In this Unit:

Quizzes and Test Banks

Manual

Interactive Exercises

• 2_3 Radioactive Half-life
• 2_5 Earth’s Orbit and Climate
• 2_6 Elliptical Orbit
• 2_8 Earth’s Tilt
• 3_1 At the Core
• 3_7 Earth Systems
• 3_13 Structure of the Atmosphere
• 3_16 Biomes of the Earth
• 5_4 Past Climates
• 5_7 Continental Drift
• 5_10 Tectonic Plates
• 7_6 Earthquakes
• 6_15 Fault Folds
• D_1 History of Science

Movies and Animations

• 1_1 Earth
• 1_2 Earth Rotates
• 1_3 Earth Weather
• 1_4 Earth & Phytoplankton
• 1_5 Geologic Time
• 1_6 Plate Tectonics
• 1_7 Longer Term Changes
• 2_1 Hunting for Planet-forming Dust Disks
• 2_5 The Earth’s Dance
• 2_6 Eccentricity
• 2_7 Earth’s Rotation
• 3_1 Biosphere
• 3_2 The Ocean Floor From Space
• 3_4 Inner Core
• 3_5 Outer Core
• 3_9 Tectonic Plates
• 4_1 Geologic Time
• 4_4 The Grand Canyon
• 5_1 Continental Drift
• 5_3 Pangaea
• 5_8 Apparent Pole Wandering
• 5_12 Plate Boundaries
• 6_2 Subduction
• 6_6 Sea Floor Spreading
• 6_8 The Mariana Islands
• 6_10 Volcanoes
• 7_2 Pinatubo
• 7_6 Loma Prieta Earthquake
• 7_7 Earthquake Animation
• 7_9 Earthquakes 1960-1995
• 7_12 Landslides

Interactive Multimedia Tutorial Tables of Contents

Chapter 1: Our Dynamic Planet

The Earth is a dynamic place; witness the action of our planet over time.

• 1.1 Introduction
• 1.2 Whole Earth System
• 1.3 The Dramatic Earth: Seconds, Hours and Days
• 1.4 The Dramatic Earth: Months to Years
• 1.5 Hundreds to Thousands of Years
• 1.6 Hundreds of Thousands to Millions of Years
• 1.7 Hundreds of Millions to Billions of Years

Chapter 2: Planet Earth in Motion

Take the grand tour starting with the formation of the solar system. Calculate the age of the Earth and understand the orbital characteristics of our planet.

• 2.1 Solar System Formation
• 2.2 Earth From Space
• 2.3 The Age of the Earth
• 2.4 Formation of the Earth
• 2.5 Motions of the Earth
• 2.6 Earth Revolves Around the Sun
• 2.7 Earth Rotates about its Axis
• 2.8 Earth’s Rotation is Tilted
• 2.9 Earth’s Tilt Wobbles
• 2.10 Shape and Size of the Earth

Chapter 3: The Earth - Inside and Out

Learn about Earth’s crust, mantle, and core. See how Earth’s systems -- the geosphere, the hydrosphere, the atmosphere, and the biosphere -- continually interact.

• 3.1 Structure of the Earth
• 3.2 The Crust
• 3.3 The Mantle
• 3.4 The Core - Solid Portion
• 3.5 The Core - Liquid Portion
• 3.6 Earth’s Magnetic Field
• 3.7 Earth as a System
• 3.8 Geosphere
• 3.9 The Changing Geosphere
• 3.10 Hydrosphere
• 3.11 Hydrosphere and Change
• 3.12 Atmosphere
• 3.13 Atmospheric Zones
• 3.14 Biosphere
• 3.15 Where We Live - Biosphere
• 3.16 Biomes of Earth

Chapter 4: Earth Through Time

Take a walk through geologic time to learn about ancient plants and animals, and how Earth has changed over time. Discover how stratigraphy and breaks in the rock record help to unravel the past.

• 4.1 Glimpses into Geologic Time
• 4.2 Relative Dating
• 4.3 Principles of Relative Dating
• 4.4 Stratigraphy 1
• 4.5 Stratigraphy 2
• 4.6 Breaks in the Rock Record - Unconformities
• 4.7 Sedimentary Facies
• 4.8 The Puzzle Pieces of Correlation
• 4.9 Fossils and Stratigraphy

Chapter 5: Earth’s Lithosphere in Motion

Explore the idea of continental drift and evaluate the supporting evidence for yourself. Gain an understanding of how continental drift led to the discovery of plate tectonics. The grand theory of plate tectonics is introduced.

• 5.1 Continental Drift - The Discovery
• 5.2 Continents Adrift
• 5.3 The Supercontinent - Pangaea
• 5.4 Paleoclimatic Evidence
• 5.5 Fossils Evidence
• 5.6 Landform Evidence 1
• 5.7 Landform Evidence 2
• 5.8 Paleomagnetism and Pole Wandering
• 5.9 Paleomagnetism and Sea Floor Spreading
• 5.10 Arrangement of Tectonic Plates
• 5.11 Relative Plate Motion
• 5.12 Global View of Plate Boundaries

Chapter 6: Plate Tectonics

Learn about plate tectonic forces, boundaries, and how the land is shaped by tectonics. Gain insight into hot spots, mantle plumes, faults, folds, and the processes of mountain building.

