Authors frequently honor people they respect by asking them to write introductio
ID: 107401 • Letter: A
Question
Authors frequently honor people they respect by asking them to write introductions for their books. The author of a new book, called Geologists In Space, has recently asked you to write an introduction for his book. For this assignment you will compose a half- to full-page introduction for the book (use Google Docs or other word processing program), which is a work of fiction about a geologist who travels to Mars. Then, you will design a promotional flier to help publicize the book. Follow the directions and guidelines below to complete the assignment.
Directions for the book introduction:
In addition to using material from the lessons in this unit, you may also visit the website linked below for some fun and interesting ideas about visiting Mars. Be sure to watch the video on the site and explore some of the tabs along the top of the home page. Mars One Project.You may also conduct your own Internet search to find other reliable websites.
What might a geologist study on Mars? Don't forget to check back through this lesson for ideas on what they might study.
In this introduction, tell the reader why he or she should read the book.
Your summary should be a 1/2-page long and answer the following questions:
What is geology?
What does a geologist do?
What types of things might a geologist study on Mars?
Guidelines for book cover promo:
This should be done at the bottom of the page with your introduction to the book.
Find a graphic that depicts the action involved in the science of geology and space exploration. To do that, you might find a picture related to Mars or related to being an astronaut in space.
Write 1 or 2 statements or slogans about geology or a career as an astronaut geologist
Explanation / Answer
Geology is the study of the Earth, the materials of which it is made, the structure of those materials, and the processes acting upon them. It includes the study of organisms that have inhabited our planet. An important part of geology is the study of how Earth's materials, structures, processes and organisms have changed over time.
All divisions of geology provide highly useful information towards understanding the earth and its inhabitants. Depending on the particular specialization in geology, a geologist may study and map rock formations, collect rock samples and fossils, or measure the physical properties of the earth. This helps geologists interpret the active geological processes during the past several million years of earth's history. Geology plays a vital role behind the success of many other different disciplines, such as climatology, civil engineering, and evolutionary biology.
A general geologist deals with mineralogy, petrology, geological mapping, economic geology, and petroleum geology. Geological mapping deals with documenting geological formations on a map, such as rock patterns and distribution. Economic and petroleum geology deal with materials that are of import to economic or industrial purposes, such as coal, ores, and minerals.
Geohydrologists study properties and distribution of natural underground water reservoirs, their capacity to store water, and the movement of water through the reservoirs. More importantly, as a geohydrologist, you will investigate the cycles of drawing out water from the reservoirs for human consumption, as well as the replenishment by precipitation. This is a highly esteemed specialization for geologists, so a high level of knowledge and experience is required.
An engineering geologist investigates the physical and chemical properties of rocks and soil. You can carry this information over to building bridges, dams, roads, and tunnels in structurally sound areas and at minimal cost. Some knowledge of civil engineering is also recommended for the civil planning aspect.
Investigating the inner workings of the earth dealing with continental plate shift, breakup, collision, and amalgamation is the job of a geophysicist. They focus upon the physical and fluid properties of materials making up the earth, striving toward a greater understanding of continental formation and processes that happen because of it (earthquakes, etc). As a geophysicist, you will also focus on finding deposits of minerals created by the earth's movement and compression of materials.
Making deductions about ancestral climates and environmental conditions through the fossil record is the job of a paleontologist, a type of geologist. We can understand so much more about the past earth thanks to these researchers who analyze deposited layers of rock and soil for clues about pre-historic times. A paleontologist works with evolutionary biology, determining the factors that made species go extinct and those that brought about the origin of species as well.
A recent discovery by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft of large areas of magnetic materials on Mars indicates that the planet once had a magnetic field, much like Earth does today. Because magnetic fields in general act to shield planets from many forms of cosmic radiation, this discovery has important implications for the prospects for finding evidence of past life on the Martian surface. Study of the ancient magnetic field also provides important information about the interior structure, temperature and composition of Mars in the past. The presence of magnetic fields also suggests that Mars was once more of a dynamic Earth-like planet than it is today.
Of fundamental importance are the age and composition of different types of rocks on the Martian surface. Geologists use the age of rocks to determine the sequence of events in a planet's history. Composition information tells them what happened over time. Particularlyimportant is the identification of rocks and minerals formed in the presence of water. Water is one of the keys to whether life might have started on Mars.
What other materials might be trapped in those rocks with information about the planet's history? How are the different rock types distributed across the surface? Future orbiting and landed missions will carry special tools designed to help answer these questions.
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