Prelude - And Just What Is Geology?

Scientific Method

A sequence of steps for systematically analyzing scientific problems in a way that leads to verifiable results

Asthenosphere

A softer part of the mantle

Scientific Laws

Concise statements that completely describe a specific relationship or phenomenon

Hydrosphere

Consists of all liquid water at or near the surface of the Earth

Cryosphere

Consists of frozen water, mostly in glaciers

Biosphere

Consists of living organisms, from bacteria to whales

Geosphere

Consists of the solid part of our planet (exposed rock, sediment, or soil)

Plates

Distinct boundaries separate the lithosphere shell into discrete pieces

Hypothesis

Merely a possible explanation, involving only natural processes, that can explain a set of observances

Geologic Time Scale

Refers to specific portions of geologic time

Thesis

Scientific ideas supported by an abundance of evidence; they have passed many tests and have failed none

Geologists

Scientists who study the Earth

Theory of Plate Tectonics

Serves as the foundation for understanding most geologic phenomena. Plate movements and interactions produce earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain ranges, and cause the map of the Earth's surface to change very slowly over time

Lithosphere

The crust, together with the uppermost part of the underlying mantle, forms a 100 to 150 km thick semi rigid shell

Atmosphere

The envelope of gas that encircles the planet

Earth System

The interconnected web of interacting material and processes

Gravity

The pull that one mass exerts on another

Geology

The study of the Earth, also called geoscience

External Processes

Those driven by energy coming to the Earth from the Sun

Internal Processes

Those driven by heat from inside the Earth (ex: plate movement)