• 6.1 Plate Motion and Convection
• 6.2 Surface Convection
• 6.3 Deep Mantle Convection
• 6.4 Forces Resulting from Convection
• 6.5 Types of Tectonic Plate Boundaries
• 6.6 Divergent Plate Boundaries .
• 6.7 Convergent Plate Boundaries and Transform Faults
• 6.8 Ocean-Ocean Collision
• 6.9 Continent-Ocean Collision
• 6.10 Shaping the Land by Tectonics
• 6.11 Hot Spots
• 6.12 What Causes Hot Spots?
• 6.13 Mantle Plumes
• 6.14 Mountain Building
• 6.15 Faults
• 6.16 Folding

Chapter 7: Volcanoes and Earthquakes

An easily understood introduction to volcanoes and earthquakes. Learn about volcano and magma types, what earthquakes are and how to measure them, and what to do if disaster strikes.

• 7.1 Introduction - Volcanoes
• 7.2 Volcano Types
• 7.3 Magma
• 7.4 Magma Formation
• 7.5 Magma Types and Volcanoes
• 7.6 Earthquakes
• 7.7 Seismic Waves
• 7.8 What are Body Waves and Surface Waves?
• 7.9 Earthquake Measurements
• 7.10 How Body Waves Travel Through the Earth
• 7.11 Evidence for a Layered Earth
• 7.12 Geohazards

Note: Appendices A, B and C are common to all Discover! titles.

Appendix A: Scientific Method

• A.1 The Need to Know
• A.2 What Makes Science Different?
• A.3 Induction
• A.4 The Scientific Method
• A.5 Hypothesis and Deduction
• A.6 Experiments and Observation
• A.7 Acceptance of Hypotheses
• A.8 Theories and Laws
• A.9 The Cycle of Scientific Inquiry
• A.10 Scientists Build Models
• A.11 Scientific Theories and Revolutions
• A.12 Scientists Doing Science
• A.13 Open Communication
• A.14 Ethical Responsibilities
• A.15 Role of Technology
• A.16 Science and Society

Appendix B: Measurement Systems and SI Units

• B.1 The Need for Common Units
• B.2 Some Old Units of Measurement
• B.3 Problems with Different Measurement Systems
• B.4 The SI (Metric) System
• B.5 Basic Units of SI
• B.6 Derived Units
• B.7 More Derived Units
• B.8 Decimal Multipliers
• B.9 SI Prefixes
• B.10 Scientific Notation
• B.11 Large and Small Numbers
• B.12 Exact and Approximate Numbers
• B.13 Precision Measurements
• B.14 Significant Figures
• B.15 Scientific Notation and Precision
• B.16 Accuracy and Precision
• B.17 Dangers of Many Digits
• B.18 Working with Scientific Notation

Appendix C: Careers in Science

• C.1 Careers in Science
• C.2 Careers in Geology
• C.3 Careers in Oceanography
• C.4 Careers in Atmospheric Science
• C.5 Careers in Astronomy
• C.6 Geological Field Safety

Appendix D: History of Geoscience

• D.1 Ancient and Medieval Times
• D.2 The 16th to the 18th Centuries

Appendix E: Energy Flows of Earth

• E.1 Our Home - Earth in Space
• E.2 Human Understanding of Earth
• E.3 The Earth System
• E.4 Time Scales of Change
• E.5 Time Rates of Change
• E.6 Energy and the Earth System
• E.7 Conduction and Convection
• E.8 Earth’s Internal Convection
• E.9 Hydrosphere - Convection
• E.10 Earth System Science
• E.11 Radioactivity

Appendix F: Evolution

• F.1 Fundamental to Life
• F.2 The Theory of Natural Selection
• F.3 Formation of New Species
• F.4 Geographic Speciation
• F.5 What Exactly is a Species?
• F.6 Systematics and Taxonomy
• F.7 Phylogenetic Relationships
• F.8 Evolution and the Fossil Record
• F.9 Patterns of Evolution
• F.10 Extinction
• F.11 What are Fossils?

Appendix G: Seismicity of North Carolina, USA

• G.1 Seismicity of North Carolina, USA

xMedia Movie

Exotic Terrane – Plate Tectonics (28 min.)

Follow geologists as they track clues to how rocks of tropical origin came to be part of Hell’s Canyon, USA. Plate tectonics plays a significant role. Discover how coastlines in the past were much further inland and how exotic terranes docked on the western continental margin.

• Introduction
• Hell's Canyon
• Exotic Terranes
• Wallowa Terrane
• Pillow Lavas
• Paleontologists' Results
• Lab Methods for Study of Fossils
• Area is Ancient Coral Reef
• Geological Studies in the Pacific
• Anatahen Island in Mariana Islands
• Active Volcanoes
• Plate Tectonics Explained
• Mariana Trench - Lowest Spot on Earth
• Subduction Zone
• Volcanic Island Arc
• Baker Terrane - Oregon
• Blue Mountains Island Arc
• San Andreas Fault
• How NA West Coast Formed
• Suture Zone
• Vancouver Island and N. Canada
• Lab Methods in Geology
• Western North America Formed Later
• New Subduction Zones and Mt. Rainier
• Mt. St. Helens Erupts
• Columbia River Basalt
• Formation of Hell's Canyon