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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2012
Since ancient times, humanity has wanted to understand the Earth. This desire has driven the development of modern physics, chemistry, geology, and biology.
Section 1.1 gives a brief survey of the present understanding of the formation of the Earth. This knowledge is based on observations of electromagnetic radiation coming from space, as well as direct observations of the Sun, the Earth, the Moon, a few planets, comets, and various meteorites found on the surface of the Earth.
In the remaining part of Chapter 1 we discuss classical results dealing with the form of the Earth, including its surface and internal structure, how its tremendous age was determined, and the important role that life has played in the development of our present environment.
Origin of the Earth
A study of environmental chemistry would not be complete without a description of the origin of the Earth and its relation to the rest of the universe. This section describes the materials of which the Earth is made, and how and why these elements are distributed among the various spheres of the Earth.
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