Final Exam Post: Earthquakes and Volcanoes

a) Earthquakes are measured using magnitude, which is a measure of the ground motion. (3) Earthquakes and volcanoes are usually formed along boundaries of plate tectonics. Most of the time, they are formed where the plates experience subduction, when a plate is pushed beneath another one.

b) Under the outer crust of the Earth (where we live) is the Earth's mantle. The mantle is very thick and extremely hot, but for the most part, it doesn't melt because the pressure inside Earth is too great for it to melt. Sometimes it does melt though, forming magma. This magma is described as a "liquid, molten rock." It is a unique substance, because it is part gas, part solid, and part liquid. Plate Tectonics are located under the crust and include a bit of the mantle. They are basically right above the mantle, and thus, the magma. Depending on how the plates come into contact with each other. If the plates move away from each other, the mantle is pushed up to fill the gap. Being that the pressure is not as great, the mantle melts into magma, and it hardens, forming more crust. If plates move towards each other, one can be pushed under the other, causing a trench where the water comes into contact with the mantle, which then melts into magma. This is called subduction zone volcanism. (1)


  http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~leeman/islandarc2.jpg

c) When volcanoes erupt, they eject lots of different things into the atmosphere, including sulfer, ash, and carbon dioxide. This can do a lot of damage to the earth, its creatures, and the atmosphere. This can result in numerous atmospheric reactions, including a reduction in solar radiation (because it forms clouds that both absorb and scatter the radiaton), lowering trophespheric temperatures (because the eruption can cause the lower stratosphere to consume more heat, leaving less for the tropesphere), and changes in the circluation patterns of the atmosphere.

    https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9K7efxjOITvnmYvoEgqcJ2k-UiDa0lIKAaD7xZj5X-3hKNylL1SM11hLkfv-hEU7fN32ctxHRESce9bVDnxrdLzCCQtKaroHUJhMOJZRnscmidl8mrY5X-cWrl8jp4djY4SB9CDy-bQ/s1600/VolcanicEruption%5B1%5D.jpg


Bibliography:
1. http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/volcano1.htm; How Volcanoes Work; HowStuffWorks Inc.; 2011

2. http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Volcano/; Volcanoes and Climate Change; Jason Wolfe; 2000

3.  http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/measure.php; Measuring the Size of an Earthquake; EHP Web Team; 2009

4. (first picture)  http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/53/4953-004-9D51CA25.jpg

ACT Science Practice

1) I got about 75% of the questions right. I kind of started really losing it at the end; I did way better at the beginning.
2) I think the ability to read quickly, summarize, and keep my focus are the skills that would help most on this portion.
3) No; the science portion of the ACT is more about analyzing what's in front of you, not using your prior knowledge.
4) Absolutely, because the more often we are asked to go in-depth, the easier it is to do that as well as just looking at the outer things.
5) I haven't even started or even chosen a topic.

Sewer Treatment Plant

At the Sewer Treatment plant, I learned about just how much work goes into cleaning our water. When I first arrived, I honestly thought it was just a simple once-thru purifying system, but I found out it's much more than that. There are so many different steps that go into cleaning the city's water, something most people probably never think about. I also learned about all of the stuff that's going on, even on the microscopic level, with the little bugs eating all of the waste and being recycled back again.

I think we should definitely think more about what's going into our water. We should also not be so careless about using water. Little things such as turning the water off when you're brushing your teeth or taking 5 minutes off of your daily shower time can make a big difference.


Recycling:
Recycling is a simple and fun way to help out the environment. You can recycle pretty much anything, depending on where you go. I will definitely recycle again. I didn't know it was as simple as it is, and it definitely helps out our environment. Plus, it's right on the way to my boyfriend's  house, so I think maybe when I'm going over there I'll just stop by the recycling bins and drop some stuff off.

The Day After Tomorrow

1) A piece of the ice shelf breaks off. ~ Yes
2) It gets so cold out that gasoline freezes. ~ No
3) It gets so cold out that a human can freeze instantly. ~ Yes
4) In the eye of the storm, temperature drops of 2 degrees per second. ~ No
5) The storm results in a modern-day ice age. ~ Yes

As far as the ice shelf breaking off, that can definitely happen. It is happening even now. Scientists have reported several instances of ice shelfs breaking off in the Artic Sea. In 2005, there was an ice shelf that broke off that was about 25% larger than Manhattan. It was floating around northern Canada and eventually melted. However, if this keeps happening, there could be a major rise in the ocean's levels, which poses a threat to islands around the world.

As for the storm resulting in a modern-day ice age, that could not happen. If the ice in the Aric keeps melting, then it could screw up the flow of the Atlantic Ocean. Specifically, it could slow down or even stop the flow of the Gulf Stream. That would limit the amount of heat that is delivered via the ocean to North American and Europe. However, scientists say that the temperature drop would only be about 5°F over the course of a few years.


