Introduction
Welcome to a brand new video series launched by me, Geology Professor Shan Willy. This is the Geology 101: Physical Geology video series, and this is Episode 1 or the first lecture. If you're looking to understand some geology basics and concepts, this is an excellent place to begin. Whether you're new to geology completely or if you've had some geology education previously and you're looking for a refresher, thanks for joining me.
Course Overview
This course and lecture series is modeled after the college course I teach. I'm using the same slides, by and large all the same materials. The only thing missing from this course would be the lab experiences, rock and mineral identification, field trips, and other applications that we might do in a lab setting. However, this series contains all the same material. You can also use many of my existing videos on my YouTube channel to find specific videos and topics that might supplement the material we present here.
Introduction to Earth
What is Geology?
Geology is the science that studies how the planet works, understanding our planet, the processes that govern it, how it behaves, and what it's made of. There are two main courses I teach here at the college with respect to geology:
- Geology 101: Physical Geology: This course covers what the Earth is made of—rocks and minerals—and the processes that dominate and govern the planet.
- Historical Geology: This course studies the Earth's evolution over time, including fossils, extinction events, and how plate tectonics have shaped the landscape.
Why Study Geology?
Geologic Hazards
Understanding geologic hazards, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mass wasting, is crucial. These events impact humanity and understanding why they occur can help mitigate their effects.
Natural Resources
Geology provides insight into the natural resources we use daily, such as minerals, water, and fuels like oil, gas, and coal. Our way of life depends on these resources.
Understanding Earth's Past
By studying the rock record and fossils, geology helps us understand the Earth's history and predict future events.
Making Informed Decisions About Property
Understanding geologic hazards can help us make informed decisions about property and avoid situations where homes are condemned or lost due to natural events.
Earth's Interior
To understand plate tectonics, we need to grasp the Earth's interior layers:
- Core: Consists of a solid inner core and a liquid outer core, generating the Earth's magnetic field.
- Mantle: Includes the lower mantle (solid and strong) and the asthenosphere (solid but weak and capable of flow).
- Crust: The outermost layer, thinner and less dense than the mantle.
Concept of Geologic Time
Geologic time involves processes taking millions to billions of years. Understanding these time scales is essential for comprehending geologic processes.
Conclusion
That is Lecture Number One. I hope you've enjoyed it. The nice thing about these videos is you can digest them in chunks, pause, rewatch, whatever you want to do. I hope you'll enjoy the rest of this video series. We'll get into plate tectonics next, starting with a fundamental understanding of what happens inside the planet and how it shapes the Earth's exterior. Thanks again for your time, thank you for supporting this channel and our geology education efforts, and good day!
Tags
Tags: Geology, Physical Geology, Geology 101, Earth Science, Plate Tectonics, Natural Resources, Geologic Hazards, Earth's Interior, Geologic Time, Educational Series, Shan Willy, Professor Shan Willy, Introduction to Geology, Online Learning, Science Education, Viral, Trending, Must Watch, Educational Video
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