Definition and Scope of Nature
– Nature refers to the physical world or universe.
– It encompasses the phenomena of the physical world and life in general.
– The study of nature is a significant part of science.
– Human activity is often considered separate from other natural phenomena.
– The word ‘nature’ is derived from the Latin word ‘natura’ meaning essential qualities and innate disposition.
– In ancient philosophy, ‘natura’ was the Latin translation of the Greek word ‘physis.’
– ‘Physis’ related to the intrinsic characteristics of plants, animals, and other features of the world.
– The concept of nature expanded over time and gained currency.
– During the advent of modern scientific method, nature became the passive reality organized by divine laws.
– With the Industrial revolution, nature was seen as separate from intentional intervention.
– Nature often refers to geology and wildlife.
– It includes living plants, animals, weather, and geology.
– Nature is often associated with the natural environment or wilderness.
– It implies a distinction between the natural and the artificial.
– The term ‘natural’ can be distinguished from the unnatural or supernatural.
Earth and its Features
– Earth is the only known planet to support life.
– It is the third closest planet to the Sun.
– Earth has two large polar regions, temperate zones, and an equatorial tropical to subtropical region.
– Precipitation varies widely across the Earth.
– 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by salt-water oceans.
Geology
– Geology is the study of the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth.
– It encompasses the composition, structure, properties, dynamics, and history of Earth materials.
– Geology is important for mineral extraction, understanding natural hazards, and past climates.
– Rock units are deposited, inserted, deformed, and metamorphosed over time.
– Structural regimes relate to convergent boundaries, divergent boundaries, and transform boundaries between tectonic plates.
– Continent Rodinia broke apart
– Continents recombined to form Pannotia
– Pannotia broke apart about 540 million years ago
– Pangaea formed and broke apart about 180 million years ago
– The last mass extinction occurred 66 million years ago
Human Impact
– Human development allowed for rapid change in the Earth’s ecosystem
– Humans affect the nature and quantity of other organisms
– Humans affect global climate
– Great Oxygenation Event took about 300 million years to culminate
– Present era classified as part of the Holocene extinction event
Atmosphere, Climate, and Weather
– Earth’s atmosphere is held in place by gravity
– Air is mostly nitrogen, oxygen, and water vapor
– Ozone layer protects life on Earth from UV radiation
– Terrestrial weather occurs in the lower part of the atmosphere
– Ocean currents help moderate temperature differences between seasons
Bonus Group: Water on Earth
– Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen
– Water exists in liquid, solid, and gaseous states
– Water covers 71% of the Earth’s surface
– Water is found mostly in oceans and large bodies of water
– Water is vital for all known forms of life Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature
