A series exploring the natural history of earth, beginning with the formation of our solar system, moving on through asteroid impacts and mass. Many changes have taken place on the earth s crust as well as the rocks which have led to this present structure of earth that we can see today. This collapse may have been triggered by a shockwave from a. The geological history of earth follows the major events in earth s past based on the geological time scale, a system of chronological measurement based on the study of the planets rock layers stratigraphy. Origin and evolution of earth research questions for a changing planet questions about the origins and nature of earth have long preoccupied human thought and the scientific endeavor. This name comes from the greek word hades underworld, which refers to the condition of the planet at the time. Earths rocky core formed first, with heavy elements colliding and binding together. The advocates of creation science hold a variety of viewpoints. Earth s secondary atmosphere began to develop at the time of planetary differentiation, probably in connection with volcanic activity. Earth s original atmosphere was probably just hydrogen and helium, because these were the main gases in the dusty, gassy disk around the sun from which the planets formed.
Earth was not around at the beginning of the universe. Pdf the early earth, formation and evolution of the lithosphere. The moon is the same age as the earth and the rest of the solar system about 4. Scientists believe that chunk started its own orbit around earth, becoming our moon. How long after the earth was formed did it take to achieve the state we recognize now. The layers of rock at earth s surface contain evidence of the evolutionary processes undergone by these components of the terrestrial environment during the times at which each layer was formed. Subduction in the earth s mantle caused the formation of tectonic plates. The creation of the world according to science ram brustein, judy kupferman department of physics, bengurion university, beersheva 84105, israel cas, ludwigmaximiliansuniversitat muenchen, 80333 muenchen, germany email. Geologic history of earth development of the atmosphere. These individuals often believe that the present physical form of earth can be explained by catastrophism, including a worldwide flood, and that all living things including. Jeffrey taylor hawaii institute of geophysics and planetology about scientists met december, 1998, in monterey, california, to share ideas about the formation and very early history of the earth and moon. Origin of the moon the earth moon system the moon orbits the earth at a moon 385,000 km with an eccentricity of 0. Dense material sank to the center, while the lighter material created the crust.
Gravity continued to draw the remaining particles together, clumping them into larger bodies, ultimately forming earth and the other planets in our solar system. Of all the things weve learned about earths crust in. Just how did the earth our home and the place where life as we know it evolved come to be. Water vapour was released into the earth s atmosphere by volcanism. These same forces caused the plates to divide and form the continents. Scientists believe earth formed in this way about 4. Geologic history of earth, evolution of the continents, oceans, atmosphere, and biosphere. Scientists discover elusive secret of how continents formed. At the outer reaches of the earth s environment, solar radiation strikes the atmosphere with a power density of 70 watts per meter2 or 0. Forged from fire and ice, formed by floods, volcanoes, asteroids and earthquakes, our planet tells a dynamic geological story. A fraction of the debris from the crust and mantle from both earth and the colliding object spewed into orbit around earth and accreted to form the moon. The first era in which the earth existed is what is known as the hadean eon.
But, over time, gravity continued to pull more and more particles to earth, expanding. We think that the moon and earth formed at about the same time, back when our whole solar system was formed. Its component gases, however, were most likely very different from those emitted by modern volcanoes. A complete theory of earth and terrestrial planet formation will require that the formation of these other solar system bodies be understood more adequately. However, to get to earth, its important to start at the beginning, when the universe was young. The earth wasnt always a magnificent blue marble, with colorful trees rustling in the gusts, with impeccable white sand beaches onto which green waves and foam lapse and disperse into each other. The history of earth how our planet formed youtube. The friction and collision of particles led to formation of a diskshaped cloud and the planets were formed through the process of accretion. Early in the process of its formation, a planetesimal the size of mars hit earth, knocking a big chunk of earth into space. This is how earth is formed because the third protoplanet from the sun was earth.
Origin and evolution of earth division on earth and life. The earth is a great floating island in a sea of water. The history of earth concerns the development of planet earth from its formation to the present. Dense metals sank to the centre of the earth and formed the core, while the outside layer cooled and solidified to form the earth s crust. Due to gravity, the materials were collapsed in on themselves as it began to spin, which formed the sun in the centre of the nebula. Just as the universe was too hot in the beginning, the earth was too hot for life to form as well. Origin and evolution of earth the national academies press. It is theorized that the true age of the earth is about 4. Scientists have toiled to create life from sparks and gasses in the laboratory to illuminate how life first formed in earths early conditions. In fact, very little of what we see in the cosmos today was around when the universe formed some. Earth was forming from many chunks of rock and icy material. It then cooled, fell back down as rain, and formed the earth s first oceans. At about 10,000 years after the big bang, the temperature had fallen to such an extent that the energy density of the universe began to be dominated by massive particles, rather than the light and other radiation which had predominated earlier.
