The document describes the theory of planetesimals to explain the formation of the solar system and Earth. It details how a gas and dust nebula collapsed into a disk, with matter accumulating in the center to form the sun. Rock and ice particles in the disk collided and stuck together, eventually forming the planets. The Earth took longer to form between the rock and freezing lines, making it smaller than the outer planets. Later, the document outlines the eons, eras, and periods that geologists use to study Earth's history since its formation 4.6 billion years ago. It provides details on conditions, life forms, climate, geology, and major extinction events that have occurred over this time period.
2. ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
THE CURRENTLY ACCEPTED THEORY TO EXPLAIN THE FORMATION OF THE
SOLAR SYSTEM, AND THE OWN EARTH IS THE THEORY OF THE
PLANETESIMALS:
1. A GAS AND DUST NEBULA, FLOATING IN SPACE WITH VERY SLOW
MOVEMENTS BETWEEN ITS PARTICLES TILL IT RECEIVED THE EXPANSIVE
WAVE OF THE EXPLOSION OF A NEARBY SUPERNOVA.
2. THE NEBULA BEGAN TO ROTATE MUCH FASTER, AND TO COLLAPSE IN A
SINGLE PLANE.
3. IN THE CENTER OF THE NEBULA, THE ACCUMULATION OF MATTER AND
THE CONTINUOUS SHOOTS INCREASED THE PRESSURE AND THE
TEMPERATURE, ALLOWING THAT THEY WILL BEGIN TO NUCLEAR
REACTIONS. THAT WAS BORN OUR SUN FROM A PROTOSOL.
3. ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
4. OUR CENTRAL STAR ATTRACTED 99.85% OF THE MATTER AND GAS OF
THE SYSTEM, BUT THE REST WAS ABLE TO SEPARATE AND THROUGH
THE ROCK LINE, WHERE THERE WAS PIECE OF MATTER AND EVEN
FURTHER, AFTER THE FREEZING LINE GASES WERE SOLIDIFIED AS
WATER VAPOR, METHANE, ETC.
5. SMALL BITS OF MATTER, THEY WOULD BEGIN TO COLLIDE WITH LITTLE
VIOLENCE AND JOIN IN AGGREGATES OF GREATER SIZE CALLS
PLANETESIMALS, WHICH WOULD IMPACT THEMSELVES, INCREASING
SIZE UNTIL FORMING THE PLANETS.
6. THIS PROCESS WAS FASTER IN THE FORMATION OF THE EXTERNAL
PLANETS BECAUSE THERE WERE MUCH MORE GREAT AMOUNT OF
FLOATING PARTICLES. ONCE THESE PLANETS REACH A DETERMINED
SIZE, THEY BEGIN TO ATTRACT THE GAS AND MATTER THAT SURROUND
THEMSELVES WITH GRAVITATORY FORCES, BECOMING GASEOUS
GIANTS (EXTERNAL PLANETS).
4. ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
7. IN THE AREA LOCATED BETWEEN THE ROCK LINE AND THE FREEZING
LINE, WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS GREATER, GAS IS SCARCE AND THE
ROCK PARTICLES IN SUSPENSION ARE LESS ABUNDANT, SO THAT IT
TAKES MUCH MORE TIME TO FORM THE PLANETS FROM
PLANETESIMALS. IN ADDITION TO THE NO GAS, THERE CAN ONLY
ATTRACT ROCK FRAGMENTS, SO THE INTERIOR PLANETS WILL BE LESS
SIZE THAN THE EXTERNAL PLANETS.
8. THE EARTH IN ITS FIRST STAGES WAS ACCOMPANIED BY ANOTHER
PROTOPLANET CALLED CEIA, FINALLY COLLISED, WINNING THE EARTH
MASS AND A MOON. FINALLY 4500 M.A. AGO, THE EARTH IS STABILIZED
AND BECOMES ONE OF THE INTERNAL PLANETS.
5. ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
7. IN THE AREA LOCATED BETWEEN THE ROCK LINE AND THE FREEZING
LINE, WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS GREATER, GAS IS SCARCE AND THE
ROCK PARTICLES IN SUSPENSION ARE LESS ABUNDANT, SO THAT IT
TAKES MUCH MORE TIME TO FORM THE PLANETS FROM
PLANETESIMALS. IN ADDITION TO THE NO GAS, THERE CAN ONLY
ATTRACT ROCK FRAGMENTS, SO THE INTERIOR PLANETS WILL BE LESS
SIZE THAN THE EXTERNAL PLANETS.
8. THE EARTH IN ITS FIRST STAGES WAS ACCOMPANIED BY ANOTHER
PROTOPLANET CALLED CEIA, FINALLY COLLISED, WINNING THE EARTH
MASS AND A MOON. FINALLY 4500 M.A. AGO, THE EARTH IS STABILIZED
AND BECOMES ONE OF THE INTERNAL PLANETS.
