Week9
Prompts:
The history of geology has involved looking closely at distinctive places to reason about distant times. Discussing one or more specific examples from the course materials, explain how scientific thinkers have converted analyses of local places into understandings of time and geological transformation.
Response: (198 words)
Geology is the study of the structure and history of the Earth and the history and processes of living organisms. Scientists look at rocks, fossils, and minerals to infer the formation, evolution, and current state of the Earth. Sedimentary rocks are a good example of the principle of superposition, where new rocks are always on top of older rocks. (Bowler, P. J. & Morus, I. R. 2020) Determining the location of rocks within a sedimentary rock sequence can provide insight into the Earth’s history and what the region once looked like. Scientists also learn about the evolution of species through fossils. For example, Charles Darwin discovered many fossils during his expedition to South America, which had a great influence on his later publication of the theory of evolution. This fossil evidence showed that organisms in the past were very different from those in the present, leading him to believe that species might have evolved over time. James Huttonw challenged the then-accepted view that the Earth was not very old by observing that in some areas plutons had penetrated older sedimentary rocks. This evidence clearly proves that the Earth is not only old but also constantly changing. (Hutton, J. & Geikie, A. 1997)
Reference:
Bowler, P. J. & Morus, I. R. (2020) Making modern science : a historical survey / Peter J. Bowler and Iwan Rhys Morus. Second edition.
Hutton, J. & Geikie, A. (1997) Theory of the earth : with proofs and illustrations / by James Hutton. Vol.III, Edited by Sir Archibald Geikie. London: The Geological Society.
