So far we've considered physics and biology in our exploration of scripture and science. Today we begin to consider how earth science and the bible fit together. This becomes particularly significant when considering interpretations for Noah's flood. We'll get to that next time. But, for today, our teacher will lay out the basics of geology and earth science to give us a good overview. He'll also cover radiometric dating, which has a bearing on how scientists determine the age of the earth.

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VzgrLAFXfg&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Flhim.org%2F&feature=emb_imp_woyt

See below for notes.

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Geology, Earth Science, and Atmospheric Science

• Geology• Important cycles• Plate tectonics

Geology

• Types of rocks/rock cycle• Geological principles• Dating methods• Structure of the Earth

What is Geology?

Geology is the study of the Earth and the processes related to the Earth.

• Geologists study rocks (and the rock cycle)• Subfields include atmospheric studies (meteorology), volcanology (studying volcanos), and mineralogy (study of minerals)

Types of Rocks

There are three major categories of rocks:

• Sedimentary - formed by pressure acting on sediment• Igneous - formed by lava• Metamorphic - formed by extreme pressure and heat

The Rock Cycle

Since wind and water are constantly affecting change, there is a rock cycle.

Geological Principles

There are several main principles of geology:

• Superposition• Cross-cutting relationships• Uniformitarianism

Dating Methods

There are major types of dating:

• Absolute dating• Relative dating

Absolute Dating

Absolute dating is based on radioactive decay. What is radioactive decay?

• Some forms of certain elements are (by nature) unstable• Over time, these elements change on the atomic lev