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The experiences of the explorers had begun to overturn traditional views of those thought to be authority figures (such as leaders of the Christian Church and the theories of the ancient Greeks). For example, new continents were being discovered and the layout of land masses across the Earth was being determined. A fundamental importance (as recognized much earlier by Al Muqaddasi) was beginning to be placed on the role of real-world experience. This meant that determining whether or not there was a Southern Ocean land mass could only be established through experience and not by just reading the works of Aristotle.

1 illustrates the major components of physical geography. It deals with the Earth’s climate system, which results from a combination of atmospheric, oceanic, land, ice and ecological processes. It also deals with a wide range of processes that affect the landscape of the Earth. indd 3 are responsible for mountain building, the movement of the continents, ocean floor spreading, ecological isolation and changing climate. In addition the landscape is worn down by weathering and erosion processes, many of which are driven by gravity and water (in solid, liquid and gas form).

Uranium-238, for example, decays into lead-206. Comparing the ratio of these two elements allows us to determine how much time has passed since the uranium sample was pure when the rock solidified. Radioactive decay also gives off heat and we can determine the rate of Earth cooling to determine a time when it formed. 6 billion years old. 9 billion years ago. 2 Darwin, Davis and Gilbert Charles Darwin was a brilliant scientist who collected and organized specimens. He read some of the writings on uniformitarianism and extended these ideas to biology.