Final Exam Question # 6

In Plate Tectonics there are three different types of plate boundaries that have been found. First there are the Divergent boundaries. "Divergent boundaries occur where two plates slide apart from each other."(1) Next are the Convergent boundaries. "Convergent boundaries occur where two plates slide towards each other commonly forming either a subduction zone (if one plate moves underneath the other) or a continental collision (if the two plates contain continental crust)."(1) Finally there are the Transform boundaries. "Transform boundaries occur where plates slide or, perhaps more accurately, grind past each other along transform faults."(1) Now as previously mentioned before with Convergent boundaries each of these types of plate boundaries can cause certain geographic events or features. Convergent boundaries create subduction zones and continental collisions. Divergent boundaries can cause mid-ocean ridges and active zones of rifting. Transform boundaries can cause faults and earthquakes. All of these boundaries of course have the possibility of producing volcanic activity. There are three different types of volcanic features. First there are Shield volcanoes. "Shield volcanoes are huge in size. They are built by many layers of runny lava flows. Lava spills out of a central vent or group of vents. A broad shaped, gently sloping cone is formed. This is caused by the very fluid, basaltic lava which can't be piled up into steep mounds."(2)
Then there are Strato volcanoes. "Strato volcanoes, are formed by alternating layers of lava and rock fragments. This is the reason they are sometimes called composite."(2)" Finally there are volcanoes called Cinder Cones." A cinder cone is a steep conical hill formed above a vent.""Cinder cones are built from lava fragments called cinders. The lava fragments are ejected from a single vent and accumulate around the vent when they fall back to earth."(2)The Ring of Fire is unique in that it incorporates all of these types." The Pacific Ring of Fire is an area of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions encircling the basin of the Pacific Ocean. In a 40,000 km horseshoe shape, it is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts and/or plate movements. The Ring of Fire has 452 volcanoes and is home to over 75% of the world's active and dormant volcanoes."(3)
This information may be useful should a major disaster occur or should I simply be looking for a new home or vacation spot. This really only effects a person's own Pursuit of Happiness and the Liberty to go and live where they wish. Whether it's a plain, a mountain, or an active volcano. Some people might say that, that shouldn't be a allowed or that no one would willing do that. The truth is though that people have the right to go where they wish and people really are that stupid.
Bibliography
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics
2. http://library.thinkquest.org/17457/volcanoes/types.php
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ring_of_Fire
4. http://photobucket.com/ All photos from photobucket

Final Exam Question # 3

Earth has many options for renewable resources. One such resource is Solar Power. "Solar power is a synonym of solar energy or refers specifically to the conversion of sunlight into electricity by photovoltaics, concentrating solar thermal devices or various experimental technologies."(1) Using Solar Power is a much more clean, environmentally friendly way to power our world. Another renewable resource is Wind Power. "Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into useful form, such as electricity, using wind turbines."(2) The use of Wind Energy is also a increasingly popular form of renewable energy that has minimal effects on our environment. Then there are the nonrenewable resources we use. One example are fossil fuels. "Formed from plants and animals that lived up to 300 million years ago, fossil fuels are found in deposits beneath the earth. The fuels are burned to release the chemical energy that is stored within this resource."(3) Fossil fuels are one of the most widely used and yet they are a resource that is not only harmful to our environment but running out. Yet another resource is Nuclear Power. "Nuclear power is any nuclear technology designed to extract usable energy from atomic nuclei via controlled nuclear reactions. The most common method today is through nuclear fission, though other methods include nuclear fusion and radioactive decay."(4) The normal flow of energy through our earth is energy from the sun gives energy to our plants which are consumed by animals which are consumed by other animals which are all consumed by us. This is why our renewable resources are so benificial. For solar energy everything is natural we are just using the energy from the sun like we've always been. For wind energy we use the wind which is also powered by the sun due to the fact that the sun gives our earth heat and wind is created by the collision of hot and cold air. The reason of course that people don't just switch over is money and simplicity. It's easier for some to just stay as we are. For some the current sources of fuel being used is what makes them a lot of money so they see no reason for change. "Installing a solar power system is equivalent to prepaying for 40 years of power at a fraction of the cost you currently pay."(6) "Modern wind turbine generators cost between $1500 and $2000 per kilowatt for wind farms that use multiple-unit arrays of large machines. Smaller individual units cost up to $3000 per kilowatt. In good wind areas, the costs of generating electricity range between five and ten cents per kilowatt hour. That cost is somewhat higher than the costs associated with an electrical facility, but wind energy costs are decreasing every year, whereas most conventional generation costs continue to increase. "(7) According to these quotes it seems clear that not only are our renewable resources environmentally friendly but they are also friendly to your wallet's environment.
This information could be very useful later since it is becoming more and more beneficial to "go green" and use better renewable resources of power. For this topic using renewable resources would really be for the Common Good but it depends on each person's own pursuit of happiness. Some might think it costs more or it really isn't that big a difference. The truth is that in the long run you'll be saving money and the difference on our environment would be tremendous.