6. THE HISTORY OF THE EARTH
• SINCE ITS FORMATION 4600 M.A. AGO MULTITUDE OF EVENTS ON THE
EARTH
HAS HAPPENED, WHICH HAS ALLOWED TO FRACTION TIME IN EONS, ERAS
AND
PERIODS FOR ITS BEST STUDY. CURRENTLY 4 EONS ARE RECOGNIZED:
1. HADIC EON (4500-3600 M.a.)
2. ARCHAIC EON (3600-2500 M.a.)
3. PROTEROZOIC EON (2500-540 M.a.)
4. FANEROZOIC EON (540-NOW)
7. HADIC EON
CALLED IN HONOR TO HADES, HELL IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY, DUE TO THE
CONDITIONS OF THE EARTH DURING THIS TIME. THE EARTH IS IN ITS
FORMATION PHASE, METEORITES FALL CONTINUOUSLY INCREASING ITS
TEMPERATURE, BEING INITIALLY AN AUTHENTIC SEA OF LAVA TO MORE THAN
1000º C.
THE EARTH BEGINS TO COOL AND A VERY UNSTABLE SOLID BARK IS
FORMED, BECAUSE IT IS ON A FUNDED LAYER AND THE IMPACT OF
METEORITES. GASES RELEASED FROM THE LAVA WILL GENERATE THE
ATMOSPHERE (RICH IN CO2 AND WATER VAPOR) AND THE HYDROSPHERE.
THE OLDEST ROCKS FORMED AT THE END OF THIS STAGE, 3600 M.a. AGO.
9. HADIC EON
THE APPEARANCE OF WATER ON THE EARTH IS A MYSTERY
STILL, IT IS CURRENTLY BELIEVED THAT MOST OF THE WATER
ARRIVED IN ASTEROIDS AND COMETS WITH HIGH CONTENT IN
WATER THAT COLLIDED WITH THE EARTH IN FORMATION. THIS
WATER WAS EVAPORATED ON THE SURFACE, AND THE
WATER VAPOR ASCENDED IN IMMENSE AMOUNTS FORMING
THICK CLOUDS, TRIGGING A HUGE DILUVIUM THAT LAST
MILLION YEARS.
10. ARCHAIC EON
GEOLOGY: THE FIRST ROCKS ARE METAMORFICAL OR
VOLCANIC, WHILE THE ATMOSPHERE IS FORMED BY
METHANE (CH4) CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) AND AMMONIA (NH3).
WEATHER: THE SUN IRRADIAED LESS ENERGY THAN NOW,
HOWEVER, THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 30 ° C ON THE
SURFACE AND BETWEEN 30-40 ° C IN THE OCEAN DUE TO THE
GREAT GREENHOUSE EFFECT OF THE CO2 RICH
ATMOSPHERE.
LIFE: THE FIRST LIVING BEINGS CAME UP 3500 M.a. AGO. THEY
WERE PROCARIOTS CELLS, FILAMENT BACTERIA LIVING IN
THE ARCHAIC OCEANS. THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS PROCESS
COMES UP AND THE ATMOSPHERE ENRICHES IN O2.
13. PROTEROZOIC EON
GEOLOGY: EMERGED LANDS JOIN FORMING THE SUPERCONTINENT PANGEA
I, WHICH BEGINS TO FRAGMENT WHEN THIS EON IS ENDED.
CLIMATE: THERE WERE BIG CLIMATE SWINGS, WITH TWO BIG GLACIATIONS,
AT THE BEGINNING AND AT THE END OF EON.
LIFE: CYANOBACTERIES IN LITTLE DEEP WATERS FORM A VERY
CHARACTERISTIC ROCKY STRUCTURES CALLED STROMATOLITES. THE
ATMOSPHERE BY ACTION OF THE PHOTOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA GOES FROM
BEING REDUCING TO OXIDIZING.
1400 M.a. AGO THE EUCHARIOT CELLS BEINGS APPEAR AND SHORTLY AFTER
THE PLURICELLULAR ORGANISM BEINGS. AT THE END OF THE EON THE
GREAT VARIETY OF INVERTEBRATES PROLIFING IN THE OCEANS THAT
CONSTITUTE THE FAUNA OF EDIACARA, DISAPPEARED AFTER A GREAT
EXTINCTION.
16. FANEROZOIC EON
THE FANEROZOIC EON COVERS THE LAST 540 M.a. AND IS DIVIDED IN 3 ERAS:
•PALEOZOIC: INCLUDES 6 PERIODS: CAMBRIAN, ORDOVICIAN, SILURIAN,
DEVONIAN, CARBONIFEROUS AND PERMIAN.
•MESOZOIC: INCLUDES 3 PERIODS: TRIASSIC, JURASSIC AND CRETACEOUS.
• CENOZOIC: INCLUDES 2 PERIODS: TERTIARY AND QUATERNARY.
