Re: [LM_NET] How old is dirt?

[Ann Marie Gordon <agordon@LIVONIACSD.ORG>]

How old IS dirt?  

My husband (a physics and earth science teacher) says:  it depends on
the dirt.  Some parts of the soil can be only a few days old, especially
if it has lots of little organic bits.  Some dirt is millions or
billions of years old, since it was produced by the weathering of rock,
which apparently is older than dirt.  Most of the rock in dirt today is
actually a changed form of rock and other materials that existed when
the earth formed, about 5 billion years ago.  THAT material came from
the gas and dust particles that helped form the solar system, which came
from the death of previous stars.  ALL the material traces back its
lineage to the original stuff from the Big Bang.  It is said that
everybody has a little bit of Galileo in them (or Shakespeare, or
Ceasar, or whomever from several centuries ago) because as people
decompose (yuck) they become part of dirt, and air, and water, etc.  

So, dirt is as old as we are, cause we're made of the same stuff!
 
This was an unexpectedly fascinating search, and I found out about a
whole new branch of science:  pedology, the study of soil.  (Who knew?)

Here's a wikipedia link to a really interesting scientist, who was a
pedology great: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Jenny_%281899_-_1992%29

So, final summation:  when they tell you you're as old as dirt, they're
either criticizing your age, or possibly praising you for your youth. 
Take your pick.  Or, tell them "we're all as old as dirt!" 

Sincerely,
Anne-Marie Gordon

Anne-Marie Gordon, Librarian
Livonia Primary School
Livonia, NY
agordon@livoniacsd.org
http://www.livoniacsd.org/primaryschool/gordon/index.htm

"A life without stories would be no life at all."  --from Alexander
McCall Smith's, In the Company of Cheerful Ladies.
>>> "fmuller@tellurian.com" <fmuller@TELLURIAN.COM> 10/25/05 5:22 PM
>>>Today we were talking about how old I was.. and we started talking
about old as dirt.  Well.... we can't find
it!!!!!!!!!!!  Can anyone find about how long it takes to
make dirt.. and how old it is?  Sorry but I can't offer YOU
a dollar... .giggle.

      
 *****  
Frederick Muller, Librarian 
Halsted Middle School Library 
Newton, NJ  07860 
fmuller@tellurian.net 
My book  comments are compiled at:
http://www.halsted.org/br.htm

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