Origin of Earth & Oceans

Outline
Origin Of

1. Universe

2. Galaxies/Stars

3. Our Solar System

4. Earth and Moon

5. Atmosphere

6. Ocean
1. Names of Modern Oceans

2. Average Depth of the Modern Ocean

3. Latitude and Longitude

4. Contour Plots and Hydrographic Sections

Time Since the Big Bang (years)

Universe Filled with Glowing

Ionized Gas

~300 thousand

The Dark Ages Start

Stars and Galaxies Form
Reionization Begins - Light Returns
to the Universe

~500 Million

Evolution of
the Universe

The Dark Ages End

Reionization Complete Universe
Becomes Transparent to Visible
Light

~1 Billion

Our Solar System Forms

(about 4.5 billion year ago)

~9 Billion
~14 Billion

Large Stars Explode When They Get Old

1. When the Big Bang happened and then
cooled a bit there was only hydrogen
in the universe

2. In side of large stars nuclear fusion
forces lighter elements together
(hydrogen and helium) to make heavier
elements like carbon, nitrogen and
phosphorous and up to iron.

3. When large stars explode even heavier
elements are formed like gold, nickel
and copper etc..

New Star Formation/Re-Birth

From Collapsing Dust Clouds of
Light and Heavy Elements
Formed from Previous Star
Explosions

The Rho Ophiuchi star formation region

Star Formation

Simulation & visualisation by Matthew Bate, University of Exeter

See: http://www.astro.ex.ac.uk/people/mbate/Cluster/cluster3d.html

Galaxy Formation

The first mini-galaxies formed when the universe was just a few hundred million years old. Over time, these small galaxies interacted and
merged to build up ever larger galaxies, including big spirals like our own Milky Way. Credit: NCSA/NASA/B. O'Shea (MSU) and M. Norman
(UC San Diego). For more see: http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/videos_science.html

Lots of Galaxies Out There!

Roughly 100 billion galaxies in the universe with each
galaxy containing roughly 100 billion stars

Hubble Ultra Deep Field Image

a small region of space near the constellation Formax
and 13 billion light years from earth

Our Milky-Way Galaxy

SUN

100,000 light-years across

NOTE: One milky-way rotation takes only about 250 My!

Summary of Universe/Galaxy/Star Formation

1. Big Bang happened about 15 billion years ago: All mass contained in a single point
explodes outward

2. Mass cools and collapses gravitationally

3. Temperatures in the core of large masses increase due to compressional heating

When core temperatures reach 10 million degrees Kelvin, nuclear fusion of H into
He is ignited (thermonuclear-fusion reaction) to form heat and visible light (among
other types of radiation)

4. The only place in the universe that elements heavier than hydrogen can be created is
inside of stars where nuclear fusion of lighter elements creates heavier elements such as
carbon (with atomic number 12) and on up to iron (atomic number 26). Elements
heavier than iron are only formed when the star explodes.

5. Every single carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous atom making up YOUR physical
body today was, at one point in the past, sitting in the center of a boiling hot star!!!
You very truly are made of star dust!!!

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Formation of Our Solar System

Hydrogen (H), He (He) and star dust
(heavier elements that were formed in previous stars)

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Formation of Solar System

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Formation of Solar System

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Our Solar System

Terrestrial (inner) Planets

relatively small

contains the heavier elements (Fe, Si, O)

rocky shell over a metallic core

accretion began 4.6 billion years ago

Gaseous (outer) Planets

mostly volatile gases (H,He)

same composition as the sun

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Formation of Our Solar System

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Summary of Solar System/Earth Formation

1. 4.6 billion years ago, rock-forming elements condensed
into small solid grains as the nebula cooled.

2. Grains accreted to planetesimals, such as asteroids and
comets

3. Planetesimals accreted to form the Earth

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Formation of the Moon

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The Moon Formed

When Earth Was Hit
By a Mar-Sized Object

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Formation of Earths Moon

~ 100 My after Earth accreted

Spin axis makes 23o angle with orbital plane

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Earths Atmosphere

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Atmospheric Conditions of Early Earth versus Modern Earth

Today
Early in Earths history
Atmosphere consisted of hydrogen and helium gases abundant in the solar system.
Most of these gases were lost to space.

1. Out-gassing from volcanoes releases: H20, CO2, SO2, N2, H2,

Cl2 into the Atmosphere

2. Water vapor condensed and precipitated to form oceans and
then anaerobic (live in zero oxygen environment) life develops!

3. Photosynthetic life then evolves and this produces a modern
O2-rich atmosphere!

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There is rapidly growing

evidence which now
suggests that much of the
water that fills our
modern oceans may have
been delivered to earth
over time by the steady
bombardment of small
comets (i.e., dirty ice
balls).

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The sun and the earth are both about 4 billion years old. How much
longer do you think the sun will continue to burn brightly before it runs
low on fuel, expands outward and totally vaporizes the earth?
1. The Earth and Sun are middle
aged and in 4 more billion years
the sun and earth will
absolutely-positively not be
here and more!

a) 1 billion more years

b) 4 billion more years

c) 8 billion more years

2. But the atoms that were once

the sun and earth and us will
eventually contract back to
make new stars and new planets
and maybe even new us!

d) 16 billion more years

e) The sun will burn forever

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Basic Physiography of Modern Oceans

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Five Officially Named Oceans

Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Southern

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Ocean Depth, Surface Area and

Volume

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Percent Area Covered by Physical Features

Average
Depth: 4 km

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Latitude

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Longitude

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Latitude / Longitude

Los Angeles is at: 34 N, 118 W

Or Equally
+34 Latitude, -118 Longitude

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Contour Plots

(Bathymetry Maps, Meridional and Zonal Sections)

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Drawing of Ocean Seafloor

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Contour Plot of Ocean Seafloor

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Equivalent Contour Plots

(Lines with Numerical Labels or Filled with Color Bar)

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