Learning Goals

Studying this chapter will enable you to

	Summarize the physical properties of planet Earth.
	Explain how Earth’s atmosphere helps to heat us, as well as protect us.
	Outline our current model of Earth’s interior and describe some of the experimental techniques used to establish the model.
	Summarize the evidence for the phenomenon of “continental drift” and discuss the physical processes that drive it.
	Discuss the nature and origin of Earth’s magnetosphere.
	Describe how both the Moon and the Sun influence Earth’s oceans.