Exploratour - The Surface of the Earth

This is a photo of snow covered mountains.
Click on image for full size
Corel Photography

Introduction

This page is the start of the tour which explores the surface of Earth. In this tour, we will describe different features found on the surface, plate tectonics and the result of these shifting plates. Use the navigation button at the top of the page to move through the tour. To go to the next page, just press the forward link on the navigation button.

A map of the Earth shows that the 2/3 of the surface of the Earth is covered with water. Standing above the waters are the continents. These are the green, brown and white parts shown in the movie. The continents form a unique portion of the crust of the Earth known as continental crust. A second and slightly different portion of the crust of the Earth is known as oceanic crust.

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The Earth Scientist, Volume XXVI, Issue 1, Spring 2010

This very special issue of The Earth Scientist (our biggest ever!) is sponsored by the Cooperative Institute for Climate and Ocean Research at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and is focused on the world’s oceans....more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

Even though the sleeping man is no longer on the bed, you can still see where he was lying down. The heat from his body warmed up the bed sheets which are now radiating infrared light toward your eyes....more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

All warm objects (not just people) radiate in the infrared. Warmer objects give off more infrared radiation. Very hot objects radiate other types of light in addition to infrared. Click on the picture...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

Your eye is a wonderful detector of visible light. Different frequencies of light produce different sensations in the eye which we interpret as colors. Our eyes detect light by using light sensitive components...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

Imagine you found a pair of special glasses that not only gave you telescopic vision but gave you the ability to see all forms of radiant energy. The universe in visible light contains all the familiar...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

This is a volcano on the island of Miyake in Japan. It has erupted, sending hot lava and ash into the air, a total of ten times. The time after one eruption until the next occurred was about twenty years...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

This is a picture of a galaxy in visible light. A galaxy is a large number of stars, some like our sun, some bigger, some smaller and all moving together through space. This galaxy is called Centaurus...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

This is a plant in Gary, Indiana where power is made. We use power to run things like television sets, radios, lights, and microwave ovens. The picture looks very strange because it was taken in infrared....more

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The Summer 2010 issue of The Earth Scientist includes an assortment of articles on Earth science education. Check out the other publications and classroom materials in our online store.

Generous sponsorship of Windows to the Universe is provided by the Hewlett Foundation, the American Geological Institute, the American Geophysical Union, the National Science Foundation, NASA, NCAR, and the CISM and CMMAP projects. NASA CMMAP AGU CISM NCAR Hewlett AGI NSF