Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

Leonardo's all-round genius brought him face-to-face with prob­lems of understanding the Earth. He saw the Earth undergoing endless change, largely occasioned by the forces of weather and water (both marine erosion of coasts and river erosion of hills). Solid land was constantly decaying into alluvial plains. The creation by rivers of their own valleys, which they then silted up, fascinated him. Land loss was being compensated for by a steady rise of the continents from the sea (as erosion made them lighter, they were able to rise).

His awareness of the power of water enabled him to recognize fossils as organic remains buried in strata debris, and he pointed to the similarities between fossil and living specimens. He denied that fossils were due to the Flood and privately speculated on the high antiquity of the Earth.

Ex. 22. Speak about Leonardo da Vinci, his talants and thoughts about the Earth.

Unit IV Rocks of Earth's Crust

Ex. 1. Read the words and try to remember them.

abyssal - абиссальный, глу­бинный hypabbsal - гипабиссальный adjacent - смежный, примыкающий ash - зола belt – поя, лента, ремень body - тело, вещество solid (liquid, gaseous) bodies - твердые (жидкие, газообраз­ные) вещества; породная мас­са; массив; месторождение; пласты common - обычный; об­щий; syn general; ant uncommon cool - охлаждать(ся), осты­вать; прохладный; ant heat нагревать(ся) dimension - измере­ние; pl размеры; величина; syn measurement, size dust - пыль dyke - дайка extrusion - вытесне­ние; выталкивание; ant intru­sion вторжение; геол. интрузия (внедрение в породу извер­женной массы)

fine - тонкий, мелкий; мел­козернистый; высококачественный; тонкий; прекрасный, ясный (о погоде); изящный; fine-graded (fine-grained) мел­козернистый, тонкозернистый; fines pl мелочь; мелкий уголь flow - течь; литься; тече­ние; поток flow of lava поток лавы fragmentary - обло­мочный, пластический glass - стекло; glassy - гладкий, зеркальный; стек­лянный gold - золото inclined - наклонный mica - слюда permit - позволять, раз­решать; syn allow, let; make possible probably - вероятно; syn perhaps, maybe shallow - мелкий; поверх­ностный; ant deep глубокий sill - силь, пластовая интру­зия stock - шток, небольшой ба­толит vein - жила, прожилок, пропласток

Ex. 2. Read these word combinations and translate them.

fragmentary rocks slowly-cooled rocks

intrusive igneous rocks at shallow depths

exposed igneous rocks adjacent rocks

coarse-grained minerals deep-seated rocks

of great scientific value enormous lateral pressure

of unequal hardness at a slow rate

different mineral particles rock fissures

bedded veins clay veins

flat veins numerous veins

steep veins smaller dimensions

coal fines glassy surface

inclined coal seams mode of occurrence

different sources of fuel volcanic ashes and dust