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earth science and its branches

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Geology is the study of the solid Earth. Geologists study how rocks and minerals form. The way mountains rise up is part of geology. The way mountains erode away is another part. Geologists also study fossils and Earths history. There are many other branches of geology. There is so much to know about our home planet that most geologists become specialists in one area. For example, a mineralogist studies minerals, as seen in (Figure 1.11). Some volcanologists brave molten lava to study volcanoes. Seismologists monitor earthquakes worldwide to help protect people and property from harm (Figure 1.11). Paleontologists are interested in fossils and how ancient organisms lived. Scientists who compare the geology of other planets to Earth are planetary geologists. Some geologists study the Moon. Others look for petroleum. Still others specialize in studying soil. Some geologists can tell how old rocks are and determine how different rock layers formed. There is probably an expert in almost anything you can think of related to Earth! Geologists might study rivers and lakes, the underground water found between soil and rock particles, or even water that is frozen in glaciers. Earth scientists also need geographers who explore the features of Earths surface and work with cartographers, who make maps. Studying the layers of rock beneath the surface helps us to understand the history of planet Earth (Figure 1.12).

earth science and its branches

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Oceanography is the study of the oceans. The word oceanology might be more accurate, since ology is the study of. Graph is to write and refers to map making. But mapping the oceans is how oceanography started. More than 70% of Earths surface is covered with water. Almost all of that water is in the oceans. Scientists have visited the deepest parts of the ocean in submarines. Remote vehicles go where humans cant. Yet much of the ocean remains unexplored. Some people call the ocean the last frontier. Humans have had a big impact on the oceans. Populations of fish and other marine species have been overfished. Contaminants are polluting the waters. Global warming is melting the thick ice caps and warming the water. Warmer water expands and, along with water from the melting ice caps, causes sea levels to rise. There are many branches of oceanography. Physical oceanography is the study of water movement, like waves and ocean currents (Figure 1.13). Marine geology looks at rocks and structures in the ocean basins. Chemical oceanography studies the natural elements in ocean water. Marine biology looks at marine life.

earth science and its branches

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Meteorologists dont study meteors they study the atmosphere! The word meteor refers to things in the air. Meteorology includes the study of weather patterns, clouds, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Meteorology is very important. Using radars and satellites, meteorologists work to predict, or forecast, the weather (Figure 1.14). The atmosphere is a thin layer of gas that surrounds Earth. Climatologists study the atmosphere. These scientists work to understand the climate as it is now. They also study how climate will change in response to global warming. The atmosphere contains small amounts of carbon dioxide. Climatologists have found that humans are putting a lot of extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This is mostly from burning fossil fuels. The extra carbon dioxide traps heat from the Sun. Trapped heat causes the atmosphere to heat up. We call this global warming (Figure 1.15).

earth science and its branches

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Environmental scientists study the ways that humans affect the planet we live on. We hope to find better ways of living that can also help the environment. Ecologists study lifeforms and the environments they live in (Figure 1.16). They try to predict the chain reactions that could occur when one part of the ecosystem is disrupted.

earth science and its branches

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Astronomy and astronomers have shown that the planets in our solar system are not the only planets in the universe. Over 530 planets were known outside our solar system in 2011. And there are billions of other planets! The universe also contains black holes, other galaxies, asteroids, comets, and nebula. As big as Earth seems, the entire universe is vastly more enormous. Earth is just a tiny part of our universe. Astronomers use many tools to study things in space. Earth-orbiting telescopes view stars and galaxies from the darkness of space (Figure 1.17). They may have optical and radio telescopes to see things that the human eye cant see. Spacecraft travel great distances to send back information on faraway places. Astronomers ask a wide variety of questions. How do strong bursts of energy from the Sun, called solar flares, affect communications? How might an impact from an asteroid affect life on Earth? What are the properties of black holes? Astronomers ask bigger questions too. How was the universe created? Is there life on other planets? Are there resources on other planets that people could use? Astronomers use what Earth scientists know to make comparisons with other planets.

erosion and deposition by flowing water

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Flowing water is a very important agent of erosion. Flowing water can erode rocks and soil. Water dissolves minerals from rocks and carries the ions. This process happens really slowly. But over millions of years, flowing water dissolves massive amounts of rock. Moving water also picks up and carries particles of soil and rock. The ability to erode is affected by the velocity, or speed, of the water. The size of the eroded particles depends on the velocity of the water. Eventually, the water deposits the materials. As water slows, larger particles are deposited. As the water slows even more, smaller particles are deposited. The graph in Figure 10.1 shows how water velocity and particle size influence erosion and deposition.

erosion and deposition by flowing water

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Faster-moving water has more energy. Therefore, it can carry larger particles. It can carry more particles. What causes water to move faster? The slope of the land over which the water flows is one factor. The steeper the slope, the faster the water flows. Another factor is the amount of water thats in the stream. Streams with a lot of water flow faster than streams that are nearly dry.

erosion and deposition by flowing water

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The size of particles determines how they are carried by flowing water. This is illustrated in Figure 10.2. Minerals that dissolve in water form salts. The salts are carried in solution. They are mixed thoroughly with the water. Small particles, such as clay and silt, are carried in suspension. They are mixed throughout the water. These particles are not dissolved in the water. Somewhat bigger particles, such as sand, are moved by saltation. The particles move in little jumps near the stream bottom. They are nudged along by water and other particles. The biggest particles, including gravel and pebbles, are moved by traction. In this process, the particles roll or drag along the bottom of the water.

