The Geologic History of Earth

Question 1 

Geologic history refers to the description of activities associated with the formation of a physical landscape. The earth consists of different physical features, such as mountains, rivers, plateaus, and volcanoes (Wilson, 2012). The statement, “the present is key to the past,” indicates that geologists can apply physical features that shape the earth in prospecting features likely to occur in future. Geologic history involves the study of activities that happened in a particular region within a specified time frame resulting in the formation of a specific landscape. Given enough time, the earth can reshape, and past activities such as volcanoes, streams, and valleys show that physical features continue forming. 

Physical laws explain the processes through which physical features were formed. Biological and chemical methods for reshaping the earth shows land forming processes are likely to occur in the future. For instance, carbon dating shows that whenever living things die, radioactivity happens, creating a chance for giving examples of the past (Wilson, 2012). Biological laws are applicable in explaining various activities such as human and plant evolving. This law can be applied in explaining multiple events such as behavior by human beings and living things that can contribute to the shaping of physical features witnessed on the earth. For instance, the changes in the shape of the earth surface result from a biological process such as cutting down of trees while animals contribute to this process through means such as speeding weathering process. The discoveries of fossil fuels and similarities of activities influence the rate at which geologists will explain the formation of physical activities in the future. 

Question 2 

In the year 2011, earthquakes spark and caused adverse effects on the lives of people and damaged property in Japan. Earthquake is likely to occur in California because its location is vulnerable to tectonic forces that caused an earthquake in Japan. Eastern California is a shear zone prone to infamous San Andreas Fault. This region lies close to the pacific and North America plates. In effect, the plates creep northwest every year at approximately 2 inches. Additionally, the area extends to the Southern Mojave, making it vulnerable to fractures in the earth originating from a tectonic plate boundary. California and Japan share the tectonic plates meaning that the earthquake experienced in Japan is likely to extend to California. The closeness of Japan and California based on the tectonic plates indicates that California is also vulnerable to the effects of an earthquake. The subduction zone extends from Japan to the northern region of California. Earthquakes are not predictable indicating that California has to take precautions in an attempt of minimizing the effects of earthquake following the advice by geologists regarding the relationship between Japanese and California tectonic plates (Tormann et al., 2015). The magnitude of the earthquake likely to strike California is expected to be higher than that experienced in Japan calling for a need of disaster preparedness.   

Question 3 

Subduction zones represent a crash scene on the earth’s surface. These boundaries show there is likelihood for experiencing an earthquake in such areas originating from a collision between two tectonic plates, thus causing threats to the lives of habitats. In situations where two tectonic plates meet, one of them bends and the other slides beneath. The risks associated with subduction zone does not scare people away from living in such regions (Zheng, 2012). In effect, these regions attract a significant number of people with settlements and conducting activities such as farming. There exist several reasons as to why the majority of people live in these areas. For example, most of the natural resources such as energy and minerals are located in regions where tectonic plates meet. As a result, subduction zones are considered to have contributed to human civilization witnessed from the past and present periods. Most of the precious minerals such as copper, silver, and Gold are found in subduction regions, making them attractive to human settlement. Subduction areas also present fertile soil capable of supporting farming. The chemical breakdown and weathering processes lead to the creation of fertile soils supporting agricultural activities. For instance, some of the subduction zones in Indonesia are seen as favorable regions for supporting the growth of rice (Kroner & Romer, 2013). Oil and natural gasses are materials formed from the decomposition of organic materials that take place in geological basins. These regions become ideal for the extraction of oil that emits from the ground through pores. As a result, people are in a position to enjoy the economic benefits of subduction zones by engaging in agricultural activities, extraction of minerals, and fossil fuels. 

Question 4 

Old studies show that people can observe human in predicting the occurrence of earthquakes in a particular region. For example, people use unusual behaviors shown by animals such as chicken flying the top of trees and dogs barking widely. However, reliance on animals in predicting the likelihood of experiencing an earthquake remains unaccepted. For example, the issue of consistency with unusual behavior and timing of the occurrence of an earthquake is difficult to follow (Yamauchi et al., 2015). For instance, it may be challenging for people to observe a behavior change by comparing the barking of dogs. Various events, such as the occurrence of enemies and angry that may trigger animals to show unusual behaviors, thus making it challenging to connect such actions with earthquakes. 

