Earth. Related Sciences Chaos Theory How long is the coastline of the United States? Depends on the...

Chaos TheoryHow long is the coastline of the United States?

Depends on the length of the ruler used…

Chaos TheoryWeather models…..Only as good as the number of variables inputted….

Butterfly Effect:In a remote part of the Amazon jungle, a butterfly alights upon a tree limb. The butterfly rests there for a moment, and then flutters its wings. A week later, the weather in New York is affected. No instruments presently known could measure the perturbation, but it happens. It is called “the Butterfly Effect.” This strange effect promotes the idea that in a chaotic system, a very small change to that system applied at a certain point in time makes the future change in a very dramatic way. Something as small as a butterfly flapping its wings now might affect the weather system on a global scale six months in the future.

Earth systems are all interrelated, and small variables can causesignificant changes.

CatastrophismAll the Earth’s great landforms are theresult of great catastrophes.

Grand Canyon

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Arthur’s Seat

James Hutton

Hutton’s Section

Uniformitarianism

The present is the key to the past

Present day processes

Time

Jan 1 Dec 31

Origin of the Earth: January 1

Oldest known rocks: Early March

Living things appear in oceans: May

Land plants and organisms: Late November

Dinosaurs: Dominant from mid-December to the 26th

On the 31st:Humans appear: 11:49pmEnd of last ice age: 11:58:17pmFall of Roman Empire: 11:59:49pmColumbus: 11:59:57pmWorld War I: 11:59:59.4pmY2K: 11:59:59.9993pm

Every real year equates to 1/7000 of a second

Earth’s Interior

Inner core: Solid ironOuter core: Molten metallic Ni and Fe

Mantle: 82% of Earth’svolume. Fe and Mg-rich rock.

Mesosphere: Strong and rigid

Tectonic PlatesCrust + Rigid upper mantle (lithosphere)