Before the ’04 Tsunami, an Earthquake So Violent It Even Shook Gravity
This article discusses the tsunami that struck Indonesia in December of 2004. It is stated that the giant earthquake that set it off actually disrupted the earth enough to change gravity and to deflect satellites passing hundreds of miles above. Two identical satellites travel one behind the other in a polar orbit separated by about 130 miles. By recording changes in the distance between them when their orbits are deflected the satellites provide data to calculated variations in the earths gravitational field.
In a report that in the aftermath of the magnitude 9.1 earthquake, the largest in four decades, on of the satellites Grace recorded a sudden drop in gravity near the quakes epicenter of Sumatra. The rupture caused the seafloor to raise thousands of square miles reducing the density of rocks in the crust and changing their gravitational pull.
This relates to class because we have been talking about earthquakes and why they occur and what affects they have on us. This earthquake by Sumatra happened under water. With what I have learned the plates that caused the earthquake probably shifted quite a lot because the magnitude of the quake was so high. Most earthquakes are under, I would say a 4-5 on the Richter scale. This earthquake was very big and it cause a lot of damage. We learned in class that when an earthquakes focus is under water they cause tsunamis. The shifting of the plates cause the water to shift back and forth creating waves. What we are concerned about is how earthquakes affect us. This particular earthquake was devastating because it killed tons of people and ruined buildings, habitats, and is going to cost so much money to repair everything.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Earth Science Blog- Fossils
Fossils in Kenya Challenges Linear Evolution by:John Noble Wilford
Homo erectus(left) Homo habilis(right)
This article talks about two fossils that were found in Kenya. They were found east of Lake Turkana. The scientists who dated the specimens which were a 1.44 million year old Homo habilis and a 1.55 million year old Homo erectus. They siad that hteir findings challenged the view that these 2 species came one after the other. Instead they believe thayt they lived side by side in Easten Africa for close to a half a million years. If this is so then it means that hablis and erectus must have orginated from a common ancestor. The findings don't change the relationship of erectus to Homo sapiens but it does imply that the species wasnt as human like. The dates of these fossils was determined from volcanic ash deposits. This whole discovery suggests that it is unlikely that Homo erectus evolved from Homo habilis because they were coexisting.
This article relates to what we have been discussing in class about the Rock Cycle. We have been discussing how important rocks are because they give us information about the Earths history. Fossils are also used to provide information about the time period. Fossils can tell us a little bit about what type of enviroment the fossilized organism was living in. These bones found in Kenya are giving us information about the types of species living millions of years ago. In our last clas discussion we also started talking about the diffenrt eras of the Earth. To my understaning these fossils found would be grouped in the Cenozoic Era. In this era dinasoars were taken over by mammals and plants, and later within the era is where fossils of human life began to appear in the rock record. The period that these fossils came from would be the Quaternary period which started about 1.8 million years ago, which includes all human history.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Earth Science Blog- Minerals
Article: The Pernicious Allure of Lead By: Natalie Angier
This article starts off by talking about how the human body needs a diet enriched with many ingredients from the periodic table. It states that iron is needed to capture oxygen, cooper and chromium to absorb energy, cobalt helps with our nerves and zinc helps with our genes. This articles purpose though is to talk about lead, which humans do not need a daily requirement of.
Humans, or any kind of life do not need even a small amount of lead to survive. For us, especially young children even the smallest amount of lead can have serious consequences. Brains that are developing have a sensitivity to this metal. Many scientists are concerned because lead paint it being used on children's toys. People are worried that with the millions of toys out there that they are risking children to be exposed to constraints on their neurological development. The article says that lead is relatively uncommon but we have made it as a part of our everyday lives by taking it up from the ground and putting it in our surroundings. Lead had been one of the first metals mined since it doesn't take much to convert the raw lead into usable lead. Lead is used to form pots, pans, water pipes, paint pigment , etc. Lead has proved to be a versatilemineral, but using it may have some consequences affecting our developing youths.
I related this to class because during our last meet we started to discuss what minernals were and why they are important.We learned that minerals are naturally occuring, solid elements or compounds that have a definite chemical composition, an orderly internal arrangement of atoms and definite physical properties. In the article I learned that one of leads physical properties is that it is softer and it has a very low melting point. Also lead is made up with more than 200 nuclear particles, this gave me a little more information on leads chemical composition.
In class we also discussed how important minerals are to humans. We need certain elements to survive. The element I read about was the complete opposite. I learned that some elements can be very dangerous to a persons physical development, but they are useful in many different ways. I think I understand better now why everyone would always tell you not to chew on your pencil lead.
This article starts off by talking about how the human body needs a diet enriched with many ingredients from the periodic table. It states that iron is needed to capture oxygen, cooper and chromium to absorb energy, cobalt helps with our nerves and zinc helps with our genes. This articles purpose though is to talk about lead, which humans do not need a daily requirement of.