erosion and deposition by flowing water

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Flowing water slows down when it reaches flatter land or flows into a body of still water. What do you think happens then? The water starts dropping the particles it was carrying. As the water slows, it drops the largest particles first. The smallest particles settle out last.

erosion and deposition by flowing water

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Water that flows over Earths surface includes runoff, streams, and rivers. All these types of flowing water can cause erosion and deposition.

erosion and deposition by flowing water

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When a lot of rain falls in a short period of time, much of the water is unable to soak into the ground. Instead, it runs over the land. Gravity causes the water to flow from higher to lower ground. As the runoff flows, it may pick up loose material on the surface, such as bits of soil and sand. Runoff is likely to cause more erosion if the land is bare. Plants help hold the soil in place. The runoff water in Figure 10.3 is brown because it eroded soil from a bare, sloping field. Can you find evidence of erosion by runoff where you live? What should you look for? Much of the material eroded by runoff is carried into bodies of water, such as streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, or oceans. Runoff is an important cause of erosion. Thats because it occurs over so much of Earths surface.

erosion and deposition by flowing water

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Streams often start in mountains, where the land is very steep. You can see an example in Figure 10.4. A mountain stream flows very quickly because of the steep slope. This causes a lot of erosion and very little deposition. The rapidly falling water digs down into the stream bed and makes it deeper. It carves a narrow, V-shaped channel.

erosion and deposition by flowing water

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Mountain streams may erode waterfalls. As shown in Figure 10.5, a waterfall forms where a stream flows from an area of harder to softer rock. The water erodes the softer rock faster than the harder rock. This causes the stream bed to drop down, like a step, creating a waterfall. As erosion continues, the waterfall gradually moves upstream.

erosion and deposition by flowing water

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Rivers flowing over gentle slopes erode the sides of their channels more than the bottom. Large curves, called meanders, form because of erosion and deposition by the moving water. The curves are called meanders because they slowly wander over the land. You can see how this happens in Figure 10.6. As meanders erode from side to side, they create a floodplain. This is a broad, flat area on both sides of a river. Eventually, a meander may become cut off from the rest of the river. This forms an oxbow lake, like the one in Figure 10.6.

erosion and deposition by flowing water

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When a stream or river slows down, it starts dropping its sediments. Larger sediments are dropped in steep areas, but smaller sediments can still be carried. Smaller sediments are dropped as the slope becomes less steep. Alluvial Fans In arid regions, a mountain stream may flow onto flatter land. The stream comes to a stop rapidly. The deposits form an alluvial fan, like the one in Figure 10.7. Deltas Deposition also occurs when a stream or river empties into a large body of still water. In this case, a delta forms. A delta is shaped like a triangle. It spreads out into the body of water. An example is shown in Figure 10.7.

erosion and deposition by flowing water

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A flood occurs when a river overflows it banks. This might happen because of heavy rains. Floodplains As the water spreads out over the land, it slows down and drops its sediment. If a river floods often, the floodplain develops a thick layer of rich soil because of all the deposits. Thats why floodplains are usually good places for growing plants. For example, the Nile River in Egypt provides both water and thick sediments for raising crops in the middle of a sandy desert. Natural Levees A flooding river often forms natural levees along its banks. A levee is a raised strip of sediments deposited close to the waters edge. You can see how levees form in Figure 10.8. Levees occur because floodwaters deposit their biggest sediments first when they overflow the rivers banks.

erosion and deposition by flowing water

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Some water soaks into the ground. It travels down through tiny holes in soil. It seeps through cracks in rock. The water moves slowly, pulled deeper and deeper by gravity. Underground water can also erode and deposit material.

erosion and deposition by flowing water

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As groundwater moves through rock, it dissolves minerals. Some rocks dissolve more easily than others. Over time, the water may dissolve large underground holes, or caves. Groundwater drips from the ceiling to the floor of a cave. This water is rich in dissolved minerals. When the minerals come out of solution, they are deposited. They build up on the ceiling of the cave to create formations called stalactites. A stalactite is a pointed, icicle-like mineral deposit that forms on the ceiling of a cave. They drip to the floor of the cave and harden to form stalagmites. A stalagmite is a more rounded mineral deposit that forms on the floor of a cave (Figure 10.9). Both types of formations grow in size as water keeps dripping and more minerals are deposited.

erosion and deposition by flowing water

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As erosion by groundwater continues, the ceiling of a cave may collapse. The rock and soil above it sink into the ground. This forms a sinkhole on the surface. You can see an example of a sinkhole in Figure 10.10. Some sinkholes are big enough to swallow vehicles and buildings.

erosion and deposition by waves

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All waves are the way energy travels through matter. Ocean waves are energy traveling through water. They form when wind blows over the surface of the ocean. Wind energy is transferred to the sea surface. Then, the energy is carried through the water by the waves. Figure 10.11 shows ocean waves crashing against rocks on a shore. They pound away at the rocks and anything else they strike. Three factors determine the size of ocean waves: 1. The speed of the wind. 2. The length of time the wind blows. 3. The distance the wind blows. The faster, longer, and farther the wind blows, the bigger the waves are. Bigger waves have more energy.

erosion and deposition by waves

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Runoff, streams, and rivers carry sediment to the oceans. The sediment in ocean water acts like sandpaper. Over time, they erode the shore. The bigger the waves are and the more sediment they carry, the more erosion they cause.