17. PALEOZOIC
• GEOLOGY: IN THE CAMBRIAN, PANGEA I IS FRAGMENTED IN VARIOUS CONTINENTS (GONDWANA,
LAURENTIA, BALTIC AND HARMORIC). IN THE CARBONIFEROUS, THEY MEET AGAIN, FORMING PANGEA
II, SURROUNDED BY AN ONLY OCEAN: PANTHALASA. IN THIS COLLISION BETWEEN CONTINENTS GIVES
PLACE TO TWO OROGENIES: CALEDONIAN AND HERCINIAN.
• CLIMATE: THERE WERE TWO BIG GLACIATIONS, IN THE ORDOVICIAN AND IN THE PERMIAN. BETWEEN
BOTH GLACIATIONS THE CLIMATE WAS WARM AND HUMID, DEVELOPING THE VEGETATION OVER THE
EARTH, UNTIL CREATING LARGE FORESTS IN THE CARBONIFEROUS, WHICH HAVE GIVEN PLACES TO
THE CURRENT COAL DEPOSITS.
•ANIMAL LIFE: THE PALEOZOIC BEGINS WITH THE "CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION", THE FEW LIFESTYLES THAT
SURVIVED THE LAST EXTINCTION ARE FOUND WITH A GREAT ABUNDANCE OF RESOURCES AND
MULTITUDE OF HABITATS WHICH UNDERTAKED THE RISE OF LIFE IN THE OCEANS. MANY EXISTING
ANIMAL GROUPS APPEAR TODAY: SPONJES, WORMS, MOLLUSCS, ECHINODERMS, ARTROPODS
(TRILOBITES, INSECTS, ARACHNIDS) AND VERTEBRATES. BETWEEN THE FIRST VERTEBRATES IN THE
SILURIAN AND DEVONIAN THE ARMOURED FISHES ARE CHARACTERISTIC.
SOME FISHES ADAPT TO THE EARTH AND MODIFY THEIR BODY, WHEN PLACING THE AMPHIBIANS,
WHICH THE REPTILES ARE DERIVED THEN (SECOND HALF OF THE CARBONIFEROUS).
18. PALEOZOIC
• VEGETABLE LIFE: THANKS THAT THE OZONE LAYER HAS ALREADY BEEN
FORMED, A FEW SEAWEEDS BEGIN TO CONQUER THE EARTH, THEN THE
MUSHROOMS APPEARED AND LATER THE FIRST VASCULAR PLANTS: THE
MUSGES. AFTER THE ARBORESCENT FERNS AND GYMNOSPERMS APPEAR
(PINES, GIANTS SEQUOIAS, FIR TREES ...) FIRST PLANTS WITH POLLEN AND
SEEDS, BUT WITHOUT FLOWERS.
IN THE PALEOZOIC, THERE WERE 3 GREAT EXTINCTIONS: END OF THE
ORDOVICIAN, DEVONIAN AND PERMIAN. THE EXTINCTION OF THE PERMIAN IS
THE GREATEST EXTINCTION THAT LIFE IN THE PLANET HAS SUFFERED,
BETWEEN OTHERS TOTALLY DISAPPEAR THE TRILOBITES AND OTHER
MARINE INVERTEBRATES, AND THE GREAT VARIETY OF FERNS IS REDUCED
TO A FEW GROUPS.
23. MESOZOIC
• GEOLOGY: PANGEA II FRACTURES IN THE TRIASSIC, ORIGINATING LAURASIA AND GONDWANA, WHICH
IN THE JURASSIC LAURASIA FRAGMENTS: EURASIA AND NORTH AMERICA AND GONDWANA: SOUTH
AMERICA, AFRICA, INDIA, AUSTRALIA AND ANTARTIC.
• CLIMATE: AT THE BEGINNING PREDOMINATED A DRY AND CONTINENTAL CLIMATE, BY FRAGMENTING
PANGEA II A GENERALIZED TROPICAL CLIMATE IS ORIGINATED.
• LIFE:. DUE TO THE INITIAL ARIDITY, ORGANISMS OF HUMID ENVIRONMENTS AS FERNS AND
AMPHIBIANS ARE BEING REPLACED BY OTHER LESS DEPENDENTS OF WATER AS ARE GYMNOSPERMS
(PINES, FIRS, SEQUOIAS ...) AND REPTILES. THE MESOZOIC IS KNOWN AS THE DINOSAURS ERA.
ALSO THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS AGE ARE THE AMMONITES, CEPHALOPOD MOLLUSCS PROVIDED
BY CALCAREOUS SHELL, THE FLYERS REPTILS OF WHICH EVOLVED THE FIRST BIRD ARCHAEOPTERYX
WITH FEATHERS, BUT WITH TEETH, CLAWS AND REPTIL TAIL.
THE DINOSAURS ERA CONCLUDES WITH AN EXTINCTION THAT AFFECTS DINOSAURS AND AMMONITES.
THE MOST ACCEPTED THEORY IS THE FALL OF A METEORITE THAT PRODUCED AN ENVIRONMENTAL
CATASTROPH AT THE PLANETARY LEVEL. THE ACCUMULATION OF PLANCTON IN THE MARINE FUNDS
ORIGINATES THE CURRENT PETROLEUM DEPOSITS.