...Global Warming and Hurricane Katrina INT 1- Task 1 What is Global Warming? — Global Warming is the rise in temperatures we are currently experiencing on this planet. It is projected to continue with devastating effects on the environment. — Since 1880 the average temperature around the world has risen 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. (NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies) — The 1980’s and 1990’s were the hottest decades in the last 400 according to a number of climate studies — The beginning of the Industrial Age marked the beginning of the phenomenon. — Fossil Fuels and other industrial bi-products are to blame (National Geographic News, 2007) What causes Global Warming? — The Greenhouse Effect is a natural process where the atmosphere traps the energy of the Sun in order to heat the earth to livable conditions. — Without this process the planet would be too cold to inhabit — The process has been amplified by the increase in Greenhouse gases — Greenhouse Gases — Greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and others — They are collecting in the troposphere (the layer of our atmosphere where weather occurs) due to: — The burning of fossil fuels such coal and oil in our homes, cars and industries — Deforestation is causing a decrease in oxygen which will increase carbon dioxide — Human made chlorofluorocarbons in aerosols make an impact as well because of the chlorine they release into the atmosphere ...
Words: 931 - Pages: 4
...Study Guide: Final Exam Concentrate your studies in the following areas. Questions for the Final Exam will come principally from this material. Lutgens and Tarbuck Textbook: Earthquakes and Structures (Chapter 6) * Know the definition of an earthquake (pg. 190). * Know the difference between the focus and epicenter of an earthquake. Which is located at the source of the earthquake? Which is located on the surface of the earth directly above the source? * Understand the concept of elastic rebound. What is it? How are earthquakes produced via elastic rebound? * Know the three basic types of seismic waves * Body waves - P waves (push/pull-- motion parallel - travel through solids/liquids/gas) * Body waves - S waves ("shake" -- motion perpendicular - travel through solids -- slower velocity than P waves) * surface waves (complex motion -- causes greatest destruction -- * ). What is the particle motion in each type of wave (e.g., particles move parallel to the direction of travel in P waves)? Which type of wave travels the fastest? Which type of wave is the slowest? Which type of wave arrives first at a seismic station? Which type of wave is the last to arrive at a seismic station? Which type of wave causes the most damage? Know which mediums each type of wave will move through (e.g., S waves will only move through solids). * Know the difference between a magnitude scale and an intensity scale. - Intensity: measure of the degree of earthquake...
Words: 3495 - Pages: 14
...GLOBAL WARMING: Energy, Fall 2005 v30 i4 p36(2) It could get a lot warmer. (GLOBAL WARMING) Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2005 Business Communications Company, Inc. If humans continue to use fossil fuels in a business as usual manner for the next few centuries, the polar ice caps will be depleted, ocean sea levels will rise by seven meters and median air temperatures will soar to 14.5 degrees warmer than current day. These are the stunning results of climate and carbon cycle model simulations conducted by scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. By using a coupled climate and carbon cycle model to look at global climate and carbon cycle changes, the scientists found that the earth would warm by 8 degrees Celsius (14.5 degrees Fahrenheit) if humans use the entire planet's available fossil fuels by the year 2300. The jump in temperature would have alarming consequences for the polar ice caps and the ocean, said lead author Govindasamy Bala of the Laboratory's Energy and Environment Directorate. In the polar regions alone, the temperature would spike more than 20 degrees Celsius, forcing the land in the region to change from ice and tundra to boreal forests. "The temperature estimate is actually conservative because the model didn't take into consideration changing land use such as deforestation and build-out of cities into outlying wilderness areas," Bala said. Today's level of atmospheric carbon dioxide is 380 parts per million (ppm). By the year 2300, the model predicts...
Words: 18317 - Pages: 74
...changing of the climate. Many think it is man-made but fail to understand the fascinating natural cycles of how complex the geological history of planet earth is. It is a difficult subject to take in, so the public has to rely on experts for making the information understandable. The problem with relying on a group of people to make decisions for the public is they have the ability to manipulate the data to back their point of view. It has been scientifically proven and accepted by many scientist that mini global warming and global cooling periods have been present in the earth’s history. These fascinating scientific facts of earth’s history have been totally knocked out by the massive hype that man is responsible for climate change. Overall, climate change tends to be reported as explanations about general tendencies and possible outcomes. Climate Change is a Natural Process, not Man-Made It seems like everyone in the world has an opinion about what might be causing the climate of the world to change. Recently there has been a common scientific consensus that claims to know what is causing the climate to change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is stating carbon dioxide is causing the climate to change, the oceans are warming, and the temperature is rising faster than usual. These claims being made are not only incorrect but lack the understanding of how the earth has hosted life for billions of years. There are many different claims about climate change being...
Words: 2963 - Pages: 12
...Hurricane Katrina: What It Was and the Aftermath Hurricanes, also known as tropical cyclones, are some of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters that affect the United States. They are severe tropical storms that form along the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. After the hit, they trigger thunderstorms within an area. Within the Northern Hemisphere, they have winds that go counterclockwise near earth’s surface. Hurricanes occur most frequently within the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. Typical hurricane season for the Atlantic coast is between June to November. However, the deadliest months are between August to October. Whereas, the Eastern Pacific season starts in May and...