erosion and deposition by waves

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Erosion by waves can create unique landforms (Figure 10.12). Wave-cut cliffs form when waves erode a rocky shoreline. They create a vertical wall of exposed rock layers. Sea arches form when waves erode both sides of a cliff. They create a hole in the cliff. Sea stacks form when waves erode the top of a sea arch. This leaves behind pillars of rock.

erosion and deposition by waves

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Eventually, the sediment in ocean water is deposited. Deposition occurs where waves and other ocean motions slow. The smallest particles, such as silt and clay, are deposited away from shore. This is where water is calmer. Larger particles are deposited on the beach. This is where waves and other motions are strongest.

erosion and deposition by waves

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In relatively quiet areas along a shore, waves may deposit sand. Sand forms a beach, like the one in Figure 10.13. Many beaches include bits of rock and shell. You can see a close-up photo of beach deposits in Figure 10.14.

erosion and deposition by waves

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Most waves strike the shore at an angle. This causes longshore drift. Longshore drift moves sediment along the shore. Sediment is moved up the beach by an incoming wave. The wave approaches at an angle to the shore. Water then moves straight offshore. The sediment moves straight down the beach with it. The sediment is again picked up by a wave that is coming in at an angle. This motion is show in Figure 10.15 and at the link below.

erosion and deposition by waves

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Deposits from longshore drift may form a spit. A spit is a ridge of sand that extends away from the shore. The end of the spit may hook around toward the quieter waters close to shore. You can see a spit in Figure 10.16. Waves may also deposit sediments to form sandbars and barrier islands. You can see examples of these landforms in Figure 10.17.

erosion and deposition by waves

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Shores are attractive places to live and vacation. But development at the shore is at risk of damage from waves. Wave erosion threatens many homes and beaches on the ocean. This is especially true during storms, when waves may be much larger than normal.

erosion and deposition by waves

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Barrier islands provide natural protection to shorelines. Storm waves strike the barrier island before they reach the shore. People also build artificial barriers, called breakwaters. Breakwaters also protect the shoreline from incoming waves. You can see an example of a breakwater in Figure 10.18. It runs parallel to the coast like a barrier island.

erosion and deposition by waves

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Longshore drift can erode the sediment from a beach. To keep this from happening, people may build a series of groins. A groin is wall of rocks or concrete that juts out into the ocean perpendicular to the shore. It stops waves from moving right along the beach. This stops the sand on the upcurrent side and reduces beach erosion. You can see how groins work in Figure 10.19.

erosion and deposition by glaciers

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Glaciers form when more snow falls than melts each year. Over many years, layer upon layer of snow compacts and turns to ice. There are two different types of glaciers: continental glaciers and valley glaciers. Each type forms some unique features through erosion and deposition. An example of each type is pictured in Figure 10.27. A continental glacier is spread out over a huge area. It may cover most of a continent. Today, continental glaciers cover most of Greenland and Antarctica. In the past, they were much more extensive. A valley glacier is long and narrow. Valley glaciers form in mountains and flow downhill through mountain river valleys.

erosion and deposition by glaciers

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Like flowing water, flowing ice erodes the land and deposits the material elsewhere. Glaciers cause erosion in two main ways: plucking and abrasion. Plucking is the process by which rocks and other sediments are picked up by a glacier. They freeze to the bottom of the glacier and are carried away by the flowing ice. Abrasion is the process in which a glacier scrapes underlying rock. The sediments and rocks frozen in the ice at the bottom and sides of a glacier act like sandpaper. They wear away rock. They may also leave scratches and grooves that show the direction the glacier moved.

erosion and deposition by glaciers

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Valley glaciers form several unique features through erosion. You can see some of them in Figure 10.28. As a valley glacier flows through a V-shaped river valley, it scrapes away the sides of the valley. It carves a U-shaped valley with nearly vertical walls. A line called the trimline shows the highest level the glacier reached. A cirque is a rounded hollow carved in the side of a mountain by a glacier. The highest cliff of a cirque is called the headwall. An arte is a jagged ridge that remains when cirques form on opposite sides of a mountain. A low spot in an arte is called a col. A horn is a sharp peak that is left behind when glacial cirques are on at least three sides of a mountain.

erosion and deposition by glaciers

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Glaciers deposit their sediment when they melt. They drop and leave behind whatever was once frozen in their ice. Its usually a mixture of particles and rocks of all sizes, called glacial till. Water from the melting ice may form lakes or other water features. Figure 10.29 shows some of the landforms glaciers deposit when they melt. Moraine is sediment deposited by a glacier. A ground moraine is a thick layer of sediments left behind by a retreating glacier. An end moraine is a low ridge of sediments deposited at the end of the glacier. It marks the greatest distance the glacier advanced. A drumlin is a long, low hill of sediments deposited by a glacier. Drumlins often occur in groups called drumlin fields. The narrow end of each drumlin points in the direction the glacier was moving when it dropped the sediments. An esker is a winding ridge of sand deposited by a stream of meltwater. Such streams flow underneath a retreating glacier. A kettle lake occurs where a chunk of ice was left behind in the sediments of a retreating glacier. When the ice melted, it left a depression. The meltwater filled it to form a lake.

