Chapter 1.1
• Branches of Earth Science
• Geology – study of the solid earth
– Most geologists specialize in a particular
aspect of the Earth
– Volcanologist – studies volcanoes
– Paleontologist – studies fossils
– Some explore the oceans and underwater
caves
Chapter 1.1
• Oceanography – study of the ocean
– Physical oceanographers study things like
waves and ocean currents
– Biological oceanographers study the plants
and animals that live in the ocean
– Geological oceanographers study natural
chemicals and the chemicals from pollution in
the ocean
Chapter 1.1
• Black smokers are rock chimneys on the ocean
floor that spew black clouds of minerals and are
a type of hydrothermal vent (crack in the ocean
floor) that releases very hot water and minerals
• The minerals and the hot water from these vents
support a biological community of blood red tube
worms, clams, and blind white crabs
Chapter 1.1
• Meteorology – study of the entire
atmosphere
– 2 of the major destructive weather events
– Hurricanes
– Tornadoes
Chapter 1.1
• Astronomy – the study of all physical
things beyond Earth
• Study stars, asteroids, planets, and
everything else in space
Chapter 1.1
• Other branches of Earth Science that
depend more heavily on other areas of
science
• Ecology – study the relationships between
organisms and their surroundings
• Geochemistry – specialize in rocks,
minerals, and soils
Chapter 1.1
• Special branches – cont’d
• Environmental Science – how humans
interact with the environment
• Geography and Cartography – study the
surface feature of the earth and make
maps of those features
Chapter 1.2
• Scientific method – a series of steps that is used
to answer a question or solve a problem
• Scientists may use all of the steps or just some
of the steps of the scientific method
• Sometimes only observations are needed to find
an answer
• Can the answer always be found?
Chapter 1.2
• Form a hypothesis – a possible explanation or answer to
a question
• Scientists have to think logically and creatively and
consider what they already know
• Must be testable by experimentation
• If a hypothesis is not testable, it does not mean that it is
wrong, just that there is no way to support or disprove
the hypothesis
• Scientist make predictions about their hypothesis
Chapter 1.2
• Test the hypothesis – scientists design experiments that
will clearly show whether a particular factor caused an
observed outcome
• A factor is anything in an experiment that can influence
the experiment’s outcome
– Ex: temperature, size, watering amount, etc
• Controlled experiment – tests only one factor at a time
• Experimental experiment – factors are the same as the
controlled, except for one factor
• Variable – one factor that differs
Chapter 1.2
• Test the hypothesis – cont’d
• Collect data –
• Scientists also support their conclusions by
repeating their experiment
• If an experiment produces the same results
again and again, scientists can be more certain
about the effect the variable has on the outcome
of the experiment
Chapter 1.2
• Analyze the results – they must organize
the data so that they can be analyzed
– They must put the data into a table or graph
Chapter 1.2
• Draw conclusion – they decide whether the results of the
experiments support a hypothesis
• If the hypothesis is not supported by the tests, they must
try to find another explanation for what they have
observed
• Communicate Results – scientists communicate their
results with other scientists
• Other scientists may repeat the experiments to see if
they get the same results
Chapter 1.3
• Global warming – worldwide increase in
temperature
• Is global warming happening?
• Models – representations of objects or
systems
– Models of earth, solar system, etc
Chapter 1.3
• Types of Models
• 1. Physical models – models you can
touch and should act and look just like the
real thing
• 2. Mathematical models – made up of
mathematical equations and data
• 3. Conceptual models – take the form of
theories like the Big Bang and atomic
theory
Chapter 1.3
• Global-Warming Model – is the
temperature of the earth increasing
• Greenhouse effect – a greenhouse is
made up of glass in which plants are
grown
• Has anyone been in a greenhouse???
Chapter 1.3
• What is the temperature like in a
greenhouse?
• Testing the Global-Warming Model
– What could we do to test it?
Chapter 1.4
• Systems of measurement – scientists
must be able to make accurate and
reliable measurements
• SI unit or International System of Units –
most scientists and almost all countries
use this system
• Does the US use the SI system?
Chapter 1.4
• Measuring length – meter is the basic unit
of length in the SI system
• Look at page 22 to see how the meter is
divided up
Chapter 1.4
• Measuring volume – amount of space that
something occupies or contains
• Is often measured in liters (L)
Chapter 1.4
• Measuring volume of solids
– Large solid object is given in cubic meters
– Smaller objects are measured in cubic
centimeters
– Displacement of water is used to measure the
volume of fossils and rocks with irregular
shapes
Chapter 1.4
• Temperature – a measure of how hot or
cold something is
• Measure in degrees Celsius or Kelvin
• Does the US always use C or K
Chapter 1.4
• Lab Safety Rules!!!