Geologic Time and Geologic Maps
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MARS DURING the PRE-NOACHIAN. J. C. Andrews-Hanna1 and W. B. Bottke2, 1Lunar and Planetary La- Boratory, University of Arizona
Fourth Conference on Early Mars 2017 (LPI Contrib. No. 2014) 3078.pdf MARS DURING THE PRE-NOACHIAN. J. C. Andrews-Hanna1 and W. B. Bottke2, 1Lunar and Planetary La- boratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, [email protected], 2Southwest Research Institute and NASA’s SSERVI-ISET team, 1050 Walnut St., Suite 300, Boulder, CO 80302. Introduction: The surface geology of Mars appar- ing the pre-Noachian was ~10% of that during the ently dates back to the beginning of the Early Noachi- LHB. Consideration of the sawtooth-shaped exponen- an, at ~4.1 Ga, leaving ~400 Myr of Mars’ earliest tially declining impact fluxes both in the aftermath of evolution effectively unconstrained [1]. However, an planet formation and during the Late Heavy Bom- enduring record of the earlier pre-Noachian conditions bardment [5] suggests that the impact flux during persists in geophysical and mineralogical data. We use much of the pre-Noachian was even lower than indi- geophysical evidence, primarily in the form of the cated above. This bombardment history is consistent preservation of the crustal dichotomy boundary, to- with a late heavy bombardment (LHB) of the inner gether with mineralogical evidence in order to infer the Solar System [6] during which HUIA formed, which prevailing surface conditions during the pre-Noachian. followed the planet formation era impacts during The emerging picture is a pre-Noachian Mars that was which the dichotomy formed. less dynamic than Noachian Mars in terms of impacts, Pre-Noachian Tectonism and Volcanism: The geodynamics, and hydrology. crust within each of the southern highlands and north- Pre-Noachian Impacts: We define the pre- ern lowlands is remarkably uniform in thickness, aside Noachian as the time period bounded by two impacts – from regions in which it has been thickened by volcan- the dichotomy-forming impact and the Hellas-forming ism (e.g., Tharsis, Elysium) or thinned by impacts impact. -
The Rock and Fossil Record the Rock and Fossil Record the Rock And
TheThe RockRock andand FossilFossil RecordRecord Earth’s Story and Those Who First Listened . 426 Apply . 427 Internet Connect . 428 When on Earth? . 429 Activity . 430 MathBreak . 434 Internet Connect 432, 435 Looking at Fossils . 436 QuickLab . 438 Internet Connect . 440 Time Marches On . 441 QuickLab . 443 Internet Connect . 445 Chapter Lab . 446 Chapter Review . 449 TEKS/TAKS Practice Tests . 451, 452 Feature Article . 453 Time Stands Still Pre-Reading Questions Sealed in darkness for 49 million years, this beetle still shimmers with the same metallic hues that once helped it hide among ancient plants. This rare fossil 1. How do scientists study was found in Messel, Germany. In the same rock formation, the Earth’s history? scientists have found fossilized crocodiles, bats, birds, and 2. How can you tell the age frogs. A living stag beetle (above) has a similar form and of rocks and fossils? color. Do you think that these two beetles would live in 3. What natural or human similar environments? What do you think Messel, Germany, events have caused mass was like 49 million years ago? In this chapter, you will extinctions in Earth’s learn how scientists answer these kinds of questions. history? 424 Chapter 16 Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved. MAKING FOSSILS Procedure 1. You and three or four of your classmates will be given several pieces of modeling clay and a paper sack containing a few small objects. 2. Press each object firmly into a piece of clay. Try to leave an imprint showing as much detail as possible. -
Critical Analysis of Article "21 Reasons to Believe the Earth Is Young" by Jeff Miller
1 Critical analysis of article "21 Reasons to Believe the Earth is Young" by Jeff Miller Lorence G. Collins [email protected] Ken Woglemuth [email protected] January 7, 2019 Introduction The article by Dr. Jeff Miller can be accessed at the following link: http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=9&article=5641 and is an article published by Apologetic Press, v. 39, n.1, 2018. The problems start with the Article In Brief in the boxed paragraph, and with the very first sentence. The Bible does not give an age of the Earth of 6,000 to 10,000 years, or even imply − this is added to Scripture by Dr. Miller and other young-Earth creationists. R. C. Sproul was one of evangelicalism's outstanding theologians, and he stated point blank at the Legionier Conference panel discussion that he does not know how old the Earth is, and the Bible does not inform us. When there has been some apparent conflict, either the theologians or the scientists are wrong, because God is the Author of the Bible and His handiwork is in general revelation. In the days of Copernicus and Galileo, the theologians were wrong. Today we do not know of anyone who believes that the Earth is the center of the universe. 2 The last sentence of this "Article In Brief" is boldly false. There is almost no credible evidence from paleontology, geology, astrophysics, or geophysics that refutes deep time. Dr. Miller states: "The age of the Earth, according to naturalists and old- Earth advocates, is 4.5 billion years. -
“Anthropocene” Epoch: Scientific Decision Or Political Statement?
