Versus: Cubic Zirconia & Diamond

Choice: A

Choice: B

VERSUS

Time and Geology

We spend a lot of time in geology talking about time.  Most of us understand time, and there are some great videos out there by a group called minute physics on this very topic.  But my discussion isn't about what you and I consider time, it is about geologic time.  We can all agree that the Earth is old.  Some of us may remember a more specific number, like 4.6 billion years old. But as an Earth Scientist, how do we record 4.6 billion years of information anyway?

The Atmosphere

Our Atmosphere is a wonderful thing.  The atmosphere creates weather, provides us with protection from the sun, and is the reason for the wonderful Northern Lights.  Face it, without an atmosphere life on Earth couldn't exist.  But what exactly is the atmosphere?  And what are all those layers about, it's not like the atmosphere is a giant cake or something!  Well lets just hold off on the cake thing for a little while and focus on the first half of this query.  What is the atmosphere.

Versus - Pyrite & Gold

Choice: B

Choice: A

VERSUS

Meteorite hits Russia - 2/15/2013

A typical meteorite.

By now everyone has certainly heard about the Meteorite that struck Russia.  The news outlets everywhere blew up with the story, and YouTube has seen its share of videos on the topic.  So what really happened over in Russia, how can they prove it, and what does it mean to you and me?

First and foremost the meteorite did not make a single impact.  It in fact broke apart in our atmosphere (about 10 to 15 mi above the surface), scattering its debris across Chelyabinsk Oblast Russia.  The force released by the break up is estimated between 20 and 30 times stronger than the atomic bomb!  The (now named) Chelyabinsk Meteor  is considered the largest known object to have entered the Earth's Atmosphere  in over 100 years.  It is also believed to have caused the most injuries (since recorded history of course!)

Welcome to Earth Science 4 Everyone (ES4E)

Hello everybody and welcome to the newest addition to my blog family.  I have started and stopped other blogs in the past but this one is different...this one is *gasp* educational.  But it is more than that too!  My goal is make everyday people like you, and you...and even you, able to understand the Science all around you.

Everyday we take in thousands of sights and sounds.  All of which call 'Earth' their home.  So what exactly is Earth Science? Earth Science is defined as an "all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet earth."  In other words as an Earth Scientist you study everything from the center of the Earth to the stars in the sky.  So for the more important question, what shall we talk about on this blog?

I don't want you to feel like you are in your high school science class.  I want to bring you historical facts as well as current events.  My goal is to keep this interesting and down to Earth (pun not intended).  So for now lets just sit back and relax, and see what topics will come to mind.