For more information about how planet earth formed. Molecules of hydrogen and helium move really fast, especially when warm. The oldest rocks geologists have been able to find are. The origin of the universe, earth, and life ncbi bookshelf. Earth s first atmosphere was blown away by solar winds.
Theories about the creation of the earth include the theory of special creation, organic evolution and materialistic theory. Earth s rocky core formed first, with heavy elements colliding and binding together. Life on earth began more than 3 billion years ago, evolving from the most basic of microbes into a dazzling array of. Over 3,000 million years, the force of gravity caused the molecules of the gas to get closer and closer together until solids and liquids were formed.
With this, the earth s gravity increased and surrounding gases formed the atmosphere. A second atmosphere formed from outgassing of the elements that formed the core. As the collisions tapered off the earth began to cool, forming a thin crust on its surface. The history of the earth is a common core activity workbook with 10 lessons that help students learn about how the solar system and the earth formed. This consisted of the earths surface being under a continuous bombardment by meteorites and intense volcanism.
The debris from this explosion began to collapse in on itself due to gravity, forming the sun. Deciphering the planets history and processes could improve the ability to predict catastrophes like earthquakes and volcanoes, to manage earth s resources, and. It all began when an interstellar cloud nebula of gas and dust began to collapse. A fraction of the debris from the crust and mantle from both earth and the colliding object spewed into orbit around earth and accreted to form.
This collapse may have been triggered by a shockwave from a nearby supernova or star explosion. The water hurled into the atmosphere didnt freeze or evaporate. Geologic history of earth geologic history of earth development of the atmosphere and oceans. Earth day 1970 gave a voice to an emerging public consciousness about the state. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. An international research team, led by a virginia tech geoscientist, has revealed information about how continents were generated on earth more than 2.
Astronimate explains how our pleasant, blue, lifebearing planet came to be in less than five episode 07 how did planet earth form. Evidence from detrital zircons for the existence of continental crust and oceans on the earth 4. The disk instability model of how the earth formed a relatively new in an attempt to answer the question. In this model, the solar system formed from a large, rotating cloud of interstellar dust and gas called the solar nebula.
The history of earth every year on april 22, earth day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Origin of the moon institute of astronomy, cambridge. As the cooling continued, water vapor began to escape and condense in the earths early atmosphere. Chapter pdf available september 2012 with 1,825 reads. Standing at the pool of creation courtesy guthrie studios. While special creation believes in the existence of a supreme being who created the earth, organic evolution and materialistic theory believe in the progression of. The history of earth day earth day earth day network. Most people believe that pangea began developing over 300 million years ago, was fully formed 270 million years ago, and separated around 200 million years ago. Formation of the earth in human terms, the age of the earth is immense.
The history of the earth ebook pdf teaching resources. What are some theories about how the earth was created. Recent work by one of us allgre on lead iso topes, however, led to a somewhat new interpretation. In the case of pangea, nearly all of the earth s continents were connected into a single landform. At each of the four corners there is a cord hanging down from the sky. The earth and solar system were formed 4,560 million years ago. As we prepare to mark 50 years of earth day in 2020, lets take a look at the last halfcentury of mobilization for action. There are two theories explaining the formation of the earth. One of the oldest questions for mankind is how the earth was formed.
A supercontinent is a large landmass comprised of multiple continents. It also teaches students about the early earth and the beginning of life. History of the earth encyclopedia of life support systems. It was composed of hydrogen and helium created shortly after the big bang. The giant impact hypothesis states that when the earth formed, about 4. The standard model for the formation of the solar system including the earth is the solar nebula hypothesis. As patterson argued, some meteorites were indeed formed about 4. The early earth, formation and evolution of the lithosphere in the hadean middle archean. This model suggested that before the formation of the earth, the solar system wasa cloud of dust and gas known as solar nebula. Some claim that earth and the universe are relatively young, perhaps only 6,000 to 10,000 years old.
1402 1038 1276 504 236 528 1253 220 175 1221 547 1538 612 407 1149 197 331 703 21 361 25 512 307 663 1148 672 1408 1187 895 262