fossils

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Fossils are preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived in the past. Most preserved remains are hard parts, such as teeth, bones, or shells. Examples of these kinds of fossils are pictured in Figure 11.1. Preserved traces can include footprints, burrows, or even wastes. Examples of trace fossils are also shown in Figure 11.1.

fossils

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The process by which remains or traces of living things become fossils is called fossilization. Most fossils are preserved in sedimentary rocks.

fossils

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Most fossils form when a dead organism is buried in sediment. Layers of sediment slowly build up. The sediment is buried and turns into sedimentary rock. The remains inside the rock also turn to rock. The remains are replaced by minerals. The remains literally turn to stone. Fossilization is illustrated in Figure 11.2.

fossils

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Fossils may form in other ways. With complete preservation, the organism doesnt change much. As seen below, tree sap may cover an organism and then turn into amber. The original organism is preserved so that scientists might be able to study its DNA. Organisms can also be completely preserved in tar or ice. Molds and casts are another way organisms can be fossilized. A mold is an imprint of an organism left in rock. The organisms remains break down completely. Rock that fills in the mold resembles the original remains. The fossil that forms in the mold is called a cast. Molds and casts usually form in sedimentary rock. With compression, an organisms remains are put under great pressure inside rock layers. This leaves behind a dark stain in the rock. You can read about them in Figure 11.3.

fossils

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Its very unlikely that any given organism will become a fossil. The remains of many organisms are consumed. Remains also may be broken down by other living things or by the elements. Hard parts, such as bones, are much more likely to become fossils. But even they rarely last long enough to become fossils. Organisms without hard parts are the least likely to be fossilized. Fossils of soft organisms, from bacteria to jellyfish, are very rare.

fossils

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Of all the organisms that ever lived, only a tiny number became fossils. Still, scientists learn a lot from fossils. Fossils are our best clues about the history of life on Earth.

fossils

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Fossils give clues about major geological events. Fossils can also give clues about past climates. Fossils of ocean animals are found at the top of Mt. Everest. Mt. Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. These fossils show that the area was once at the bottom of a sea. The seabed was later uplifted to form the Himalaya mountain range. An example is shown in the Figure 11.4. Fossils of plants are found in Antarctica. Currently, Antarctica is almost completely covered with ice. The fossil plants show that Antarctica once had a much warmer climate.

fossils

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Fossils are used to determine the ages of rock layers. Index fossils are the most useful for this. Index fossils are of organisms that lived over a wide area. They lived for a fairly short period of time. An index fossil allows a scientist to determine the age of the rock it is in. Trilobite fossils, as shown in Figure 11.5, are common index fossils. Trilobites were widespread marine animals. They lived between 500 and 600 million years ago. Rock layers containing trilobite fossils must be that age. Different species of trilobite fossils can be used to narrow the age even more.

relative ages of rocks

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The study of rock strata is called stratigraphy. The laws of stratigraphy can help scientists understand Earths past. The laws of stratigraphy are usually credited to a geologist from Denmark named Nicolas Steno. He lived in the 1600s. The laws are illustrated in Figure 11.6. Refer to the figure as you read about the laws below.

relative ages of rocks

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Superposition refers to the position of rock layers and their relative ages. Relative age means age in comparison with other rocks, either younger or older. The relative ages of rocks are important for understanding Earths history. New rock layers are always deposited on top of existing rock layers. Therefore, deeper layers must be older than layers closer to the surface. This is the law of superposition. You can see an example in Figure 11.7.

relative ages of rocks

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Rock layers extend laterally, or out to the sides. They may cover very broad areas, especially if they formed at the bottom of ancient seas. Erosion may have worn away some of the rock, but layers on either side of eroded areas will still match up. Look at the Grand Canyon in Figure 11.8. Its a good example of lateral continuity. You can clearly see the same rock layers on opposite sides of the canyon. The matching rock layers were deposited at the same time, so they are the same age.

relative ages of rocks

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Sediments were deposited in ancient seas in horizontal, or flat, layers. If sedimentary rock layers are tilted, they must have moved after they were deposited.

relative ages of rocks

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Rock layers may have another rock cutting across them, like the igneous rock in Figure 11.9. Which rock is older? To determine this, we use the law of cross-cutting relationships. The cut rock layers are older than the rock that cuts across them.

relative ages of rocks

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Geologists can learn a lot about Earths history by studying sedimentary rock layers. But in some places, theres a gap in time when no rock layers are present. A gap in the sequence of rock layers is called an unconformity. Look at the rock layers in Figure 11.10. They show a feature called Huttons unconformity. The unconformity was discovered by James Hutton in the 1700s. Hutton saw that the lower rock layers are very old. The upper layers are much younger. There are no layers in between the ancient and recent layers. Hutton thought that the intermediate rock layers eroded away before the more recent rock layers were deposited. Huttons discovery was a very important event in geology! Hutton determined that the rocks were deposited over time. Some were eroded away. Hutton knew that deposition and erosion are very slow. He realized that for both to occur would take an extremely long time. This made him realize that Earth must be much older than people thought. This was a really big discovery! It meant there was enough time for life to evolve gradually.

relative ages of rocks

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When rock layers are in the same place, its easy to give them relative ages. But what if rock layers are far apart? What if they are on different continents? What evidence is used to match rock layers in different places?