The “Anthropocene” epoch: Scientific decision or political statement? Stanley C. Finney*, Dept. of Geological Sciences, California Official recognition of the concept would invite State University at Long Beach, Long Beach, California 90277, cross-disciplinary science. And it would encourage a mindset USA; and Lucy E. Edwards**, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, that will be important not only to fully understand the Virginia 20192, USA transformation now occurring but to take action to control it. … Humans may yet ensure that these early years of the ABSTRACT Anthropocene are a geological glitch and not just a prelude The proposal for the “Anthropocene” epoch as a formal unit of to a far more severe disruption. But the first step is to recognize, the geologic time scale has received extensive attention in scien- as the term Anthropocene invites us to do, that we are tific and public media. However, most articles on the in the driver’s seat. (Nature, 2011, p. 254) Anthropocene misrepresent the nature of the units of the International Chronostratigraphic Chart, which is produced by That editorial, as with most articles on the Anthropocene, did the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) and serves as not consider the mission of the International Commission on the basis for the geologic time scale. The stratigraphic record of Stratigraphy (ICS), nor did it present an understanding of the the Anthropocene is minimal, especially with its recently nature of the units of the International Chronostratigraphic Chart proposed beginning in 1945; it is that of a human lifespan, and on which the units of the geologic time scale are based. -
Golden Spikes, Transitions, Boundary Objects, and Anthropogenic Seascapes
sustainability Article A Meaningful Anthropocene?: Golden Spikes, Transitions, Boundary Objects, and Anthropogenic Seascapes Todd J. Braje * and Matthew Lauer Department of Anthropology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 27 June 2020; Accepted: 7 August 2020; Published: 11 August 2020 Abstract: As the number of academic manuscripts explicitly referencing the Anthropocene increases, a theme that seems to tie them all together is the general lack of continuity on how we should define the Anthropocene. In an attempt to formalize the concept, the Anthropocene Working Group (AWG) is working to identify, in the stratigraphic record, a Global Stratigraphic Section and Point (GSSP) or golden spike for a mid-twentieth century Anthropocene starting point. Rather than clarifying our understanding of the Anthropocene, we argue that the AWG’s effort to provide an authoritative definition undermines the original intent of the concept, as a call-to-arms for future sustainable management of local, regional, and global environments, and weakens the concept’s capacity to fundamentally reconfigure the established boundaries between the social and natural sciences. To sustain the creative and productive power of the Anthropocene concept, we argue that it is best understood as a “boundary object,” where it can be adaptable enough to incorporate multiple viewpoints, but robust enough to be meaningful within different disciplines. Here, we provide two examples from our work on the deep history of anthropogenic seascapes, which demonstrate the power of the Anthropocene to stimulate new thinking about the entanglement of humans and non-humans, and for building interdisciplinary solutions to modern environmental issues. -
Soils in the Geologic Record
in the Geologic Record 2021 Soils Planner Natural Resources Conservation Service Words From the Deputy Chief Soils are essential for life on Earth. They are the source of nutrients for plants, the medium that stores and releases water to plants, and the material in which plants anchor to the Earth’s surface. Soils filter pollutants and thereby purify water, store atmospheric carbon and thereby reduce greenhouse gasses, and support structures and thereby provide the foundation on which civilization erects buildings and constructs roads. Given the vast On February 2, 2020, the USDA, Natural importance of soil, it’s no wonder that the U.S. Government has Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) an agency, NRCS, devoted to preserving this essential resource. welcomed Dr. Luis “Louie” Tupas as the NRCS Deputy Chief for Soil Science and Resource Less widely recognized than the value of soil in maintaining Assessment. Dr. Tupas brings knowledge and experience of global change and climate impacts life is the importance of the knowledge gained from soils in the on agriculture, forestry, and other landscapes to the geologic record. Fossil soils, or “paleosols,” help us understand NRCS. He has been with USDA since 2004. the history of the Earth. This planner focuses on these soils in the geologic record. It provides examples of how paleosols can retain Dr. Tupas, a career member of the Senior Executive Service since 2014, served as the Deputy Director information about climates and ecosystems of the prehistoric for Bioenergy, Climate, and Environment, the Acting past. By understanding this deep history, we can obtain a better Deputy Director for Food Science and Nutrition, and understanding of modern climate, current biodiversity, and the Director for International Programs at USDA, ongoing soil formation and destruction. -
A GEOLOGIC RECORD of the FIRST BILLION YEARS of MARS HISTORY. John F. Mustard1 and James W. Head1 1Department of Earth, Environm
