The Blue Planet

Water covers the majority of the planet. How did all of this water get here? In Earth’s early formation, volcanic activity and outgassing produced heavy rains. This long period of heavy rainfall would eventually fill the low points on Earth’s surface called basins. In order to gain a better understanding of the formation of the oceans, you must first travel 13.7 billion years into the past to learn about the Big Bang Theory and the early days of our universe. Then, you will move forward a few billion years to visit a glowing ball of molten rock far out in the Milky Way Galaxy. You will watch this lonely planet slowly cool and gradually turn blue as it fills with water.

Essential Questions

• How did the oceans form?
• How is water distributed over the Earth?
• How is carbon dioxide extracted from the atmosphere?