Introduction to Earth System

Introduction to Earth Introduction to Earth SystemSystem

Solid Earth partSolid Earth partRocco MalservisiRocco Malservisi

[email protected]@geophysik.uni-muenchen.dePhone: 2180 4201Phone: 2180 4201

mailto:[email protected]

My office: Theresienstr. 41 office 402

[email protected]: 2180 4201Phone: 2180 4201

ALTE PINAKOTEK PINAKOTEK

DER MODERNE

NEUPINAKOTEK

mailto:[email protected]

NASA photo from Apollo 17

Which shape has the Which shape has the planet?planet?

What can we see What can we see (colors)?(colors)?

What can we measure?What can we measure?

How big is the planet?How big is the planet?By definition 40000 km!!By definition 40000 km!!


The first one to measure it The first one to measure it correctly Erstosthenes correctly Erstosthenes measuring the distance measuring the distance from Alexandria and from Alexandria and Syene (5000 stadia) and Syene (5000 stadia) and the angles in figure, he the angles in figure, he computed a circumference computed a circumference of 250000 stadia 39300kmof 250000 stadia 39300km

From Marshak, 2005


Today we say that the Today we say that the radius of the Spherical radius of the Spherical Earth equivalent to the Earth equivalent to the volume of the planet is:volume of the planet is:

6371 km6371 km

From Marshak, 2005


How big is the planet?How big is the planet?

What is its mass?What is its mass?

We are attracted to it and We are attracted to it and there is gravitythere is gravity

http://www.jadetower.org/muses/wlsimages/gravity-newton.jpg

We are attracted to it and We are attracted to it and there is gravitythere is gravity

And if we look at the And if we look at the satellite it is “falling in satellite it is “falling in to the Earth” attracted to the Earth” attracted by a force that is by a force that is proportional to the proportional to the mass of the planet.mass of the planet.

From the orbit parameter From the orbit parameter we can compute the we can compute the massmass


Well even from the Well even from the ground if we know the ground if we know the constant G and our constant G and our distance from the distance from the center of the Earth we center of the Earth we can measure the can measure the gravity acceleration gravity acceleration thus the mass of the thus the mass of the EarthEarth

M=gRM=gR22/G/Gg=9.8msg=9.8ms-2 -2

G=6.67e-11 mG=6.67e-11 m33kgkg-1-1ss-2-2

R=6371kmR=6371kmM=6e24 kgM=6e24 kg


So can we say So can we say something about the something about the interior of the planet?interior of the planet?

what is the average what is the average density?density?

Mass = 6e24 kgMass = 6e24 kgVolume = ?Volume = ?

So what is the average So what is the average density?density?

Mass 6e24 kgMass 6e24 kgVolume=4/3Volume=4/3RR33==1.08e21 m1.08e21 m33

So its density isSo its density is~5500 kg m~5500 kg m-3-3

Density of surface rocks?Density of surface rocks?

So what is the average So what is the average density?density?

Mass 6e24 kgMass 6e24 kgVolume=4/3Volume=4/3RR33==1.08e21 m1.08e21 m33

So its density isSo its density is~5500 kg m~5500 kg m-3-3

Density of surface rocks?Density of surface rocks?~1.5-3.5 g/cc~1.5-3.5 g/ccDensity Iron ~7g/ccDensity Iron ~7g/cc


What can we see What can we see (colors)?(colors)?

What can we measure?What can we measure?

We have a magnetic field We have a magnetic field that it is very similar to that it is very similar to the one of a dipole.the one of a dipole.

Well in reality this is true Well in reality this is true close to the surface if close to the surface if we go far away we go far away enough it looks more enough it looks more complexcomplex

Magnetopause 10Re Moon 60Re

So as first approximation So as first approximation the Earth is a planet the Earth is a planet that looks like a sphere that looks like a sphere with a density higher with a density higher than we would expect than we would expect looking only at the looking only at the surface, with regions of surface, with regions of different colors at the different colors at the surface and able to surface and able to generate a dipolar generate a dipolar magnetic field.magnetic field.

Let’s try to look more in details the brownish regions

Some area are more brownish then otherSome area are flat and some are roughSome areas look like if someone enjoyed to fold it

Let’s try to look more in details the gravity

What does influence this variation of gravity field?

So it does not look any longer as an homogeneous sphere!!On second approximation it is an ellipsoid6357 km (polar) 6378 km (equatorial)

And it looks like if some processes are shaping the brownishregions….

We will spend the rest of the semester (for my part) to lookAt these processes and to figure out how we can observe them

How does it change with time??

Meteosat images 2006/10/18 (yesterday) at Meteosat images 2006/10/18 (yesterday) at 18:00 GMT18:00 GMT 14:00 GMT14:00 GMT

The white spot moves on the scale of hours!The white spot moves on the scale of hours!What about the brownish region (marked by the What about the brownish region (marked by the

white line)? They seems fixed.white line)? They seems fixed.

What about the blue part?

So we have changed on different time scales

What about the brownish region (marked by the white line)? What about the brownish region (marked by the white line)? They seems fixed.They seems fixed.

In reality if we would be able to make a very accurate In reality if we would be able to make a very accurate measurement we would see that a point in africa and a measurement we would see that a point in africa and a point in South America would have moved 15 point in South America would have moved 15 m (~3cm/yr)m (~3cm/yr)

From Marshak, 2005

If we would have been able to take picture in the past we would have been able to see a different picture…

200 Ma

So we have different time scales we can look at the processes

Some processes are almost instantaneous

Some processes have time scale of hours or days

Some processes on the order of months or years

Other processes in thousands or millions of years geological processes are in general on this scale

QuickTime™ and aGraphics decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

How old is the eath?

Earth Birthday 0:00 on January 1stOldest known rock: Early FebruaryFirst Bacteria: End of FebruaryFirst Invertebrate: October 25thFirst Animal on land: November 20thSuper Continent Pangea: December 7thDinosaurs December 15th to 25thFirst Hominids: December 31st eveningFirst Homo sapiens 31 December 23:59Written history 31 December 23:59:32Roman Empire: 31.12. 23:59:45-23:59:50Today: December 31st 24:001second+~150 yrGeological Survey Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources

How old is the eath?

THIS MEANS THAT TO STUDY THE EARTH SYSTEMWE MUST LOOK AT MANY DIFFERENT TIME SCALE DEPENDING WHICH PROCESS WE WILL LOOK AT.

WE HAVE A TIME SO LONG THAT EVEN VERY SLOWPROCESSES CAN HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.

THE SPATIAL SCALE PLAY ALSO A MAJOR ROLEIN UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT PROCESSES.

SYSTEM:SYSTEM: A A setset of objects or characteristics of objects or characteristics which are which are relatedrelated to one another and which to one another and which operateoperate togethertogether as a complex entity. as a complex entity.A system may:

be composed of numerous smaller systems; and/orform part of a larger systemThe system reacts to driving force that

represents the application of energy on the resisting framework2 types of driving forces

Exogenic – from the outsideEndogenic – from the insideIf there were no endogenic forces …

… the Earth would look like the Moon

Introduction to Earth System

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