Bibliography:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_energy
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power
3. http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/fossilfuels.htm
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power
5. http://ge.ecomagination.com/site/index.html?c_id=googwifeb5#wind
6. http://www.borregosolar.com/home/solar-energy-benefits.php
7. http://www.canren.gc.ca/tech_appl/index.asp?CaId=6&PgId=232

Final Exam Question # 1: The Spheres of the Earth and it's Ecosystem

      In our world there are four different spheres. Theses four spheres are called the Biosphere, the Hydrosphere, the Geo-sphere, and the Atmosphere. All of these spheres interact together to create our Earth. The Biosphere is "the collection of all Earth’s life forms, distributed in major life zones known as bio-mes: tundra, arboreal forest, temperate deciduous forest, temperate grassland, desert, savannah, tropical rainforest, chaparral, freshwater, and marine."(1) Then there is the Hydrosphere which "contains all of the solid, liquid and gaseous water on Earth, extending from the depths of the sea to the upper reaches of the troposphere where water is found."(1) The Geo-sphere "consists of the core, mantle and crust of the Earth."(1) Finally the Atmosphere "contains all of the Earth’s air and is divided into troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and ionosphere."(1) The Biosphere and Hydrosphere rest on the Geo-sphere and are able to interact and exist because of our healthy Atmosphere.
      An example of interaction would be a volcanic event. Volcanoes are an event originated in the Geo-sphere. First a volcano erupts releasing particles into the atmosphere. These particles help to form water droplets in the Hydrosphere and Atmosphere. Then it rains stimulating plant growth in the Biosphere. Those plants feed animals which after death decompose enriching the soil of the Geo-sphere, the plants also release O2 contributing to the Atmosphere. The plant's production of  O2 is important because"The atmosphere is composed of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen."(2)"The interactions of Earth's other spheres - lithosphere/geo-sphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and/or cryo-sphere and pedo-sphere - create the conditions that can support life."(2) All these spheres work together in harmony to create our world. They work together in a never ending cycle of life death and rebirth.
      Humans have had a large impact on our earth. Day in and day out we are giving and taking away from our world. We rely on it to continue our existence. "We use the living world as a resource for food supply, an energy source, a source for recreation, a major source of medicines, natural resources, and for industrial products."(3) Every day we are impacting our earth. Our power plants and cars are putting harmful gases into our air. These gases which go into our air cause a greenhouse effect in our atmosphere which raises the temperature of our earth. This rise in temperature results in a climate change which affects the plants in our biosphere. When the plants are affected so are the animals that feed on those plants. This in turn affects the death rate of our animals which affects our geo-sphere. Here on earth everything is connected and it is man's duty to be conscious of this and act accordingly. Too often man shows no concern for their environment until it has reached disastrous proportions. Wallace Stegner once said ""We are the most dangerous species of life on the planet, and every other species, even the earth itself, has cause to fear our power to exterminate. But we are also the only species which, when it chooses to do so, will go to great effort to save what it might destroy.""(4)
      It is important that this knowledge exists. That we take such things into careful consideration. Most people don't realize how connected our earth is. Each part of our world affects in some massive or minuscule way. One tries to express to people the depth of their effect on our world but they just don't seem to really grasp it. We try to think about what is right or just or what is for our own Common Good. Are we really truly trying though? Some may say that pollution is a trivial matter. Why should we concern ourselves with an effect we will not live to see? It is because we are the higher power here that we cannot ignore it. That we look beyond the selfish desires of the present, to our future. A brighter, cleaner, and greener future for everyone.


Bibliography:
1.http://www.csun.edu/science/books/sourcebook/chapters/8-organizing/files/earth-systems-interactions.html
Earth Systems Interactions, copyright 2007, Norman Herr, Ph.D.
2.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_science, Earth Science, June 2008
3.http://www.hobart.k12.in.us/jkousen/Biology/impact.html,
HUMAN IMPACT ON THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, October 2000, Mr. Kousen
4.http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/of02-349/impact.txt, U.S. Geological Survey Open - File Report 02 - 349, 2002
5. http://photobucket.com/images/pollution/? All pictures from photobucket.