Behavioral change in animals can help people to predict the occurrence of the earthquake. There is an assumption that animals sense danger and earth tremors before human beings. As a result, animals are likely to show a change in behavior days or months before the occurrence of earthquakes.  In most cases, animals tend to move to safer places, making it easy for people to observe danger. For instance, when chickens move to the top of trees and ducks move out of the water, it becomes easy for people to notice the change on behavior and connect to the occurrence of an earthquake. As a result, there will be an establishment of precautionary measures to prevent damages associated with earthquakes likely to occur in the future. 

Question 5 

Human activities influence the water through water withdrawals and disposing of discharges in water basins such as rivers, dams, and oceans. The withdrawal approach occurs in situations where human beings collect water for drinking and using in industrial processes. As a result, water that has been used in the manufacturing of other products does not flow back to the water cycle, reducing the amount of water in circulation. Human activities such as the use of pesticides and herbicides create discharges exposed into the water system. For instance, when rains occur, water comes into contact with chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides, causing water pollution. In urban areas, water pollution occurs from gas, oil, and pet waste (Lu et al., 2016). When polluted water flows back to the water cycle, plants which play an essential aspect in water flow are likely to be affected, thus reducing the amount of moisture. Such emissions have caused climate change that results in droughts reducing the amount of water in supply.   

Reversing the effects of human activities on water cycle requires a combination of various approaches. For example, most of the impacts of social activities on water cycle reflect through the reduction of precipitation, which forms the primary source of water. In effect, reversing the effects of human actions should begin by reducing the level of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere (Lu et al., 2016). This strategy should be accompanied by increasing the rate of planting vegetation capable of attracting expanding the level of moisture. The plant plays an essential role in future terrestrial hydrology because it determines the amount of water that evaporates back to the forming atmosphere rain. As a result, people can increase the amount of water in the water cycle by planting vegetation accompanied by reduction of greenhouse gasses that stimulate the occurrence of climate change. 

Question 6 

Climate change occurs through global and reducing precipitation, causing a significant impact on human life. For example, increased temperatures have effects on the food people eat water, and air exposing human beings to risks. Increased temperatures indicate that droughts will lead to a reduction in the availability of food and water. As a result, there will emerge malnutrition diseases depending on the ability of the government to address such challenges. Extreme temperatures will lead to hotter days and extreme temperatures. In effect, affected regions are likely to register a high number of heat deaths that cannot be offset by cold deaths (Wu et al., 2016). Adaptive mechanisms may create economic strain as people struggle to acquire resources such as air conditioning for minimizing the effects of extreme heat. 

If climate cools and goes back to the glacial period, there will be a need for developing adaptive mechanisms such as migration and sewing warm clothes to prevent the adverse effects of extremely cold temperatures. Glacial periods results in the formation of ice, which prevents human beings from contacting activities such as farming because most of the part of the land is covered with ice. In effect, people will seek alternative solutions such as moving to regions not covered by glacial. Extreme coldness may also result in the creation of diseases such as pneumonia affecting the health of human beings.  

References 

Kroner, U., & Romer, R. L. (2013). Two plates—many subduction zones: the Variscan orogeny reconsidered. Gondwana Research, 24(1), 298-329. 

Lu, S., Zhang, X., Bao, H., & Skitmore, M. (2016). Review of social water cycle research in a changing environment. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 63, 132-140. 

Tormann, T., Enescu, B., Woessner, J., & Wiemer, S. (2015). Randomness of megathrust earthquakes implied by rapid stress recovery after the Japan earthquake. Nature Geoscience, 8(2), 152. 

Wilson, J. L. (2012). Carbonate facies in geologic history. Springer Science & Business Media. 

Wu, X., Lu, Y., Zhou, S., Chen, L., & Xu, B. (2016). Impact of climate change on human infectious diseases: Empirical evidence and human adaptation. Environment international, 86, 14-23. 

Yamauchi, H., Uchiyama, H., Ohtani, N., & Ohta, M. (2014). Unusual animal behavior preceding the 2011 earthquake off the pacific coast of Tohoku, Japan: A way to predict the approach of large earthquakes. Animals, 4(2), 131-145. 

Zheng, Y. F. (2012). Metamorphic chemical geodynamics in continental subduction zones. Chemical Geology, 328, 5-48.