[...]... explains how their true nature was discovered and the implications of that discovery for the history of the Earth The study of fossils led to the realization that Earth has a history that began a very long time ago Chapter  recounts the steps by which the history of the Earth was teased from the rocks, and it explains the rival theories of catastrophism and uniformitarianism as well as neptunism and... turns the nickname into a kind of compliment He was born at Cyrene, near the modern city of Shahhat, on the coast of Libya He studied grammar in Alexandria, Egypt, and philosophy in Athens, and in  .. he was appointed librarian of the library at Alexandria This was the world’s greatest library, and Eratosthenes remained there the rest of his life Measuring the Earth According to the traditional account,... traveled long distances, in their case by sea, where they were often out of sight of land for days at a time Their landmarks were in the sky and on the sea The shape and direction of clouds, the position of the Sun, Moon, and stars, the appearance of the sea, all helped them navigate across the Pacific Ocean 13 14 EARTH SCIENCE Most people are able to draw a representation of their journeys that would be... centuries that astronomers and surveyors had the tools and knowledge to draw accurate and detailed maps of parts of the United States, England, France, and India This chapter explores the fi rst of the difficulties mapmakers had to overcome Before they could draw their maps they had to determine the shape and size of the Earth There are many places the story might start, but one of the most famous of all maritime... Columbus had not the slightest doubt where they were He named the first island they reached San Salvador, claimed it for Spain, and was convinced it was one of the outlying islands close to Cipango (Japan) He imagined the local people were subjects of a great king who lived on a large island they called Cuba, which he assumed was Cipango The island he named San Salvador was Guanahani, in the Bahamas, and the. .. different locations see the same star, but to one observer it appears higher above the horizon than it does to the other 6 EARTH SCIENCE The quadrant Having ensured that the plumb line hangs vertically, the user aligns the the Earth Discoveringmovable arm with a star and reads the angle of Earth Science DTE-ES-002-quadrant.ai declination from the gradu04/16/2008 ated scale © Infobase Publishing Earth was necessarily... not Japanese Columbus was wrong on every count, but this was not his fault He was a skilled and brave sailor who did the best he could with the knowledge and tools available to him He lacked only two things: an accurate measure of the size and shape of the Earth and a reliable chart based on that measure Navigators would have to wait many years for either of these 3 4 EARTH SCIENCE IS THE EARTH A DISK... spherical Measuring the Earth 5 BELIEF IN A FLAT EARTH During a lunar eclipse the shadow of the Earth crosses the Moon’s disk The shape of the Earth s shadow is circular Astronomers who know what causes an eclipse should be able to see that the shadow is of a circular object, most probably a sphere, and during the eclipse the spherical shape of the Moon is clearly visible and unmistakable When a ship approaches... follow the same route A graphical representation of an area is a map Almost anyone can draw a simple map When people began to travel farther a eld, however, the simple map was no longer sufficient Travelers needed a map of a much larger area of the world, or even of the whole world—or at least the whole known world This chapter is about maps It outlines their history and explains how they are made Before anyone... Cassini blamed the clocks, but really he had lost the argument Picard was right: The Earth is oblate ANAXIMANDER—AND THE FIRST MAP Mapmakers usually draw their maps on paper or animal skin These are perishable materials that seldom survive for very long Although the ancient Greeks and Romans must have possessed and used maps, very few of them have been found Historians can only guess at what they may have . class="bi x0 y0 w0 h0" alt="" Earth SciEncE A Scientific History of the Solid Earth Earth SciEncE A Scientific History of the Solid Earth Michael Allaby Illustrations by Richard Garratt EARTH. determine the shape and size of the Earth.  ere are many places the story might start, but one of the most famous of all maritime adventures and navigational disasters is as good as any. Let the. was discovered and the implications of that discovery for the history of the Earth.  e study of fossils led to the realization that Earth has a history that began a very long time ago. Chapter