Geologic Timeline Individual Reflection

The first of the three major events that occurred is the formation of Earth. This is considered a major event because this is where it all started. There is not much evidence necessary for both an obvious and a significant event. The earth was created 4.6 billion years ago by the collision of dust particles until this grew into a planet. The creation of Earth is what allowed this all to happen. It is why I am able to type this reflection, and why you are able to teach me at all, let alone about the event. The second event we will be focusing on is the Cambrian Explosion. This was a sudden and rapid growth of a variety of organisms. The Cambrian Explosion is important because it was the start of many animal groups according to fossil records. This means that without the Cambrian Explosion, many of the life forms we have today would not exist. Finally, the end of the Cretaceous Period. The end of the period was brought by a mass extinction, which was caused by an asteroid about 6 miles in diameter. The mass extinction not only rid the Earth of about 3/4 of it's life, but it also opened the door to mammals. Before the extinction, dinosaurs ruled the land and only small mammals could survive in the beasts' shadow. However, the small mammals were some of the few that survived the collision, which allowed for evolution into larger mammals, and eventually us. These three major events all lead to the creation of mankind.

In our geologic timescale, 1 million years was represented by 2mm. When we first looked at this, we thought that we were going to have trouble measuring such small measurements. However, after we calculated the length of the each period, we discovered that the measurements would not be as terrible as I thought. What surprised me is the amount of time Earth went without any life at all, and then still took time for the Cambrian explosion to take place. What also surprises me is that such small events like asteroids colliding during the formation of Earth could change the course of the planet so greatly. Just imagine if an asteroid hit Earth during formation "the wrong way" or another hit causing a mass extinction. There would be a high chance we would not be here or Earth as we know it would not exist. It is beyond interesting just thinking about how perfect Earth is.

Human impacts on Earth have been great for humans. We have made life luxurious for ourselves. We have technology. No other known species has technology, let alone to our complexity and ability. However, in the perspective of nature and Earth, we are equivalent to the devil. We have taken from Earth and its resources without giving back. Humans have ruined Earth. It is a terrible reality, and there is always talk of changing, but there is no solution for years. Yes there are Teslas and solar energy, but that is lest than half a percent of what we need. Some scientists say we are already beyond the point of return.

I don't have any questions. I understood this unit and project rather well. The only thing is that there is so much to think about. Like I said previously, there were so many possibilities for Earth's life and path. How did Earth become what it is today? What stopped another asteroid from hitting Earth or falling into its orbit and becoming a second moon?

I couldn't get any quality photos of my own timeline, so I will post a photo of a geologic time scale in general.