Science Department

Earth Science is an academic course that explores the work of nature on the earth. This course utilizes mathematical concepts to illustrate physical phenomena. The areas studied include: geology, plate tectonics, earth's geological history, limnology, oceanography, meteorology, and astronomy. Short-term student projects are an integral aspect of the course. Laboratory work is required, and students must meet the state standard for laboratory work* in order to take the regents examination.

* 30 written laboratory hours

NYS Earth Science Syllabus

	Earth Science Trivia
	Without using precision instruments, Eratosthenes measured the radius of Earth in the third century B.C., and came within 1 percent of the value determined by today's technology. Geyser is derived from an Icelandic word for "hot springs."
Lunar eclipse 11/8/03 (Thank you, John Costa)	The Arctic Ocean is is the smallest and shallowest ocean. According to National Geographic, Mt. Everest grows about 4 millimeters a year: the two tectonic plates of Asia and India, which collided millions of years ago to form the Himalayas, continue to press against each other, causing the Himalyan peaks to grow slightly each year. The highly rarefied region above the chromosphere, called the corona, extends millions of kilometers into space but is visible only during a total solar eclipse (left). Temperatures in the corona are over 1,000,000 K. The surface of the Sun, called the photosphere, is at a temperature of about 5800 K. Sunspots are "cool" regions, only 3800 K (they look dark only by comparison with the surrounding regions). Talk about old... The Sun is about 4.5 billion years old. Since its birth it has used up about half of the hydrogen in its core. It will continue to radiate "peacefully" for another 5 billion years or so (although its luminosity will approximately double in that time). But eventually it will run out of hydrogen fuel. It will then be forced into radical changes which, though commonplace by stellar standards, will result in the total destruction of the Earth. (Courtesy of Nine Planets)
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Without using precision instruments, Eratosthenes measured the radius of Earth in the third century B.C., and came within 1 percent of the value determined by today's technology.

Geyser is derived from an Icelandic word for "hot springs."

The Arctic Ocean is is the smallest and shallowest ocean.

According to National Geographic, Mt. Everest grows about 4 millimeters a year: the two tectonic plates of Asia and India, which collided millions of years ago to form the Himalayas, continue to press against each other, causing the Himalyan peaks to grow slightly each year.

The highly rarefied region above the chromosphere, called the corona, extends millions of kilometers into space but is visible only during a total solar eclipse (left). Temperatures in the corona are over 1,000,000 K.

The surface of the Sun, called the photosphere, is at a temperature of about 5800 K. Sunspots are "cool" regions, only 3800 K (they look dark only by comparison with the surrounding regions).