Chapter 1 Time and Terrestinal Change

Geologist deal with immense spans of time, typically of the order of thousands to
millians to billians of years. On this time scale, human events and human history are
but of brief instan.
From the short time perspective of human history, geologic events can be either
short-lived and dramatic (such as volcanic eruption, earthquakes, and floods), or so
slow that they are instantly impredictible (such as crystal uplift or subsidence).
Over the long time scales of geologic history, both short-term and long-term events
are important, although the most important change (such as mountain building, sea
level changes, and the erotion of continens) take place over milliars to tens of milliars
of year. In this frame work, even rare events, such as 500 years floods, occur
frequently.
Geologic changes can occur either at constant (linear) or variable (nonlinier) rates,
they can be repeating or non repeating, repeating changes can be rhythmic (periodic)
or irregular (episodic)
Dramatic Geologic Events in Human History
Theres eruption are of special interest not only for their geologic magnitude but even
more so because of their possible historical implications. The easiest European
lineations called Minoan began on create only 125 Kilometers (75 miles) south of
thera, and a well preserved Minoan settlement has recently been excavated of thera
itself. But the Cretan civilization collapsed suddenly about 1500 B.C. For a reason
that have eluded archeologist of generations.
Volcanisme is very common in the great rift valley region of east Africa, which
stretches from Ethiopia to south Africa. As Africa began to rip apart, the rift valley
filled with the lakes and flood plains in habited by our earliest ancestors. Massive
eruptions have blanketed large of the areas of the valley many times in the last 10
millions years. About 3,5 million years ago, an eruption of a volcano known as
sediment, near a side called laetoli. In northern Tanzania, preserved a remarkable
story.
Volcanic eruptions continue to inconvinence and sometimes endanger people, for
example, the 1973 eruption of theimaey volcano in the 1980 eruption of Mt. Saint
Helens in Washington state.
How fast is fast? Time and rates of geologic processes
Geologic time.

Hearing reviewed examples of different geologic process active within brief of

human history, we shall now begin to investigate the matter of geologic time. Here
we stop into a new frame of reference for most people. For example, the time until
the next school holiday seems an eternity for children and a decade seen moderately
long to most adults the pioneers space probe requid a decade the cross most of the
radius of the solar system. It was launched from earth in 1972. Took 1 year reach
Jupiter but 10 were years to reach neptuned it possed plate and left the solar system in
1983 halley comet, however corners by only once in a was passing the earth when
mark twain was born in again when he died.
Summary
Geologic events in human history
Geologic pragmatic events like volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, river floods and
tsunami greatly impressed early people, leading naturally a catastrophic view of earth
history.