relative ages of rocks

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Some rock layers extend over a very wide area. They may be found on more than one continent or in more than one country. For example, the famous White Cliffs of Dover are on the coast of southeastern England. These distinctive rocks are matched by similar white cliffs in France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, and Denmark (see Figure 11.11). It is important that this chalk layer goes across the English Channel. The rock is so soft that the Channel Tunnel connecting England and France was carved into it!

relative ages of rocks

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Like index fossils, key beds are used to match rock layers. A key bed is a thin layer of rock. The rock must be unique and widespread. For example, a key bed from around the time that the dinosaurs went extinct is very important. A thin layer of clay was deposited over much of Earths surface. The clay has large amount of the element iridium. Iridium is rare on Earth but common in asteroids. This unusual clay layer has been used to match rock up layers all over the world. It also led to the hypothesis that a giant asteroid struck Earth and caused the dinosaurs to go extinct.

relative ages of rocks

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Index fossils are commonly used to match rock layers in different places. You can see how this works in Figure

relative ages of rocks

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Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago. Geologists divide this time span into smaller periods. Many of the divisions mark major events in life history.

relative ages of rocks

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Divisions in Earth history are recorded on the geologic time scale. For example, the Cretaceous ended when the dinosaurs went extinct. European geologists were the first to put together the geologic time scale. So, many of the names of the time periods are from places in Europe. The Jurassic Period is named for the Jura Mountains in France and Switzerland, for example.

relative ages of rocks

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To create the geologic time scale, geologists correlated rock layers. Stenos laws were used to determine the relative ages of rocks. Older rocks are at the bottom and younger rocks are at the top. The early geologic time scale could only show the order of events. The discovery of radioactivity in the late 1800s changed that. Scientists could determine the exact age of some rocks in years. They assigned dates to the time scale divisions. For example, the Jurassic began about 200 million years ago. It lasted for about 55 million years.

relative ages of rocks

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The largest blocks of time on the geologic time scale are called eons. Eons are split into eras. Each era is divided into periods. Periods may be further divided into epochs. Geologists may just use early or late. An example is late Jurassic, or early Cretaceous. Figure 11.13 shows you what the geologic time scale looks like.

relative ages of rocks

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The geologic time scale may include illustrations of how life on Earth has changed. Major events on Earth may also be shown. These include the formation of the major mountains or the extinction of the dinosaurs. Figure 11.14 is a different kind of the geologic time scale. It shows how Earths environment and life forms have changed.

relative ages of rocks

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We now live in the Phanerozoic Eon, the Cenozoic Era, the Quaternary Period, and the Holocene Epoch. Phanero- zoic means visible life. During this eon, rocks contain visible fossils. Before the Phanerozoic, life was microscopic. The Cenozoic Era means new life. It encompasses the most recent forms of life on Earth. The Cenozoic is sometimes called the Age of Mammals. Before the Cenozoic came the Mesozoic and Paleozoic. The Mesozoic means middle life. This is the age of reptiles, when dinosaurs ruled the planet. The Paleozoic is old life. Organisms like invertebrates and fish were the most common lifeforms.

absolute ages of rocks

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Radioactive decay is the breakdown of unstable elements into stable elements. To understand this process, recall that the atoms of all elements contain the particles protons, neutrons, and electrons.

absolute ages of rocks

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An element is defined by the number of protons it contains. All atoms of a given element contain the same number of protons. The number of neutrons in an element may vary. Atoms of an element with different numbers of neutrons are called isotopes. Consider carbon as an example. Two isotopes of carbon are shown in Figure 11.15. Compare their protons and neutrons. Both contain 6 protons. But carbon-12 has 6 neutrons and carbon-14 has 8 neutrons. Almost all carbon atoms are carbon-12. This is a stable isotope of carbon. Only a tiny percentage of carbon atoms are carbon-14. Carbon-14 is unstable. Figure 11.16 shows carbon dioxide, which forms in the atmosphere from carbon-14 and oxygen. Neutrons in cosmic rays strike nitrogen atoms in the atmosphere. The nitrogen forms carbon- 14. Carbon in the atmosphere combines with oxygen to form carbon dioxide. Plants take in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. In this way, carbon-14 enters food chains.

absolute ages of rocks

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Like other unstable isotopes, carbon-14 breaks down, or decays. For carbon-14 decay, each carbon-14 atom loses an alpha particle. It changes to a stable atom of nitrogen-14. This is illustrated in Figure 11.17. The decay of an unstable isotope to a stable element occurs at a constant rate. This rate is different for each isotope pair. The decay rate is measured in a unit called the half-life. The half-life is the time it takes for half of a given amount of an isotope to decay. For example, the half-life of carbon-14 is 5730 years. Imagine that you start out with 100 grams of carbon-14. In 5730 years, half of it decays. This leaves 50 grams of carbon-14. Over the next 5730 years, half of the remaining amount will decay. Now there are 25 grams of carbon-14. How many grams will there be in another 5730 years? Figure 11.18 graphs the rate of decay of carbon-14.

absolute ages of rocks

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The rate of decay of unstable isotopes can be used to estimate the absolute ages of fossils and rocks. This type of dating is called radiometric dating.

