Part Two II › Division IV IV › Section 241 241

Origin and Development of the Earth and Its Envelopes

Subject Outline

AThe origin and evolution of the lithosphere [see also 213.A.]
- 1Theories of the origin of the Earth
- 2The development of crust from mantle: processes involved in the geochemical differentiation of the Earth's outer layers
BThe origin and evolution of the atmosphere [see also 221.A.]
- 1The relation of the development of the Earth's atmosphere to the origin of the solar system and the development of other planetary atmospheres
- 2The original atmosphere of the Earth
- 3Development of the present terrestrial atmosphere [see also 335.B.]
- 4The present atmosphere [see 221.A.]
- 5Effects of human activities and their ramifications; e.g., acid rain resulting from the emission of sulfur dioxide; ozone depletion caused by the release of chlorofluorocarbons; greenhouse warming induced by the buildup of carbon dioxide [see also 223.E.2.C.]
CThe origin and evolution of the hydrosphere
- 1The early oceans
- 2The chemical view of the modern oceans
- 3The present hydrosphere [see 222]
DThe formation and growth of the continents
- 1The Earth's crust and upper mantle [see also 212.D.3., 213.A., 214.B.1.C., and 232]
- 2Endogenic regimes of the continents: geosynclines, platforms, rifts, continental margins [see also 231]
- 3The relation between endogenic regimes and deep-seated Earth processes
EThe formation and growth of mountain ranges and belts
- 1The distribution of mountain belts in relation to global tectonics
- 2The tectonic mountain belts [see also 212.G., 214.B., and 231.F.]
- 3The geosynclinal hypothesis of mountain building
- 4The development of mountain systems
FThe theory of plate tectonics
- 1Early speculations about the existence of a single supercontinent and its fragmentation into the present-day landmasses
- 2Wegener's concept of continental drift
- 3Hess' seafloor spreading model
- 4Plate tectonics as a unifying theory
  - aLithospheric plate boundaries as sites of volcanism, seismicity, and orogeny