Humans, or any kind of life do not need even a small amount of lead to survive. For us, especially young children even the smallest amount of lead can have serious consequences. Brains that are developing have a sensitivity to this metal. Many scientists are concerned because lead paint it being used on children's toys. People are worried that with the millions of toys out there that they are risking children to be exposed to constraints on their neurological development. The article says that lead is relatively uncommon but we have made it as a part of our everyday lives by taking it up from the ground and putting it in our surroundings. Lead had been one of the first metals mined since it doesn't take much to convert the raw lead into usable lead. Lead is used to form pots, pans, water pipes, paint pigment , etc. Lead has proved to be a versatilemineral, but using it may have some consequences affecting our developing youths.
I related this to class because during our last meet we started to discuss what minernals were and why they are important.We learned that minerals are naturally occuring, solid elements or compounds that have a definite chemical composition, an orderly internal arrangement of atoms and definite physical properties. In the article I learned that one of leads physical properties is that it is softer and it has a very low melting point. Also lead is made up with more than 200 nuclear particles, this gave me a little more information on leads chemical composition.
In class we also discussed how important minerals are to humans. We need certain elements to survive. The element I read about was the complete opposite. I learned that some elements can be very dangerous to a persons physical development, but they are useful in many different ways. I think I understand better now why everyone would always tell you not to chew on your pencil lead.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Earth Science Blog-Water
Article: Bringing the Ocean to the World, in High Def by:William Yardley
This article talks about how a group of scientists or oceanographers are leading a new ocean study. They will create this new study by Internet-inked cables, buoys on top of submerged data collection devices, robots and high definition cameras. They plan to have the first of this equipment in by 2009.
The purpose of this program is to help us improve our understanding on how oceans affect life on land, their role in the changes in climate; the causes of tsunamis; the future of fish populations, and the effect of ocean temperatures on the seasons. Also with this new program information on ocean issues are said to be more immediate since they can be downloaded from the Internet. This information will be available because sensors will be placed in the oceans to detect the different occurrences that take place. The information found from these sensors is obtained it connects through the Internet so we the public can have access to it.
This article relates to class because we have been talking about the different earth systems. Water is important to most of these systems. The plate tectonic system effects our bodies of water. Movements of the earths plates cause new sea floor to form along ridges in the oceans basins. As we have learned in class plate tectonics also cause tsunamis.
Water is also important to earths physical climate system. For example we read in our books about the hydrologic cycle. This cycle starts off with evaporation of water from the surface. The water vapor rises into the atmosphere,condenses, and eventually falls back to earth as precipitation. Part of the precipitation runs off of the surface and forms glaciers, some filters into the ground in which plants use, and much of the precipitation evaporates and goes back into the atmosphere.
In what I have learned thus far, or refreshed my memory on, is that water is very important to ecosystems. Water plays many roles in living organisms, it is the primary source of both hydrogen and oxygen. Plants use the oxygen in the water to carry out photosynthesis, which is their process of making food for energy. Humans and animals also depend on water. To function properly we need to stay hydrated. Water is the main component in our blood, if we don't have enough water in our blood then bad things such as illness can occur.
Since we have recently been discussing earths systems in class I have been reminded of how important water really is to the world and that we should know as much information as possible about our bodies of water. So I would say that I support this program and it will be a good source of information not only to me as a student but for society as a whole.
This article talks about how a group of scientists or oceanographers are leading a new ocean study. They will create this new study by Internet-inked cables, buoys on top of submerged data collection devices, robots and high definition cameras. They plan to have the first of this equipment in by 2009.
The purpose of this program is to help us improve our understanding on how oceans affect life on land, their role in the changes in climate; the causes of tsunamis; the future of fish populations, and the effect of ocean temperatures on the seasons. Also with this new program information on ocean issues are said to be more immediate since they can be downloaded from the Internet. This information will be available because sensors will be placed in the oceans to detect the different occurrences that take place. The information found from these sensors is obtained it connects through the Internet so we the public can have access to it.
This article relates to class because we have been talking about the different earth systems. Water is important to most of these systems. The plate tectonic system effects our bodies of water. Movements of the earths plates cause new sea floor to form along ridges in the oceans basins. As we have learned in class plate tectonics also cause tsunamis.
Water is also important to earths physical climate system. For example we read in our books about the hydrologic cycle. This cycle starts off with evaporation of water from the surface. The water vapor rises into the atmosphere,condenses, and eventually falls back to earth as precipitation. Part of the precipitation runs off of the surface and forms glaciers, some filters into the ground in which plants use, and much of the precipitation evaporates and goes back into the atmosphere.
In what I have learned thus far, or refreshed my memory on, is that water is very important to ecosystems. Water plays many roles in living organisms, it is the primary source of both hydrogen and oxygen. Plants use the oxygen in the water to carry out photosynthesis, which is their process of making food for energy. Humans and animals also depend on water. To function properly we need to stay hydrated. Water is the main component in our blood, if we don't have enough water in our blood then bad things such as illness can occur.
Since we have recently been discussing earths systems in class I have been reminded of how important water really is to the world and that we should know as much information as possible about our bodies of water. So I would say that I support this program and it will be a good source of information not only to me as a student but for society as a whole.
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