each theory and determine their differences What are the characteristics of living things? Before learning about the history of Earth based on geological evidence, early scientists explored the possibilities of how the first life-form existed. There are several theories about the origin of life. Theory of Catastrophism The theory of catastrophism supported by French scientists Georges Cuvier (1769-1832) and Alcide Dessalines d'Orbigny (1802-1857), is said to be a modification of the creation story of the Bible. It states that there have been several living creations from God, each encountered a catastrophe that completely destroyed them. Each new creation consisted of new life-forms, which happen to be different from the previous ones. Theory of Abiogenesis The theory of abiogenesis, or the spontaneous generation theory, states that living things were naturally created from nonliving things such as simple organic compounds. The theory supposes that abiogenesis occurred between 3.8 and 4 Gya. The experiment performed by Stanley Miller in 1953 gave way to many speculations and studies on how life on Earth really began. His research involved a simulation of the possible environment on Earth in the past. He demonstrated how an electric spark (which is a simulation for lightning) when passed through simple organic gases (similar to the early Earth atmosphere), resulted in the formation of amino acids, which are now known as the building blocks of proteins and the components of living tissues. Theory of Biogenesis The theory of biogenesis presented a strong argument against abiogenesis. This theory states that living things come from living things. Experiments of Francesco Redi and Louis Pasteur disproved the thought of spontaneous generation during their time (figure 5-1). Louis Pasteur argued that life comes from preexisting life and not from nonliving material. However, it should be noted that the "abiogenesis" or "spontaneous generation" that he opposed referred to any modern, existing, fully-formed organisms, not the original generation of life. Louis Pasteur's law of biogenesis contradicted the common belief during his time that cattle dung gives rise to flies, or old clothes with rotten food gives rise to mice. The idea of spontaneous generation was popular until near the seventeenth century. Even famous scientists of that period, such as Descartes, Galileo, and Jan Baptista van Helmont, believed in this theory. CIENCE PIONEER Francesco Redi (1626-1697). Francesco Redi is a physician, a naturalist, and a poet. His works challenged the popular theory of spontaneous generation. He disproved the idea that living things may arise from nonliving things. He also worked on toxicology using viper's venom. He discovered and worked on some parasites that caused disease in humans. SCIENCE CAREER Evolutionary Biologist An evolutionary biologist studies the descent of species and the origin of new species of living things. Working as evolutionary biologist means studying and researching species diversity, their interaction with the environment, their adaptation to change, their ancestors, and their possible origins. This career is important in the field of science because it seeks an answer to the questions about how life began on Earth.

Science6 Q4 Lesson 1, The Earth

Science6 Lesson1 The Earth

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