The Basic Scientific Principle The universe is sensible and governed by unchangeable rules The Scientific Method 1 Make an observation 2 Develop an hypothesis explanation that predicts the outcome of other observations or experiments 3a Make new experiments test the hypothesis is it right 3b Make new observations look in the rocks 4 Do the results match the predictions of the hypothesis If no return to step 2 If yes return to step 3 doesn t mean we are done continue to test Multiple yes loops other hypotheses Scientific Theory not a guess we NOW understand V V Predictions of Behavior Abraham Werner Neptunism 1750 1817 the entire world was formed as the water pulls away leeds to different structures primitive transitional secondary alluvial volcanoes Problems where did the water go volcanoes did not test his ideas by observing the rocks James Hutton Uniformitarianism late 1700s The present is the key to the past Siccar Point almost flat rocks lined with rocks almost straight up down Angular Uncomformity flat layers believes they originally were formed flat 1 2 3 deform A tilt it 4 Deposit B deposit these sentiments mud sand A turn A into a rock Turn B into a rock 3 5 Tilt B time A supernatural process that humans have never seen understood before instead of having a supernatural process the difference is time just let it happen werner thought rocks formed fast hutton said it takes TIME Charles Lyell Principles of Geology 1830 1833 Responsible for the acceptance of Hutton s ideas Eloquent writer compared to Hutton turning geology into a science 4 5 Ka thousands of yrs 4 5 Ma millions of yrs 4 5 Ga billions of yrs How old is the Earth 4 5 Ga Mass Extinction how do you kill everything at once Gubbio Italy Michel Asaro Alvarez dark clay Dino s dead boundary clay clay fossils how long did it take to deposit the clay Iridium rare earth element inside the mantle meteorites if the clay is deposited slow iridium has more of a chance to come from outer space result neither slow or fast probably a meteorite Shocked Quartz difference these quartz have lines breaks caused by an impact evidence by a shockwave which a volcano cannot produce result meteorite not volcano