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Age of the Earth
Earth is estimated to be 4.54 billion years old, plus or minus about 50 million years. Scientists have scoured the Earth searching for the oldest rocks to radiometrically date. In northwestern Canada, they discovered rocks about 4.03 billion years old. Then, in Australia, they discovered minerals about 4.3 billion years old. Researchers know that rocks are continuously recycling, due to the rock cycle, so they continued to search for data elsewhere. Since it is thought the bodies in the solar system may have formed at similar times, scientists analyzed moon rocks collected during the moon landing and even meteorites that have crash-landed on Earth. Both of these materials dated to between 4.4 and 4.5 billion years. Learn more about the age of our planet with these resources.
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Biodiversity
Biodiversity refers to the variety of organisms found in a particular habitat. It is important to maintain biodiversity because we rely on it for ecosystem services, which fall into four main categories: provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting. The earth provides these to us for free and they are critical to achieving a planet in balance. Use these resources to explore the diverse species that exist across the globe, and encourage your students to become good stewards of life on earth.
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The Solar System 101
Space is sometimes called “the final frontier,” a phrase popularized by the iconic Star Trek television series. But it is an apt description of humanity’s scant understanding of the planets, stars, and other celestial bodies beyond Earth. Although, we understand the parts of our own solar system better than those outside of it, we still have a lot to learn. Watch these National Geographic 101 videos to learn more about our cosmic neighborhood.
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Age of the Earth
Earth is estimated to be 4.54 billion years old, plus or minus about 50 million years. Scientists have scoured the Earth searching for the oldest rocks to radiometrically date. In northwestern Canada, they discovered rocks about 4.03 billion years old. Then, in Australia, they discovered minerals about 4.3 billion years old. Researchers know that rocks are continuously recycling, due to the rock cycle, so they continued to search for data elsewhere. Since it is thought the bodies in the solar system may have formed at similar times, scientists analyzed moon rocks collected during the moon landing and even meteorites that have crash-landed on Earth. Both of these materials dated to between 4.4 and 4.5 billion years. Learn more about the age of our planet with these resources.
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Biodiversity
Biodiversity refers to the variety of organisms found in a particular habitat. It is important to maintain biodiversity because we rely on it for ecosystem services, which fall into four main categories: provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting. The earth provides these to us for free and they are critical to achieving a planet in balance. Use these resources to explore the diverse species that exist across the globe, and encourage your students to become good stewards of life on earth.
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The Solar System 101
Space is sometimes called “the final frontier,” a phrase popularized by the iconic Star Trek television series. But it is an apt description of humanity’s scant understanding of the planets, stars, and other celestial bodies beyond Earth. Although, we understand the parts of our own solar system better than those outside of it, we still have a lot to learn. Watch these National Geographic 101 videos to learn more about our cosmic neighborhood.
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