Weather Records

In this activity we recorded the weather of our location for a perios of about 3 weeks. We recorded highs, lows, barometer, wind speed, wind direction, sky cover, precipitation, and amount. Then we compared to the normal weather for that time of year as recorded by NOAA. Compared to NOAA's records it seems that this year the weather was much warmer and not as cold as it has been in past records. This relates to my topic because deforestation can cause changes in climate and cause an area to be warmer or colder. This is because deforestation can affect the amount of moisture in the air making a place dryer and it can affect wind resistence making stronger winds.


Related Links
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/
http://www.wunderground.com/

Wind Driven Ocean Circulation

Before this activity I didn't know very much about the movement of oceanic currents and winds on the Earth's surface. In this activity we used two note cards to demonstrate how the earth's rotation affects currents moving on the earth's surface. This activity talks about the Coriolis Effect. The Coriolis Effect is when air is heated and cooled unevenly on land and on the surface of the ocean creating wind. The wind creates friction when moving over the surface of the ocean causing the ocean upper layer to move. The water that is then deflected as it moves across the Earth's surface except for on the equator. This is what we call the Coriolis Effect. In this activity we also learned about Trade Winds and Westerlies. The Trade winds come from the SouthEast in the Southern Hemisphere and the NorthEast in the Northern Hemisphere. Then the Westerlies blow from the SouthWest in the Northern Hemisphere and the NorthWest in the Southern Hemisphere. All this causes water in the ocean to be bushed long distances. We also learned about Gyre circulation and how in the Northern Hemisphere the gyre rotates clockwise and in the Southern Hemisphere the gyre rotates counterclockwise. This is related to Deforestation. This is because the number of trees in an area affects wind patterns. If there are few trees in an area there is less wind resistance. This causes winds to travel farther and unimpeded. If there are more trees in an area there is more wind resistance which slows down the wind so that when it reaches the ocean it is not as strong. Another factor is that the number of trees in an area also affects the amount of moisture in the air which also can affect the temperature in that area or climate. This is important because the mix of hot and cold air is what creates the wind and if there is not enough of both the winds will not be strong enough to reach the ocean with any strength.

Related Links
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/earth/coriolis.html
http://www.ukdivers.net/meteorology/coriolis.htm

Activity 4: The Earth's Atmosphere and The Greenhouse Effect

In this activity I discovered more about the Earth's atmosphere and the Greenhouse Effect. I learned that cloud coverage and the type of land in an area can affect the temperature and or climate of that area. For an example if there is a lot of dark soil in an area then that soil will absorb more light and heat from the sun than a lighter color of soil affecting the temperature of that area. If there is water in an area it will reflect the sunlight, refracting rays of light and consequently heat. Then there are the affects of cloud coverage. If there are a lot of clouds in an area they help to shield the Earth from the suns light. The water particles act as a mild filter and make the amount light and there fore heat that reaches the Earth lesser. This is why it is important to take care of our atmosphere. If we continue to pollute our air with chemicals it will interfere with the delicate balance of gases that maintain it putting our atmosphere in jeopardy and causing potentially dangerous changes in the climate of our planet. The danger being that the planet's temperature will continue to rise little by little causing the polar ice caps to melt creating floods. Temperature also greatly affects the health of our plant life. This creates a link to Deforestation or perhaps more simply put the loss of our forests. As more and more trees are cut down it also cuts down on the amount of oxygen being released into the atmosphere by those trees. Also if the trees are cut down leaving bare earth it affects the temperature in that area because all the energy that would have been absorbed by those trees for use in photosynthesis will instead by absorbed into the ground.

Related Links
http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_3_1.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

Why Is Mother Nature Playing April Fools?

In this activity we learned that currently there are only moderate La Nina conditions which means there is less precipitation than usual. This of course is why lately we've been getting so little snow in Michigan. Normally in December through maybe February we would be experiencing moderate to heavy snow fall. Only for the most part we have only had short heavy snowfalls that don't last long or only light snows. Which is unusual for this area. So basically Mother Nature is sending us this lovely warm weather and rain but a cold front will soon be coming in an then it will be cold again. All this is also added to by the polar circulation which is giving us more cold air into the mix so that just when our hopes are up it brings us back down like a bucket of cold water...or rather a good bought of snow. Also the North American Jet Stream adds to this because it is divided and therefore is bringing ,guess what, more cold air! All this is of course related to Deforestation. Depending on how many trees are in an area affects how much water is on the ground. This is of course able to be affected by the cold coming our way. Also depending on the amount of trees in an area decides how much moisture is in the atmosphere in an area and helps to decide how much precipitation will fall. So even though it seems nice out today there's no better time to dig in, grab a blanket, and get ready for a white kick off to spring break!
Related Links
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114085128.htm
http://squall.sfsu.edu/crws/jetstream.html