Choosing the right earth science book depends on factors such as content, level of knowledge, and purpose. Consider the author’s background, reading level for children, and whether the book is for school or leisure. College students may need multiple books for comprehensive coverage. When selecting earth science books, there are a number of factors, including […]
The tallest structure on Earth as of April 2007 is the KVLY-TV mast, but the Burj Dubai in the United Arab Emirates will be the tallest ever built. Moored balloons are the tallest non-self-supporting structures. The Burj Dubai will have between 160 and 216 floors and will be designed by Giorgio Armani. The largest of […]
A future civilization could use space elevators and solar energy to disassemble the Earth and convert it into space colonies. The estimated energy cost is 6×10^31 J, but feasible with advanced technology. Solar energy could be harvested using astronomical-sized solar arrays orbiting Mercury. Assuming 50% efficient solar panels absorb 1% of the solar flux, enough […]
The best earth science resources for kids include interactive websites, videos, games, and physical objects. Look for accurate sources and use physical activities to enhance learning through touch and movement. Many of the best earth science resources for kids are things they can interact with in some way or that include engaging video content. The […]
Earth science museums focus on the earth and its surroundings, with exhibits divided by subdiscipline such as oceanography, geology, and meteorology. They can be public or private, for education or research, and may contain exhibits in multiple branches. Ownership varies, with some museums publicly owned and others privately owned and for-profit. Earth sciences are those […]
Earth sciences include geology, geography, oceanography, atmospheric sciences, geoinformatics, soil sciences, and glaciology. Environmental sciences investigate environmental conditions affecting living things. Earth sciences can be divided into sub-branches, including mineralogy, meteorology, and marine biology. Geography is divided into physical and human geography. Oceanography studies the Earth’s oceans, while atmospheric sciences study the atmosphere. Geoinformatics deals […]
A meteorite that crashed in Australia in 1969 contains interstellar particles that are several billion years older than the sun, making it the oldest material ever found. The Murchison meteorite is unique because it carried the dust intact, and researchers had to dissolve some material to reveal “presolar grains” to determine the age of the […]
Various websites offer earth science games for preschoolers to 12th graders, organized by age group or branch. Games improve motor skills, entertain, and teach about the world. NASA’s website has games for younger children, while older students can learn about oil and gas drilling. Zoodles offers space adventures, and Gameaquarium has games on oceanography and […]
The Paleocene epoch, from 65.5 to 55.8 million years ago, marked the beginning of the Age of Mammals. The climate was hot and humid, with large areas of land inundated. The asteroid that hit Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula wiped out most life on Earth, leaving niches for birds and mammals. Most mammals were small, with Xenartha […]
Earth briefly had a mini-moon, a small asteroid called 2020 CD3, in orbit for several years before breaking free in March 2020. It was only the second temporary moon ever observed. Another object, 2020 SW, is expected to enter Earth’s orbit and stay until May 2021. 2020 SO, classified as an Apollo asteroid, is likely […]
Fossils of giant fungi called Prototaxites suggest they covered the Earth before trees. They reached 24m in height, while trees were only 7.3m. The first fossils were found in Canada in 3, but it wasn’t until 0.9 that they were identified as giant mushrooms. There are over 5 million mushroom species in the world, and […]
The age of the earth is a controversial topic with two main groups: mainstream scientists who use scientific evidence to estimate an age of approximately 4.5 billion years, and creationists who base their beliefs on religion and suggest an age of 4,000 to 10,000 years. Creationists may question the validity of radiometric dating methods and […]
An earth science teacher is trained to teach geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy. They need at least a bachelor’s degree and strong math and science skills. Credentialing programs and a master’s degree can lead to higher salaries and more specific work opportunities. An earth science teacher is usually a middle or high school teacher who […]
The Kola Superdeep Borehole, drilled by Soviet engineers from 1970 to 1994, reached a depth of 7.6 miles (12.3 km) and helped researchers discover that the granite rock layer extends deeper than previously thought. It also revealed two billion-year-old microscopic plankton fossils. The earth’s crust is about 25 miles (40 km) deep and temperatures at […]
Earth science lesson plans cover a variety of topics, including weather, natural disasters, terrain, and biomes. Hands-on activities, such as coloring diagrams and building models, help students retain information. Lesson plans can focus on different geological features and culminate in dioramas or science experiments. Earth science covers a variety of topics, from the Earth’s different […]
The Miocene epoch, 23-5 million years ago, saw the emergence of grasslands, separation of Antarctica from South America, and evolution of modern mammals. Hardwood forests retreated, giving rise to herbivorous species and megafauna. The era also saw the evolution of echolocation and the emergence of great apes and intelligent precursors of Homo. The Miocene epoch […]
Despite thousands of UFO sightings each year, there is no physical evidence to support the theory that they are spacecraft from other worlds. Powerful radars and telescopes have never observed extraterrestrial spacecraft, and most sightings are unreliable. Occam’s razor suggests that UFOs have other causes. Since the first widely publicized UFO (unidentified flying object) incident, […]
Reconnaissance satellites use high resolution CCD cameras and large lenses to take pictures of the ground. They return images via encrypted radio transmissions. The Rayleigh criterion is used to calculate the resolution of an optical image. Commercially available high-resolution color images of the world are available, but military reconnaissance satellites update their images every 45 […]
Microbial mats were the first life forms to colonize Earth, followed by arthropod trace fossils during the Cambrian period. Mosses and lichens were the first widespread terrestrial fossils during the Silurian period, followed by simple vascular plants and fungi. A simple terrestrial ecosystem emerged by the end of the Silurian period. The first attempts at […]
The world’s current population of 7.7 billion is only 7% of all people who have ever lived, with over 108 billion people having roamed the Earth since modern humans appeared. Life expectancy has significantly increased, and by 2050, the world is predicted to have added 5 billion people. The average age of the world’s population […]
