Anyone who has traveled at all realizes that not all parts of the earth are the same
Both surface features and the rocks below the surface
It's also clear that the earth is not ever-present and unchanging
Lots of examples of small (and large) scale changes we can observe
Multnomah Falls rockfall
Yosemite Valley: Glacier Point rockfall, Merced River 1997 floods
Applegate River at Hwy. 199
There are 2 processes: Construction and Destruction
The examples mentioned above are primarily destructive
Happen at a faster rate so we recognize them
The constructive processes are also exciting
Volcanoes, earthquakes, tectonics in general
They also seem to happen fast, but...
More on the constructive processes in Physical Geology
Hydrosphere is the study of water and how it interacts with the atmosphere and the surface of the earth
This makes is somewhat easier to study than the constructive processes covered in Physical Geology
In many cases geology deals with events which happen in places we just can't get to
Also, the time frame for most geological events is far longer than most of us can comprehend
Hydrosphere deals with surface processes
Things which generally occur on and above the earth's crust
Where we can see (and study) them
We will cover quite a bit of territory this term, including...
Origins of Water and the Water Cycle
Energy Transfer in the Atmosphere
Streamflow, Energy, and the Transportation of Sediments
Water and the Environment
Hydrosphere is a field oriented science
The field IS our science!
Hope to have several field trips during the term
DIGRESS TO: who will be invited along
Possibility of top student(s) joining my RCC trips
There are no real "laws" in any of the earth sciences
Not like the fundamental sciences which rely on a whole herd of laws to help them make sense
And keep them boring and predictable
The earth sciences are far from predictable
You never really know what you're going to get
All we have are a few general guidelines to help clarify the mess
Probably the best is Uniformity - "the present is the key to the past"
If a process is active today, it probably worked the same across geologic time
Gravity, water running downhill, that kind of thing
The concept of uniformity states that there are natural laws that have worked continuously and unchangingly throughout geologic time
There are others which we will discuss at other times
And the heavyweights!
Scientific experimentation is somewhat different between geology and the fundamental sciences
In physics and chemistry, the scientific method can be applied
Hypotheses and experimentation to prove (or disprove) the hypothesis
My version of the S.M. may be a bit different, and include a couple additional steps
Wild & Crazy Idea ---> Hypothesis ---> Theory ---> Law ---> Dogma ---> Stagnation
Click here for a more detailed discussion of my version of the scientific method
One last thing:
We will be constantly changing our perspective throughout the course
From looking at the "big picture" to a closer examination of "the details"
DIGRESS TO: trumpet to trombone
DISCUSS : regional vs. local