Month: August 2018

The History of Oxygen in Earth’s Atmosphere

In Earth’s atmosphere history, oxygen levels have changed significantly. This includes hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide and nitrogen composition in the air.

How Much Water Is on Earth?

Water is in the ground, on the surface, in the air and in our bodies. But how much global water distribution is in glaciers, groundwater, rivers and lakes?

What is the Hydrologic Cycle? 3 Steps of the Water Cycle

The hydrologic cycle describes how water moves continuously in nature. From evaporation, condensation and surface runoff – water is always in motion.

Is Vaalbara Earth’s First Supercontinent?

The evidence that Vaalbara (2.7-3.6 billion years ago) was the first supercontinent is mainly based on their sedimentary sequences and magnetic orientation.

What Is the Thermosphere? [Infographic]

The thermosphere is the thickest atmospheric layer (80-550 km). It’s known for its aurora borealis, orbiting satellites and the Karman Line (edge of space).

Did Earth’s First Water Come from Comets, Volcanoes or Asteroids?

2 theories exist for the origin of water on Earth: Did comets transport water? Or was there degassing from volcanoes from rocks existing within the crust?

Banded Iron Formation (BIF): How These Rocks Got Their Stripes

Long ago, oxygen filled the oceans. It mixed with iron which reacted by rusting. The seafloor collected rusted iron called banded iron formation (BIF).

Neptune Facts: The Big Blue Planet [Infographic]

Planet Neptune is the farthest planet from the sun at 4.495 billion kilometers from the sun. Neptune has some remarkable facts like its 14 moons and tilt.

Great Oxygenation Event: How Oxygen Filled the Atmosphere

Over 4 billion years ago, Earth’s atmosphere was mostly methane & nitrogen. The Great Oxygenation Event marks a time when free oxygen filled the atmosphere.

Pangea Fossils: Evidence of the Pangaea Supercontinent

At one point in time, all continents were merged together as one supercontinent “Pangea”. We’ve used fossil evidence to know continental drift exists.

7 Planet Saturn Facts: Beyond its Signature Rings [Infographic]

We all know planet Saturn for its iconic rings. But there’s more facts about Saturn like its weather, Titan and its the lightest planet in the solar system.

Pacific Ring of Fire: Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics

The Pacific Ring of Fire has the most active chains of volcanoes in the world. This is because tectonic plates collide and sink at these zones of subduction.

What Are the 3 Milankovitch Cycles?

Earth revolves around the sun in a roughly circular orbit. But about every 200,000 years, its orbit becomes more eccentric because of the Milankovitch Cycle.

Divergent Plate Tectonics: Boundaries that Pull Apart

Beneath the oceans, lava erupts every day from mid-oceanic ridges. These divergent plate boundaries pull apart from each other creating new igneous rock.

North American Plate: Tectonic Boundary Map and Movements

The North American plate extends all the way over the North pole to Siberia. It also includes Greenland, Cuba, the Bahamas and part of the Atlantic Ocean.