absolute ages of rocks

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The best-known method of radiometric dating is carbon-14 dating. A living thing takes in carbon-14 (along with stable carbon-12). As the carbon-14 decays, it is replaced with more carbon-14. After the organism dies, it stops taking in carbon. That includes carbon-14. The carbon-14 that is in its body continues to decay. So the organism contains less and less carbon-14 as time goes on. We can estimate the amount of carbon-14 that has decayed by measuring the amount of carbon-14 to carbon-12. We know how fast carbon-14 decays. With this information, we can tell how long ago the organism died. Carbon-14 has a relatively short half-life. It decays quickly compared to some other unstable isotopes. So carbon- 14 dating is useful for specimens younger than 50,000 years old. Thats a blink of an eye in geologic time. But radiocarbon dating is very useful for more recent events. One important use of radiocarbon is early human sites. Carbon-14 dating is also limited to the remains of once-living things. To date rocks, scientists use other radioactive isotopes.

absolute ages of rocks

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The isotopes in Table 11.1 are used to date igneous rocks. These isotopes have much longer half-lives than carbon- 14. Because they decay more slowly, they can be used to date much older specimens. Which of these isotopes could be used to date a rock that formed half a million years ago? Unstable Isotope Decays to At a Half-Life of (years) Potassium-40 Uranium-235 Uranium-238 Argon-40 Lead-207 Lead-206 1.3 billion 700 million 4.5 billion Dates Rocks Aged (years old) 100 thousand - 1 billion 1 million - 4.5 billion 1 million - 4.5 billion

the origin of earth

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Our solar system began about 5 billion years ago. The Sun, planets and other solar system objects all formed at about the same time.

the origin of earth

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The Sun and planets formed from a giant cloud of gas and dust. This was the solar nebula. The cloud contracted and began to spin. As it contracted, its temperature and pressure increased. The cloud spun faster, and formed into a disk. Scientists think the solar system at that time looked like these disk-shaped objects in the Orion Nebula (Figure

the origin of earth

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Temperatures and pressures at the center of the cloud were extreme. It was so hot that nuclear fusion reactions began. In these reactions hydrogen fuses to make helium. Extreme amounts of energy are released. Our Sun became a star! Material in the disk surrounding the Sun collided. Small particles collided and became rocks. Rocks collided and became boulders. Eventually planets formed from the material (Figure 12.2). Dwarf plants, comets, and asteroids formed too (Figure 12.3).

the origin of earth

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Material at a similar distances from the Sun collided together to form each of the planets. Earth grew from material in its part of space. Moons origin was completely different from Earths.

the origin of earth

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Earth formed like the other planets. Different materials in its region of space collided. Eventually the material made a planet. All of the collisions caused Earth to heat up. Rock and metal melted. The molten material separated into layers. Gravity pulled the denser material into the center. The lighter elements rose to the surface (Figure 12.4). Because the material separated, Earths core is made mostly of iron. Earths crust is made mostly of lighter materials. In between the crust and the core is Earths mantle, made of solid rock.

the origin of earth

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This model for how the Moon formed is the best fit of all of the data scientists have about the Moon. In the early solar system there was a lot of space debris. Asteroids flew around, sometimes striking the planets. An asteroid the size of Mars smashed into Earth. The huge amount of energy from the impact melted most of Earth. The asteroid melted too. Material from both Earth and the asteroid was thrown out into orbit. Over time, this material smashed together to form our Moon. The lunar surface is about 4.5 billion years old. This means that the collision happened about 70 million years after Earth formed.

the origin of earth

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An atmosphere is the gases that surround a planet. The early Earth had no atmosphere. Conditions were so hot that gases were not stable.

the origin of earth

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Earths first atmosphere was different from the current one. The gases came from two sources. Volcanoes spewed gases into the air. Comets carried in ices from outer space. These ices warmed and became gases. Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and water vapor, or water in gas form, were in the first atmosphere (Figure 12.5). Take a look at the list of gases. Whats missing? The early atmosphere had almost no oxygen.

the origin of earth

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Earths atmosphere slowly cooled. Once it was cooler, water vapor could condense. It changed back to its liquid form. Liquid water could fall to Earths surface as rain. Over millions of years water collected to form the oceans. Water began to cycle on Earth as water evaporated from the oceans and returned again as rainfall.

early earth

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The earliest crust was probably basalt. It may have resembled the current seafloor. This crust formed before there were any oceans. More than 4 billion years ago, continental crust appeared. The first continents were very small compared with those today.

early earth

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Continents grow when microcontinents, or small continents, collide with each other or with a larger continent. Oceanic island arcs also collide with continents to make them grow.

early earth

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There are times in Earth history when all of the continents came together to form a supercontinent. Supercontinents come together and then break apart. Pangaea was the last supercontinent on Earth, but it was not the first. The supercontinent before Pangaea is called Rodinia. Rodinia contained about 75% of the continental landmass that is present today. The supercontinent came together about 1.1 billion years ago. Rodinia was not the first supercontinent either. Scientists think that three supercontinents came before Rodina, making five so far in Earth history.

early earth

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Since the early Earth was very hot, mantle convection was very rapid. Plate tectonics likely moved very quickly. The early Earth was a very active place with abundant volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The remnants of these early rocks are now seen in the ancient cores of the continents.

early earth

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For the first 4 billion years of Earth history there is only a little evidence of life. Organisms were tiny and soft and did not fossilize well. But scientists use a variety of ways to figure out what this early life was like.

