Earth Science Web Resources and Links
Universe Scale! An amazing website that allows you to explore the scale of objects, from the first nucleus to the first atom, to viruses, to human eggs and sperm, to dinosaurs, to Mt. Everest, to moons in the solar system, planets in our solar system and beyond, to stars, nebulae, galaxies, superclusters, and the Universe.
Will the World End in 2012? No! Here's the science beyond the crazy claims.
Energy in the Earth system: The Earth has internal and external sources of energy. The Earth's internal energy drives mantle convection cells that move crustal plates on the Earth's surface. Global climate is a function of heat transfer from the Sun and near the Earth's surface.
Geochemical cycles: The Earth contains a fixed amount of each stable chemical atom or element, and the elements move through geochemical cycles. These cycles are driven by the Earth's internal and external sources of energy.
Origin and evolution of the Earth system: The solar system formed from a nebular cloud of dust and gas 4.6 billion years ago. The Earth has evolved through interactions of the solid Earth, oceans, atmosphere, and changing life. Geologic time can be estimated by correlating rock sequences, fossils, and radioactive isotope decay.
Origin and evolution of the universe: Our solar system formed from a cloud of dust and gas 4.6 billion years ago. The universe began earlier, possibly in the "Big Bang."
Structure of the Earth system: Introduction to layering of the Earth, and plate tectonics. Emphasis is on the concept of the rock cycle (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks), the formation of soils, the role of water in natural cycles, solar energy, and global climate patterns . In Kentucky, water is responsible for the caves and sinkholes that dot our landscape.
Natural Hazards: Internal and external processes of the Earth system cause natural hazards.
Earth history: Fossils provide evidence of past life. Natural processes that we observe today, occurred in the past; in other words, "the present is the key to the past."
Earth's place in the solar system: The Earth is a planet, and is part of a solar system. The sun is the major source of energy for natural cycles on Earth.
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