In your own words, give the scientific definitions for ‘hypothesis’ and ‘theory.’ What is the difference between the two terms, and what is the difference between the scientific meaning and the way these words are commonly used? (6 points)
Scientific hypothesis is a proposition aiming to explain some observations which are not explained by the contemporary scientific theory. To be scientific, hypothesis has to be testable through experiment and falsifiable. Scientific theory is a group of propositions explaining natural phenomena, which is supports by repeated scientific experimentation. Scientific theory is usually a group of scientific hypotheses which are repeatedly confirmed by experiment.
When commonly used, word ‘hypothesis’ usually refers to some claim or a proposed explanation which is not always testable. Word ‘theory’ is often commonly used as some explanation which is not factual but only hypothetical, and not confirmed by repeated experimentation like ‘scientific theory.’
In a sentence each and in your own words describe what the Principle of Original Horizontality and the Principle of Superposition are. (8 points)
The Principle of Original Horizontality states that due to the force of gravity, layers of sediment are originally deposited horizontally.
The Principle of Superposition states that in nondeformed sequences, older strata lie below newer strata.
In a couple sentences, explain Hutton’s principle of uniformitarianism, and why it’s important in Earth Science. (8 points)
Hutton’s principle of uniformitarianism consists in that the landforms that we currently observed were formed not in a series of catastrophic events but came into being through uniform processes that continued for thousands of years. More generally it refers to the fact that the laws that now govern the universe were the same throughout the whole history of the Earth.
This principle is very important to Earth sciences because its postulation allows to study and research processes that shaped and continue to shape our planet. Without it, there is no basis to favor millennia long processes of strata formation over the actions of some heavenly being.
What are you most excited to learn this semester in GEOL 101? (3 points)
In this course, I am most excited to deepen my knowledge about the internal mechanics of our planet. I want to get better knowledge about how Earth ‘works’ in the inside and what its history is.
