planet earth
DESCRIPTION
Planet Earth. Earth’s Cycles. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0201/earthrise_apollo8.jpg. Seasons and Sunlight. What is the solar angle of incidence for the equator for the globe on the left? 90 ° 66.5 ° 47 ° 43 °. The globe on the left represents: Summer Solstice Winter Solstice - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Planet Earth
Earth’s Cycles
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0201/earthrise_apollo8.jpg
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Seasons and Sunlight
• What is the solar angle of incidence for the equator for the globe on the left?
A. 90°B. 66.5°C. 47°D. 43°
• The globe on the left represents:A. Summer SolsticeB. Winter SolsticeC. Equinox and cannot tell if
it is the spring or fallD. Not enough information
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/images/earth_sun_angles.gif
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Seasons and Sunlight
• What is the solar angle of incidence for the equator for the globe on the right?
A. 90°B. 66.5°C. 47°D. 43°
• The globe on the right represents:A. Summer SolsticeB. Winter SolsticeC. Equinox and cannot tell if
it is the spring or fallD. Not enough information
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/images/earth_sun_angles.gif
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Direction of Rotation
• If you are looking down at the North Pole, does the earth spin
A. Counterclockwise
B. Clockwise
A B
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1512&d=1176083504
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Eccentricity
• 100,000 year cycle• Winter in North at
Perihelion, and therefore shorter than summer
• Low eccentricity of 0.005• High eccentricity of 0.058• Mean eccentricity of
0.028• Present eccentricity 0.017 • Moving towards low
centricity - warming
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eccentricity_half.svg
Perihelion
Aphelion
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Obliquity
• Tilt of the Axis• 41,000 year cycle• Minimum tilt is 21.1º• Maximum tilt is 24.5º• Currently at 23.5º• Tilt is decreasing -
cooling
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/AxialTiltObliquity.png
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Precession
• Wobble like a top• Completes the wobble
every ~21,000 years• Other “north stars,
Thuban in Draco and Vega in Lyra
• Top 10 sec• Both 33 sec
http://stardate.org/images/gallery/d_procession.jpg
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Milankovitch Cycles
• These three cycles, in combination, can alter climate– Eccentricity
– Obliquity
– Precession
• Milankovitch 2.38 min
http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/research/highlights/section/milankovitch.jpg
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Questions?
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Earth/Moon/Sun System
• Milankovitch Cycles – Eccentricity – Earth’s distance from the sun varies, with an average of 93,000,000 miles
• Johannes Kepler’s 2nd law of Equal Areas
• Sweep
http://outreach.atnf.csiro.au/education/senior/cosmicengine/images/cosmoimg/kepler2ndlaw.gif
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The Moon
• Large Satellite Hypothesis– planetary habitability is
enhanced by the presence of a large satellite
– axial stability of a planet also enhances habitability
http://www.dailyflier.com/astro/earth-mars.JPG
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The Moon
• Compare to Mars – Moons of Mars are so
small, they cannot form a sphere
• Deimos (dread) smaller and further satellite
• Phobos (fear) larger and closer satellite
Phobos
Deimos
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Mars_Moons_Orbit_distance_flipped.jpeghttp://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmars/activities/phobosFS.gifhttp://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/~rdj/planets/images/Deimos-viking1.jpg
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The Moon
• Formation of the moon– Before 1969, hypotheses
why Earth had such a large satellite
• Fission Hypothesis
• Capture Hypothesis
• Co-Formation Hypothesis
• Giant Impact Hypothesis
• NoMoon (2.14 min)
http://exoplanet.as.arizona.edu/~lclose/teaching/a202/lect5.html
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The Moon
• Lunar Landings– Returned with moon rocks– Composition of rocks
similar to surface of Earth– Best fit hypothesis, Giant
Impact Hypothesis• Angular Momentum• Composition of Moon• Age of Rocks (younger
than Earth by ~100-300 million years)
• Scale (<2 sec)
http://www.fas.org/irp/imint/docs/rst/Sect19/moonsim.jpg
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The Moon
• Gravitation pull of Moon (also pulls land)
• Centrifugal forces – barycenter is pivotal point
• Centrifugal (17 sec)
• Centrifugal1 (7.27 min)
• Tide (20 sec)
• Tide2 (55 sec)
http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/scenario/tides.htm
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Earth/Moon System
• Rotation of the Earth Moon around the barycenter (<10 sec)– Pivot is around the
barycenter and not through the center of the Earth
http://library.thinkquest.org/29033/begin/earthsunmoon.htm
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Rare Earth Hypothesis
• Astronomical eventsAstronomical events– Within galactic habitable Within galactic habitable
zonezone
– Supernovae to seed our Supernovae to seed our systemsystem
– Sun the “right” sizeSun the “right” size
– Within solar system’s Within solar system’s habitable zonehabitable zone
– Large gas giants Large gas giants
– Large satellite (Moon)Large satellite (Moon)
– Occasional bolides strikesOccasional bolides strikes
• Geologic eventsGeologic events– Size of EarthSize of Earth
– Dynamo Earth forms Dynamo Earth forms magnetic polesmagnetic poles
• MagnetosphereMagnetosphere
– Plate tectonicsPlate tectonics
– Atmosphere Atmosphere
– LithosphereLithosphere
– Oceans (water terrestrial or Oceans (water terrestrial or extraterrestrial?)extraterrestrial?)
– GlaciationsGlaciations
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Mediocrity Principle
• Intelligent life is common Intelligent life is common throughout the universe throughout the universe because, as Carl Sagan because, as Carl Sagan would say, the universe is would say, the universe is a very big placea very big place
• Assumes that the Earth’s Assumes that the Earth’s life is a common life is a common occurrenceoccurrence
• Assumes that if life Assumes that if life occurs, then rational life occurs, then rational life will form with advanced will form with advanced technologytechnology
• Drake Equation:Drake Equation:– N = N* fp ne fl fi fc fLN = N* fp ne fl fi fc fL• N*N* # of stars in the Milky Way # of stars in the Milky Way
Galaxy (125-500 billion)Galaxy (125-500 billion)• fpfp fraction of stars that have planets (20 – fraction of stars that have planets (20 –
50%).50%).• nene # planets/star capable of sustaining life (1 # planets/star capable of sustaining life (1
to 5)to 5)• flfl fraction of planets in fraction of planets in nene where life evolves where life evolves
(0-100%)(0-100%)• fifi fraction of fraction of flfl where intelligent life evolves where intelligent life evolves
(0-100%)(0-100%)• fcfc is the fraction of is the fraction of fifi that communicate (10 – that communicate (10 –
20%20%• fLfL fraction of the planet's life during which fraction of the planet's life during which
the communicating civilizations live the communicating civilizations live (1/1,000,000(1/1,000,000thth))
• NN, the number of communicating civilizations , the number of communicating civilizations in the galaxy.in the galaxy.