Deep Time
What do beauty, saving money at Las Vegas, religion, oil exploration, emerging new diseases, and the planet’s recovery from global warming have in common? All in some way involve deep time, the immense age of the Earth. Eric Spielvogel filmed a discussion of these and other issues with Dr. Alley, for a special “time” issue of Research! Penn State. These "Deep Time film clips" will give you something to think about, and may even help with the course. Enjoy!
During three weeks in May 2004, two hardy Penn State geoscientists traveled through 12 stunning National Parks of the southwestern United States with 13 lucky students. The trip was sponsored by CAUSE (Collaborative Active Undergraduate Student Experience), an annual course offered by the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Richard Alley, Evan Pugh professor of geosciences, led the expedition. CAUSE 2004 was an extension of his course, "Geology of National Parks," and allowed students to interact with and learn from the rocks and landscapes of Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. In the following videos, Alley explains the concept of deep time, how it tells the history of our planet, and how it affects our lives.
Richard Alley, Ph.D., is Evan Pugh professor of geosciences in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, rba6@psu.edu.
—Emily Rowlands