Questions:
1) Climate change can happen because the burning of fossil fuels cloud the earth's atmosphere. This blocks the sun's rays from coming into the atmosphere, messing up the regular atmosphere and its job.
2) The movie extremely exaggerates the way that the climate would change. Yes, the climate could change because of the using of fossil fuels, etc.; however, not nearly on the scale that we saw in the movie.
3) I did my research on moon tides. This obviously would be effected by climate change. The rising of ocean temperatures would result in a rising of the waters, and therefore, the tides. However, as to the moon effecting the waters, that will never change. The moon will constantly tug at the Earth's surface, causing the water to bulge towards it.

Solo and Ensemble

My woodwind quintet got a one, but I got a two on my solo. It's not necessarily bad, but I'm disappointed because I worked very hard and I could have gotten a one if I hadn't been so nervous.

Climate Research: Moon Tides

< (c) INTRODUCTION:

The gravitational pull of the moon on the earth causes the oceans to bulge towards it, raising and lowering the tides accordingly; and also causing them to shift. The combined forces of Earth's gravity pulling the water towards its core and the moon's gravity trying to pull it away resluts in tides. This happens periodically in all oceans. The word "tide" refers to all of the high and low water levels in the ocean. The sun also has an effect on the tides, but it is much lower because it is farther away than the moon is.

LOCATION:

The Earth and the moon are constantly attracted to each other, and the gravitational pull of the moon affects all of the Earth's oceans. (2)

(3)

WHY IT HAPPENS:

The moon effects the tides because it is constantly pulling at the earth, trying to pull anything it can closer to it. (2)

This has been happening, as far as we know, since the world formed into what it is today.

The moon is only able to effect the water on earth because of its ability to move freely. The constant pull of the moon causes the whole ocean to shift towards it. (1)

(b)

< (a) ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:

The establishment of the tides and currents that the moon causes effects the environment in a couple of different ways. If tidal changes happen quickly, then they can effect the lives of the plants and animals living in the ocean. For example, the currents and tides could move a fish's eggs, or carry nutrients needed to feed shrimp. (3)

  

HUMAN/ECONOMIC IMPACT:

This phenomenon effects the lives of people that live near the ocean. They have to build their homes far enough from the water so that during the highest tide it doesn't touch, resulting in floods. Also, if they dock their boats during high tide, they may not be able to sail again during low tide, which could hurt them economically if they are trying to transport goods. (4)

In Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundi, the difference between high tide and low tide is very drastic. So drastic, in fact, that the boats in channels sometimes have to untie their boats from the dock because the water goes so low that they drop to the ground. (1)

 (1)

WARNINGS/ TECHNOLOGY:

People who live near the water have always been forced to study and record the tidal patterns near them. It is mostly a matter of general observation; however, with increasing technology, we have been able to grasp a better understanding of tides.
Lots of different things are used to measure the changes in the tide, like different bouies are put in the water with rulers so that we can see how much the tide changes. Also, sometimes bobbers with a height reader are used because if the water goes down it records the change.

1) http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moontides/; Moon Tides; Keith Cooley; 2002

2) http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Astro_p009.shtml; The Moon and Tides; Science Buddies; 2011 

3) http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/ocean-current4.htm; How Stuff Works: Tidal Currents; Jessika Toothman; 2011 

4) http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5535690_do-ocean-tides-affect-humans.html; How Do Ocean Tides Effect Humans?; Tyler Lacoma; 2011 

Pictures/ Diagrams:

a) http://www.laups.org/gallery2/v/intl2009/macro/slideshow.html

b) http://www.boatsafe.com/kids/tides.htm

c) http://www.californiatraveldreams.com/NorthernCaliforniaBeachLodging.htm

Bad Astronomy Post

October Sky Lesson:
I would love to do Dot to Dot or The Mystery Constellation. I've always been fascinated by constellations in the night sky and I want to learn more about them.

Bad Astronomy:
1. What causes the phases of the moon?
        -The moon's light is caused by the sun's rays hitting it. The phases of the moon are caused by the earth getting in the way of the light from the sun.
        -The phases of the moon change because the moon is round and the angle it makes with the Earth and the Sun changes over its orbit.
2. Do all stars look white?
        - Some stars are red, blue, and yellow. Most of the ones we see in the night sky appear white because of the way that the light travels through the atmosphere.
        - Stars can be all colors of the rainbow. The color of the glow depends on the temperature of the object.
3. Tides, the Earth, and the Moon.
        -The different phases of the moon somehow effect the tides.
        -The moon's gravity acts on Earth, effecting Earth's tides. Everything, actually, is pulled with the force of the moon's gravity, but water, being very flexible, is the most prominent.