early earth

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Life probably began in the oceans. No one knows exactly how or when. Life may have originated more than once. If life began before the Moon formed, that impact would have wiped it out and it would have had to originate again. Eventually conditions on Earth became less violent. The planet could support life. The first organisms were made of only one cell (Figure 12.6). The earliest cells were prokaryotes. Prokaryotic cells are surrounded by a cell membrane, but they do not have a nucleus. The cells got their nutrients directly from the water. The cells needed to use these nutrients to live and grow. The cells also needed to be able to make copies of themselves. To do this they stored genetic information in nucleic acids. The two nucleic acids are DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). Nucleic acids pass

early earth

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Early cells took nutrients from the water. Eventually the nutrients would have become less abundant. Around 3 billion years ago, photosynthesis began. Organisms could make their own food from sunlight and inorganic molecules. From these ingredients they made chemical energy that they used. Oxygen is a waste product of photosynthesis. That first oxygen combined with iron to create iron oxide. Later on, the oxygen entered the atmosphere. Some of the oxygen in the atmosphere became ozone. The ozone layer formed to protect Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. This made the environment able to support more complex life forms.

early earth

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The first organisms to photosynthesize were cyanobacteria. These organisms may have been around as far back as 3.5 billion years and are still alive today (Figure 12.7). Now they are called blue-green algae. They are common in lakes and seas and account for 20% to 30% of photosynthesis today.

early earth

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Eukaryotes evolved about 2 billion years ago. Unlike prokaryotes, eukaryotes have a cell nucleus. They have more structures and are better organized. Organelles within a eukaryote can perform certain functions. Some supply energy; some break down wastes. Eukaryotes were better able to live and so became the dominant life form.

early earth

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For life to become even more complex, multicellular organisms needed to evolve. Prokaryotes and eukaryotes can be multicellular. Toward the end of the Precambrian, the Ediacara Fauna evolved (Figure 12.8). These are the fossils discovered by Walcott in the introduction to the next section. The Ediacara was extremely diverse. They appeared after Earth defrosted from a worldwide glaciation. The Ediacara fauna seem to have died out. Other multicellular organisms appeared in the Phanerozoic.

water on earth

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Water is a simple chemical compound. Each molecule of water contains two hydrogen atoms (H2 ) and one oxygen atom (O). Thats why the chemical formula for water is H2 O. If water is so simple, why is it special? Water is one of the few substances that exists on Earth in all three states of matter. Water occurs as a gas, a liquid and a solid. You drink liquid water and use it to shower. You breathe gaseous water vapor in the air. You may go ice skating on a pond covered with solid water ice in the winter.

water on earth

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Earth is often called the water planet. Figure 13.1 shows why. If astronauts see Earth from space, this is how it looks. Notice how blue the planet appears. Thats because oceans cover much of Earths surface. Water is also found in the clouds that rise above the planet. Most of Earths water is salt water in the oceans. As Figure 13.2 shows, only 3 percent of Earths water is fresh. Freshwater is water that contains little or no dissolved salt. Most freshwater is frozen in ice caps and glaciers. Glaciers cover the peaks of some tall mountains. For example, the Cascades Mountains in North America and the Alps Mountains in Europe are capped with ice. Ice caps cover vast areas of Antarctica and Greenland. Chunks of ice frequently break off ice caps. They form icebergs that float in the oceans.

water on earth

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Did you ever wonder where the water in your glass came from or where its been? The next time you take a drink of water, think about this. Each water molecule has probably been around for billions of years. Thats because Earths water is constantly recycled.

water on earth

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Water is recycled through the water cycle. The water cycle is the movement of water through the oceans, atmo- sphere, land, and living things. The water cycle is powered by energy from the Sun. Figure 13.3 diagrams the water cycle.

water on earth

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Water keeps changing state as it goes through the water cycle. This means that it can be a solid, liquid, or gas. How does water change state? How does it keep moving through the cycle? As Figure 13.3 shows, several processes are involved. Evaporation changes liquid water to water vapor. Energy from the Sun causes water to evaporate. Most evaporation is from the oceans because they cover so much area. The water vapor rises into the atmosphere. Transpiration is like evaporation because it changes liquid water to water vapor. In transpiration, plants release water vapor through their leaves. This water vapor rises into the atmosphere. Condensation changes water vapor to liquid water. As air rises higher into the atmosphere, it cools. Cool air can hold less water vapor than warm air. So some of the water vapor condenses into water droplets. Water droplets may form clouds. Precipitation is water that falls from clouds to Earths surface. Water droplets in clouds fall to Earth when they become too large to stay aloft. The water falls as rain if the air is warm. If the air is cold, the water may freeze and fall as snow, sleet, or hail. Most precipitation falls into the oceans. Some falls on land. Runoff is precipitation that flows over the surface of the land. This water may travel to a river, lake, or ocean. Runoff may pick up fertilizer and other pollutants and deliver them to the water body where it ends up. In this way, runoff may pollute bodies of water. Infiltration is the process by which water soaks into the ground. Some of the water may seep deep under- ground. Some may stay in the soil, where plants can absorb it with their roots. In all these ways, water keeps cycling. The water cycle repeats over and over again. Who knows? Maybe a water molecule that you drink today once quenched the thirst of a dinosaur.

surface water

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Look at the pictures of flowing water in Figure 13.4. A waterfall tumbles down a mountainside. A brook babbles through a forest. A river slowly meanders through a broad valley. What do all these forms of flowing water have in common? They are all streams.

surface water

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A stream is a body of freshwater that flows downhill in a channel. The channel of a stream has a bottom, or bed, and sides called banks. Any size body of flowing water can be called a stream. Usually, though, a large stream is called a river.