49th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 2018 (LPI Contrib. No. 2083) 2604.pdf A GEOLOGIC RECORD OF THE FIRST BILLION YEARS OF MARS HISTORY. John F. Mustard1 and James W. Head1 1Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Box 1846, Brown University, Provi- dence, RI 02912 ([email protected]) Introduction: A compelling record of the first bil- standing solar system evolution question is the exist- lion years of Mars geologic evolution is spectacularly ence, or not, of a period of heavy bombardment ≈500 presented in a compact region at the intersection of Myr after accretion of the terrestrial planets. Except Isidis impact basin and Syrtis Major volcanic province for the Moon, we have no definitive dates for basins (Fig. 1). In this well-exposed region is a well-ordered formed in the Solar System. Radiometric systems in stratigraphy of geologic units spanning Noachian to crystalline igneous rocks exposed by Isidis would like- Early Hesperian times [1]. Geologic units can be de- ly have been reset and thus contain evidence of the finitively associated with the Isidis basin-forming im- impact providing a key data point for understanding pact (≈3.9 Ga, [2]) as well as pristine igneous and basin forming processes in the Solar System. Further- aqueously altered Noachian crust that pre-date the more the Isidis basin impacted onto the rim of the hy- Isidis event. The rich collection of well defined units pothesized Borealis Basin [7]. Given this proximity spanning ≈500 Myr of time in a compact region is at- there is a possibility that some fragments may have tractive for the collection of samples. -
Utah's Geologic Timeline Utah Seed Standard 7.2.6: Make an Argument from Evidence for How the Geologic Time Scale Shows the Ag
Utah’s Geologic Timeline Utah SEEd Standard 7.2.6: Make an argument from evidence for how the geologic time scale shows the age and history of Earth. Emphasize scientific evidence from rock strata, the fossil record, and the principles of relative dating, such as superposition, uniformitarianism, and recognizing unconformities. (ESS1.C) Activity Details: The students begin with a blank calendar and a list of events in the Earth’s, and additionally Utah’s, history. These events span billions of years, but such numbers are too large to visualize and compare. In order to help the mind understand such enormous lengths of time, the year of the event is scaled to what it would Be proportionate to a calendar year (numBers are from The Utah Geological Survey and Kentucky Geological Survey). The students go through the list and fill out their calendar to visualize the geologic timeline of the Earth and Utah, and then answer some analysis questions to help solidify their understanding. Students will need four differently-colored colored pencils or crayons to complete the activity. Background: The following information is taken from The Utah Geological Survey, written by Mark Milligan. It may Be helpful to define some of the terms with the students so they understand where and how ages come from. Geologists generally know the age of a rock By determining the age of the group of rocks, or formation, that it is found in. The age of formations is marked on a geologic calendar known as the geologic time scale. Development of the geologic time scale and dating of formations and rocks relies upon two fundamentally different ways of telling time: relative and absolute. -
Terminology of Geological Time: Establishment of a Community Standard
Terminology of geological time: Establishment of a community standard Marie-Pierre Aubry1, John A. Van Couvering2, Nicholas Christie-Blick3, Ed Landing4, Brian R. Pratt5, Donald E. Owen6 and Ismael Ferrusquía-Villafranca7 1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University, Piscataway NJ 08854, USA; email: [email protected] 2Micropaleontology Press, New York, NY 10001, USA email: [email protected] 3Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades NY 10964, USA email: [email protected] 4New York State Museum, Madison Avenue, Albany NY 12230, USA email: [email protected] 5Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon SK7N 5E2, Canada; email: [email protected] 6Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont TX 77710 USA email: [email protected] 7Universidad Nacional Autónomo de México, Instituto de Geologia, México DF email: [email protected] ABSTRACT: It has been recommended that geological time be described in a single set of terms and according to metric or SI (“Système International d’Unités”) standards, to ensure “worldwide unification of measurement”. While any effort to improve communication in sci- entific research and writing is to be encouraged, we are also concerned that fundamental differences between date and duration, in the way that our profession expresses geological time, would be lost in such an oversimplified terminology. In addition, no precise value for ‘year’ in the SI base unit of second has been accepted by the international bodies. Under any circumstances, however, it remains the fact that geologi- cal dates – as points in time – are not relevant to the SI. -
Museum of Natural History & Science Gallery Guide for Lost Voices
