PART © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION EarthNOT FOR Systems: SALE OR DISTRIBUTION I Their Nature © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR andSALE OR DISTRIBUTION Their StudyNOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC Part I of Earth’s Evolving Systems examines the principles and con- NOT FOR SALEChapter OR DISTRIBUTION 1 NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION Introduction: cepts critical to the study of the processes of each of the basic Earth Investigating earth’s systems: the solid Earth, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, and Systems the biosphere. In examining these systems, Part I emphasizes the following: Chapter 2© Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC Plate Tectonics NOT FOR SALE1. Why OR study DISTRIBUTION Earth history? NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION Chapter 3 2. Basic components and behavior of each system and how they Earth Systems: evolve Processes and 3. How changes in the distributions of the continents and oceans Interactions© Jones & Bartlett Learning,a LLC ect the other systems © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC ChapterNOT FOR SALE 4 OR DISTRIBUTION4. How the interactions of Earth’sNOT systems FOR regulate SALE climate OR DISTRIBUTION Sedimentary Rocks, 5. The importance of geologic time to the study of physical and bio- Sedimentary logical processes Environments, 6. How we study Earth’s systems and Fossils © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALEChapter OR DISTRIBUTION 5 NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION Evolution and Extinction Chapter 6 Geologic Time and© Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC Stratigraphy NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR Inc. © Rainer Albiez/Shutterstock, SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning LLC, an Ascend Learning Company. NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION. 9781284457162_CH01_001_022.indd 1 07/11/16 10:44 am © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning LLC, an Ascend Learning Company. NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION. 9781284457162_CH01_001_022.indd 2 07/11/16 10:44 am CHAPTER © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION 1 © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC Introduction:NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION Investigating earth’s © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC SystemsNOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION Major Concepts and Questions Addressed in This Chapter © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION A Why study the history of Earth? E Why is geologic time important to understanding how B How did the science of Earth systems arise? Earth’s systems interact? C What is a system, and how does it work? F How do diff erent processes act on diff erent durations of time? D What are Earth’s systems, and what are their basic characteristics? © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLCG How do we study Earth’s ©systems Jones and & the Bartlett history of Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTIONtheir interactions? NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION Chapter© Jones & Bartlett Outline Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION 1.1 Why Study the History of Earth? 1.4 Directionality and the Evolution of Earth 1.2 What Are the Major Earth Systems, and What Systems Are Their Characteristics? 1.5 Geology as an Historical Science © Jones & BOX Bartlett 1.1 TheLearning, Origins of theLLC Science of Earth Systems © Jones 1.6 &Method Bartlett and Learning,Study of earth’s LLC Evolving Systems NOT FOR 1.3 SALE Geologic OR DISTRIBUTION Time and Process NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION The Anasazi© cli Jones dwellings at Mesa& VerdeBartlett National Park, Learning,Colorado. The Anasazi (the LLC “Ancient Ones”) civilization vanished suddenly, possibly© asJones a result of prolonged & Bartlett drought. The Anasazi Learning, civilization once encompassed LLC an area the sizeNOT of New EnglandFOR in the SALE Four Corners regionOR where DISTRIBUTION Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona meet today. Based on archeologicalNOT evidence, FOR the Anasazi SALE civilization ORourished DISTRIBUTIONduring what is called the Little Climate Optimum from about 900–1300, and traded with other civilizations as far south as Mexico and Central America. The Anasazi adopted an agricultural lifestyle and built extensive cities in the sides of cli s. However, the Anasazi began to disperse from about 1280–1300, leaving behind their dwellings, and their civilization disappeared. Similarly, increasing evidence indicates that modern global change—due to the combustion of fossil fuels—will alter precipitation patterns, leading to more intense heat waves and prolonged drought in di erent regions all over the world, including North America. Courtesy of National Park Service. © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC © Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION 3 © Jones & Bartlett Learning LLC, an Ascend Learning Company. NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION. 9781284457162_CH01_001_022.indd 3 07/11/16 10:44 am the present (refer to this chapter’s frontispiece). Humans 1.1 Why Study the History have now begun to affect Earth’s environments at rates much © Jones of& Bartlett Earth? Learning, LLC © Jonesfaster &than Bartlett the rates Learning,of natural processes. LLC The rapid growth NOT FOR SALE OR DISTRIBUTION NOT ofFOR human SALE populations OR DISTRIBUTION ( Figure 1.1 ) has led to the spread of Earth’s Evolving Systems is about the history of the agriculture and deforestation, heavy industry and power A Earth, the natural processes that have shaped it, and plants fired by fossil fuels, and the dependence on petro- the history of these processes and their interactions through leum (oil and gas) to power automobiles for transportation vast intervals of time. Geology is the science that studies the (Figure 1.2 ). history of the Earth and© its Jones life preserved & Bartlett as fossils. Learning, LLC The burning of fossil fuels© releasesJones greenhouse & Bartlett gases Learning, , LLC Why should we beNOT concerned FOR SALEabout Earth’s OR DISTRIBUTIONhistory? especially carbon dioxide, intoNOT the atmosphere. FOR SALE Greenhouse OR DISTRIBUTION Because understanding how the Earth changes and has gas traps solar radiation as heat in Earth’s atmosphere, caus- changed tells us about how natural processes affect humans ing the atmosphere and surface to warm (Figure 1.3 ). With- and how humans affect natural processes. The history of the out carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, Earth’s average surface Earth confronts us with events and possibilities that we can- temperature would be about –18°C (0.5°F) instead of its cur- not imagine.© Jones Many & natural Bartlett processes Learning, act so slowly LLC we would rent (and more© Jones comfortable!) & Bartlett temperature Learning, of +15°C LLC(59°F). be unawareNOT ofFOR them SALE except ORfor the DISTRIBUTION geologic record of their But humansNOT have FORbegun toSALE burn fossilOR DISTRIBUTIONfuels at an unprece- activities preserved by rocks and fossils. Most people are dented rate, and no one really knows what the outcome unaware that Earth’s environments are constantly changing. will be of the rapid accumulation of carbon dioxide in the We assume that landscapes—mountains, valleys, rivers and atmosphere. In fact, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere streams, and coasts—do not change because the changes are have increased about 30% since the beginning of the Indus- © Jones &typically Bartlett so slow Learning, and subtle theyLLC take place over time spans©