surface water

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All streams and rivers have several features in common. These features are shown in (Figure 13.5). The place where a stream or river starts is its source. The source might be a spring, where water flows out of the ground. Or the source might be water from melting snow on a mountain top. A single stream may have multiple sources. A stream or river probably ends when it flows into a body of water, such as a lake or an ocean. A stream ends at its mouth. As the water flows into the body of water, it slows down and drops the sediment it was carrying. The sediment may build up to form a delta. Several other features of streams and rivers are also shown in Figure 13.5. Small streams often flow into bigger streams or rivers. The small streams are called tributaries. A river and all its tributaries make up a river system. At certain times of year, a stream or river may overflow its banks. The area of land that is flooded is called the floodplain. The floodplain may be very wide where the river flows over a nearly flat surface. A river flowing over a floodplain may wear away broad curves. These curves are called meanders.

surface water

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All of the land drained by a river system is called its basin, or watershed. One river systems basin is separated from another river systems basin by a divide. The divide is created by the highest points between the two river basins. Precipitation that falls within a river basin always flows toward that river. Precipitation that falls on the other side of the divide flows toward a different river. Figure 13.6 shows the major river basins in the U.S. You can watch an animation of water flowing through a river basin at this link: http://trashfree.org/btw/graphics/watershed_anim.gif

surface water

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After a heavy rain, you may find puddles of water standing in low spots. The same principle explains why water collects in ponds and lakes. Water travels downhill, so a depression in the ground fills with standing water. A pond is a small body of standing water. A lake is a large body of standing water. Most lakes have freshwater, but a few are salty. The Great Salt Lake in Utah is an example of a saltwater lake. The water in a large lake may be so deep that sunlight cannot penetrate all the way to the bottom. Without sunlight, water plants and algae cannot live on the bottom of the lake. Thats because plants need sunlight for photosynthesis. The largest lakes in the world are the Great Lakes. They lie between the U.S. and Canada, as shown in Figure 13.7. How great are they? They hold 22 percent of all the worlds fresh surface water!

surface water

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Ponds and lakes may get their water from several sources. Some falls directly into them as precipitation. Some enters as runoff and some from streams and rivers. Water leaves ponds and lakes through evaporation and also as outflow.

surface water

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The depression that allows water to collect to form a lake may come about in a variety of ways. The Great Lakes, for example, are glacial lakes. A glacial lake forms when a glacier scrapes a large hole in the ground. When the glacier melts, the water fills the hole and forms a lake. Over time, water enters the lake from the sources mentioned above as well. Other lakes are crater lakes or rift lakes, which are pictured in Figure 13.8. Crater lakes form when volcanic eruptions create craters that fill with water. Rift lakes form when movements of tectonic plates create low places that fill with water.

surface water

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Some of Earths freshwater is found in wetlands. A wetland is an area that is covered with water, or at least has very soggy soil, during all or part of the year. Certain species of plants thrive in wetlands, and they are rich ecosystems. Freshwater wetlands are usually found at the edges of steams, rivers, ponds, or lakes. Wetlands can also be found at the edges of seas.

surface water

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Not all wetlands are alike, as you can see from Figure 13.9. Wetlands vary in how wet they are and how much of the year they are soaked. Wetlands also vary in the kinds of plants that live in them. This depends mostly on the climate where the wetland is found. Types of wetlands include marshes, swamps, and bogs. A marsh is a wetland that is usually under water. It has grassy plants, such as cattails. A swamp is a wetland that may or may not be covered with water but is always soggy. It has shrubs or trees. A bog is a wetland that has soggy soil. It is generally covered with mosses.

surface water

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People used to think that wetlands were useless. Many wetlands were filled in with rocks and soil to create lands that were then developed with roads, golf courses, and buildings. Now we know that wetlands are very important. Laws have been passed to help protect them. Why are wetlands so important? Wetlands have great biodiversity. They provide homes or breeding sites to a huge variety of species. Because so much wetland area has been lost, many of these species are endangered. Wetlands purify water. They filter sediments and toxins from runoff before it enters rivers, lakes, and oceans. Wetlands slow rushing water. During hurricanes and other extreme weather, wetlands reduce the risk of floods. Although the rate has slowed, wetlands are still being destroyed today.

surface water

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A flood occurs when so much water enters a stream or river that it overflows its banks. Flood waters from a river are shown in Figure 13.10. Like this flood, many floods are caused by very heavy rains. Floods may also occur when deep snow melts quickly in the spring. Floods are a natural part of the water cycle, but they can cause a lot of damage. Farms and homes may be lost, and people may die. In 1939, millions of people died in a flood in China. Although freshwater is needed to grow crops and just to live, too much freshwater in the same place at once can be deadly.

groundwater

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Freshwater below Earths surface is called groundwater. The water infiltrates, or seeps down into, the ground from the surface. How does this happen? And where does the water go?

groundwater

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Water infiltrates the ground because soil and rock are porous. Between the grains are pores, or tiny holes. Since water can move through this rock it is permeable. Eventually, the water reaches a layer of rock that is not porous and so is impermeable. Water stops moving downward when it reaches this layer of rock. Look at the diagram in Figure 13.11. It shows two layers of porous rock. The top layer is not saturated; it is not full of water. The next layer is saturated. The water in this layer has nowhere else to go. It cannot seep any deeper into the ground because the rock below it is impermeable.