earth and planetary science 50: planet earthseismo.berkeley.edu/~dreger/eps050/intro.pdfbuilding...

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Earth and Planetary Science 50: Planet Earth

What EPS 50 is and What it isn’t ?

Expectations

Our approach to Understanding the Earth System

Current Energy, Mineral and Land Resource Issues--

Charting a course for multiple possible futures and

a glimpse of research directions- some things we don’t know

(1) E&PS 50 is the Gateway Course into the 5 Tracks of E & PSmajor:

Geology, Geophysics, Atmospheric ScienceEarth Science, Marine Science

(2) This class has an interdisciplinary focus to encourage all studentswho need an intensive introduction to earth processes: egBiology, physics, chemistry, engineering, landscape architecture, environmental science, K-12 Single Subjectscience teachers, science writers …those who will in factpractice earth science

It is not an easy, non-major class to satisfy a general science requirementbut non-science majors who seek an intensive introductionto Earth processes, are welcome

Are you in the right class ?

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Expectations

Our Approach to Understanding the Earth System


Charting a course for multiple possible futures

Expectations:

We not only encourage, but we expect participation in lecture, lab & field

5 % of you grade (lecture discussion and labs)

Both Field trips are mandatory: Sunday Oct. 17th & Sunday Nov. 7th

Field trip policy (5 % each, write up has to be submitted by next lecture,

Honor code- our interaction with you is as adults:Expect that you learn the major points of the class, but can rely

on some fact sheets you prepare:1 page of notes is allowed in both midterms and finalCheating has no place in scienceZero tolerance

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Tests: explore your thinking processes: recall and reasoning

Multiple ChoiceShort answer Essay

Broader question where you have to integrate knowledge

Discover how the earth works and the relationships of humans withthe Earth

To Maximize Learning:

Print out the pdf lecture notesfor each day in advance

Bring notes to class every day and take notes on figures

Do not miss classes- notes are only a framework

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Expectations




Our Approach

We are both scientific historians and futuristsOur special skills:

(1) Time and Space travelers

(2) Seeing inside the earth

(3) Rocks: The “Book of Nature” as anarchive of earth history

Using radiometric clocks, gauge the naturalcadence of change

Provide an unvarnished interpretation of

natural and anthropogenic processes

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Predict and help mitigate future events eg.

depletion of fossil fuels, globalwarming, and geological hazards

Multiple possible futures

Human intervention, personal and collectivechoices

How does science influence national trends ?

What challenges face the Earth today ?

How can earth science help resolve issues ?

Learn to see yourself as part of the planet andas an educated person, using the scientific method to make informed choices and be an active participant

Provide leadership

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Scientific method

A way of creating new knowledge

Testing ideas and sharing results

A culture of openness and honesty

Thoughtful conduct , respect for truth

Endless frontier of human endeavor

Building planet earthThe scientific method and the evidence of how it formed

Rocks as the record of geological processes

Minerals and crystalsIgneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocksHow they form, how to identify them

Geological maps as the library of rocks

Geological Time Scale

Learning ToolsUse familiar concepts: eg. Periodic Table of Chemical Elements

Remove the immaterial and focus only the essentials

Understanding the Earth System

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Earth Continues to Evolve as a Dynamic Planet

Humans and Geological Time

Humans typically have a limited grasp of timeOriented towards the length of the human life spanEgocentric orientation- prisoners of a myopic viewpoint

The earth is very old: 4.55 billion years, humans have been here only about 3 million years (0.07 % <0.1 % or 99.9% without humans

Imperceptibly slow processes are rarely appreciated until after amajor problem occurs(Filling in the SF bay, smog, global warming, oil depletion)

Events which are infrequent over a human life span are notwell-appreciated (earthquakes, floods, wild fires)

Improve your broad band antenna for understanding

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Mars Exploration Rover Spirit

What can we learn about lifefrom other planets ?