Museum of Natural History & Science Gallery Guide for Lost Voices Lost Voices is a multi-part exhibit focusing on the varied life forms that have inhabited our planet in the past. This exhibit allows for a greater understanding of the history of our planet and also of our place on it. Concepts: background extinction, Cenozoic, Cretaceous, crust, environment, eons, epoch, era, evolution, extinction, fossil, fossil record, geologic record, geologist, Holocene, Jurassic, limestone, mantle, mass extinction, Mesozoic, period, plate tectonics, Quaternary, sandstone, Tertiary, tilt, Triassic, wobble Background Information: Scientists calculate the age of the Earth at approximately 4.6 billion years, and the planet has sustained life for over three million years. During this time, many changes have taken place in climate, placement of the continents and life forms. To assist in understanding this vast period of time, scientists have divided the time into sections. The longest period of time are called eons, which are divided into eras, which are then divided into periods, which are finally divided into epochs. Most people are familiar with the Mesozoic era, which consists of the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. We currently live in the Cenozoic era, the Quaternary period and the Holocene epoch. The divisions between geologic time spans are often defined by a break in the fossil record or a geologic occurrence of some magnitude, such as a sudden widespread volcanic activity. For example, all available evidence points to the division of the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods caused by a giant asteroid strike off the coast of Mexico. The asteroid strike caused the extinction of over 80 percent of the planet’s life forms and created widespread geologic activity. -
Tectonics and Crustal Evolution
Tectonics and crustal evolution Chris J. Hawkesworth, Department of Earth Sciences, University peaks and troughs of ages. Much of it has focused discussion on of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ, the extent to which the generation and evolution of Earth’s crust is UK; and Department of Earth Sciences, University of St. Andrews, driven by deep-seated processes, such as mantle plumes, or is North Street, St. Andrews KY16 9AL, UK, c.j.hawkesworth@bristol primarily in response to plate tectonic processes that dominate at .ac.uk; Peter A. Cawood, Department of Earth Sciences, University relatively shallow levels. of St. Andrews, North Street, St. Andrews KY16 9AL, UK; and Bruno The cyclical nature of the geological record has been recog- Dhuime, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills nized since James Hutton noted in the eighteenth century that Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK even the oldest rocks are made up of “materials furnished from the ruins of former continents” (Hutton, 1785). The history of ABSTRACT the continental crust, at least since the end of the Archean, is marked by geological cycles that on different scales include those The continental crust is the archive of Earth’s history. Its rock shaped by individual mountain building events, and by the units record events that are heterogeneous in time with distinctive cyclic development and dispersal of supercontinents in response peaks and troughs of ages for igneous crystallization, metamor- to plate tectonics (Nance et al., 2014, and references therein). phism, continental margins, and mineralization. This temporal Successive cycles may have different features, reflecting in part distribution is argued largely to reflect the different preservation the cooling of the earth and the changing nature of the litho- potential of rocks generated in different tectonic settings, rather sphere. -
GEOLOGY Geology Major GEO. GEOLOGY
GEOLOGY 14 Geology Major Fifth Semester The major leading to the B.S. degree emphasizes the fundamental of the [[CE-346]] Rock Engineering 3 science of geology with upper-level courses that provide both breadth and [[ENV-321]] Hydrology 3 depth in the curriculum. The program is designed to optimize classroom, [[ENV-323]] Hydrology Lab 1 lab, and field experiences and prepare students for the modern demands of [[GEO-345]] Stratigraphy and 4 a geoscientist or entry into graduate school. Total credits - 122 Sedimentation Geology B.S. Degree- Required Courses [[GIS-271]] Intro to GPS & GIS 3 and Recommended Course Sequence 14 First Semester Credits Sixth Semester [[CHM-115]] Elements & 3 [[EES-302]] Literature Methods 1 Compounds [[EES-304]] Environmental Data 2 [[CHM-113]] Elements & 1 Analysis Compounds Lab [[GEO-349]] Structure and 4 [[ENG-101]] Composition 4 Tectonics [[FYF-101]] First-Year Foundations 3 [[GEO-351]] Paleoclimatology 3 [[MTH-111]] Calculus I 4 [[GEO-352]] Hydrogeology 3 15 [[GIS-272]] Advanced GIS & 3 Remote Sensing Second Semester 16 [[CHM-116]] The Chemical 3 Reaction Summer Session [[CHM-114]] The Chemical 1 [[GEO-380]] Geology Field Camp 4 Reaction Lab [[GEO-101]] Intro to Geology 3 [[GEO-103]] Intro to Geology Lab 1 Seventh Semester [[MTH-112]] Calculus II 4 [[GEO-390]] Applied Geophysics 3 Distribution Requirement 3 [[GEO-391]] Senior Projects I 1 15 Distribution Requirements 6 Third Semester Program Elective 3 13 [[GEO-212]] Historical Geology 3 [[GEO-281]] Mineralogy 4 Eighth Semester [[MTH-150]] Elementary Statistics 3 [[GEO-370]] Geomorphology 3 [[PHY-171]] Principles of Classical 4 [[GEO-392]] Senior Projects II 2 and Modern Physics Distribution Requirements 3 Distribution Requirement 3 Free Elective 3 17 Program Elective 3 Fourth Semester 14 [[EES-240]] Principles of 3 Environmental Engineering & GEO.