How knowledge is based onthe Earth

With an appreciation of geological time:

You can become Time Travelers:Time

Distance

Process

Human influence

More predictive, less reactive

Appreciate your own role in change

Chart a course to help propel positive change

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Expectations

Our approach to Understanding the Earth System



Dynamics of Energy and Mineral Resources

Hubbert’s Peak

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Environmental geology and earth resources

A crucible where science, technology, interpretation and law meet to decide governmental policies, standards andindustrial practice

Human history is defined by major transitions

Our Age ?Yet to be named

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World Supplies of Energy

John Edwards, 200221st Century Energy:Transition from Fossil Fuelsto Renewable, NonpollutingEnergy Sources. Special Publ . Kansas Geol. Survey

The problem is notthat energy is inshort supply- butrather to ensurethat enough energyis available whereit is needed at anacceptable costwhile ensuringnational security,without doingirreparable damageto the environmentand world peace

A commonmisconception:

Oil shortage- sojust do moredomestic drilling

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Resource Literacy is Vital

Time Magazine“The State of the Planet”Green CenturyAugust 26, 2002

Oil Sources are downCoal is downNatural gas is upHydroelectric, Geothermal

wind & solar are smallNuclear is growing rapidly

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Is Global Warming Real ?

9 deg

5 deg

In your children’s lifetimes

How to address energy and earth resource needs ?

Recycling of non-renewableresources and discovery ofrenewable energy

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Geological foundation

Current issues where earth sciences play a role

Consider sustainability, population growth and the global standard of living: personal choices

CareersEducation: (K-12), College, University

Research and DevelopmentIndustry and Government

Resource exploration and environmental management

Science writing and Politics by informed candidates

Scientific and technological literacy: assess facts, consider options, and make enlightened public policy based on

personal experience and broad knowledge

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EPS 50

Field Trip 1Coast Range to Sierra

Gain experience in the field-first hand observation

Great Valley submarinesandstone Sequences

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Chaparral versus savanna ecosystems over different bed rocks

Submarine pillow lavasexposed on Yuba River

A mere moment in time

Spawning salmon

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Expectations




Renewable energy sources: Sunlight

Available Energy on Earth

Ultra-violet

Infrared

Visible

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Light Reception on Earth (photo-receptors):

Photo-Voltaic Cells (Solar Panels)

Human Eye (Color Vision)

Plants (Photosynthetic Conversion of light into energy by Chlorophyll) the basis of life and fossil fuels

Solar photovoltaic cells

What are thesepanels made of ?

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Multiple semiconductor “sensors or antenna” in optimal solar cells

How do humans see sunlight ?

Geological resourcequestion: How are we going to find all thematerials we need ?

0

20

40

60

80

100

400 450 500 550 600 650 700

Wavelength (nm)

Rel

ativ

eS

ensi

tivity

Sensitivity of the human eyeto different colors

Experiments withRed and Green LasersBoth 0.5 milliwatts of power

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Multiple Color receptors in human eye- notice green sensitivity

Ultra-Violet

SunBurns

Infrared Thermal InfraredHeat

Human eye is centered on energy peak in sunlight at thecolor green. Why ?

“Visible” to Snakes Pit Vipers

Is Chlorophyll as powerful an well-adapteda photoreceptor as the human eye ?

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Photosynthesis with chlorophyll green pigmentationPhotoreceptor

No absorption in Green- which is

reflected- and is why plantsappear green to us

Plants get their energy in blue and red

A: C66H72O5N4Mg

B: C66H70O6N4Mg

Most Solar Energyis wasted: Why ?

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Geo-Moment:

What color would a perfectly efficient plant appear to the human eye ?

Why is chlorophyll not better adaptedto sunlight like the human eye is ?

Is there useful research do be doneon this problem ?

This course is intended tobe an awakening to theEarth and an invitationto put your curiosity into practice as scientists

Don’t take the world for granted:There are examples like this all around you

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Our Legacy

earth and planetary science 50: planet earthseismo.berkeley.edu/~dreger/eps050/intro.pdfbuilding...

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