Words: 3214 - Pages: 13
...Student’s Names 1. MalikMusallam Salim Al-Rawas 2. Mohammad Salim Baqi 3. Aadil Abdullah Hubis 4. Hamdi Sohail Al-Amri Level 4 Group 5 Global Warming Introduction Global warming begins when sunlight reaches Earth. The clouds, atmospheric particles, reflective ground surfaces and ocean surface then reflected about 30 percent of it back into space, while the remaining is absorbed by oceans, lands and air. This in turn heats the planet’s surface and atmosphere, making life possible. As Earth warmed up, this solar energy is radiated by thermal radiation or infrared heat, travelling directly out to space, thus cooling the Earth. However, some of the outgoing radiation is re-absorbed by carbon dioxide, water vapor and other gases in the atmosphere and is radiated back to Earth’s surface; these gases are known as greenhouse gases due to their heat-trapping capacity. This re-absorption process is naturally good; the Earth’s average surface temperature would be very cold if not for the greenhouse gases. Causes of Global Warming Global Warming is caused by many things. The causes are split up into two groups, man-made or anthropogenic causes, and natural causes. Natural Causes Natural causes are causes created by nature. One natural cause is a release of methane gas from arctic tundra and wetlands. Methane is a greenhouse gas. A greenhouse gas is a gas that traps heat in the...
Words: 2313 - Pages: 10
...STRUCTURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE Troposphere | Closest to the earth and most weather happens here. Temperature drops as you go higher. Wind speeds increase. Most unstable layer. End of the sphere is marked by the tropoPAUSE- an isothermal layer where temp remains constant. | Stratosphere | Steady increase in temperature. Marked by the STRATOPAUSE. Atmosphere is thinner here. | Mesosphere | Temperature decreases to -90. No water vapour or dust to absorb radiation. Very strong winds at 3000 km/hr. MESOPAUSE | Thermosphere | Increase in temperature from the absorption of UV radiation | Greatest amount of energy coming into the atmosphere is from insolation (short wave solar radiation). The amount of this energy from the sun is determined by: *Solar constant- varies slightly & affects longer term climate rather than short term *Distance from the sun- Earth’s orbit around sun can cause variation in distant *Altitude of the sun in the sky- equator receives more energy as rays are head on. At 60 degrees N or S its at an angle so there’s twice the area to heat up & more atmosphere to pass through *Length of the day & night Some radiation is absorbed by ozone, water vapour, co2, ice particles, and dust reduce the amount reaching Earth. & clouds also reflect radiation back! ALBEDO is the ratio between the amount of incoming and reflected radiation. (Usually at 4%) Short wave radiation is converted to heat and heats the surface of earth, while longer...
Words: 6549 - Pages: 27
...the focus and epicenter of an earthquake. Which is located at the source of the earthquake? Which is located on the surface of the earth directly above the source? --Focus=Earthquakes tend to occur along preexisting faults where internal stresses have caused the crustal rocks to rupture or break into two or more units. The location where slippage begins is called the hypocenter, or focus. --Epicenter=The point on Earth’s surface directly above the hypocenter * Understand the concept of elastic rebound. What is it? How are earthquakes produced via elastic rebound? * --Elastic rebound=At some point, the stress along the fault overcomes the frictional resistance, and slip initiates. Slippage allows the deformed ( bent) rock to “ snap back” to its original, stress- free, shape; a series of earthquake waves radiate as it slides. Reid termed the “ spring-ing back” elastic rebound because the rock behaves elastically, much like a stretched rubber band does when it is released. * Know the three basic types of seismic waves (i.e., P waves, S waves, and surface waves). What is the particle motion in each type of wave (e.g., particles move parallel to the direction of travel in P waves)? Which type of wave travels the fastest? Which type of wave is the slowest? Which type of wave arrives first at a seismic station? Which type of wave is the last to arrive at a seismic station? Which type of wave causes the most...
Words: 12176 - Pages: 49
...New Orleans. The Category 5 hurricane terrorizing all cities and states on its war path of destruction; Katrina is what they call her and her storm surge reached 20 feet high. 1,836 was the final death toll that Hurricane Katrina caused and her affects were impacted over approximately 90,000 square miles. 80% of New Orleans was underwater and some places were up to 20 feet under. (11 Facts About Hurricane Katrina) This destruction is unimaginable to most of us but for those that experienced it, it is something they never want to experience again. Along Katrina’s route of destruction, tornados were developed wreaking havoc in other states. In this paper I will discuss, in depth, hurricanes and tornados and the destruction they cause to our nation. The word hurricane was derived from the Spanish word “huracan” this word originated from a Mayan storm god. The word hurricane was used in the West Indies where they described any tropical cyclone. (Hurricane: What is a Hurricane?) The accurate definition of a hurricane is a “tropical cyclone with sustained winds that have reached speeds of 74 mph or higher” the storms are labeled as hurricanes when they gain their strength over days and weeks time. (Hurricane: What is a Hurricane?) Storms developing over the Atlantic Ocean or eastern Pacific Ocean are coined hurricanes. Regardless the name, all tropical cyclones develop the same way. These storms use warm, moist air as their fuel over the ocean and causes areas of lower air...
Words: 3615 - Pages: 15
...the earth receives stronger radiant heat waves. The common term used when talking about Global Warming is greenhouse gasses. Greenhouse gasses are the portions of carbon dioxide, methane gas and water vapor that get trapped inside earth’s atmosphere while the rest is released into space, known as the Greenhouse Effect. When the term global warming is tossed around, numerous people attribute the cause of it to humans and that it only has a negative effect. The misunderstanding and limited knowledge that some people have can cause them to become biased on a subject, such as global warming, Lane 2 without being presented both sides of the argument. Without the greenhouse effect the earth would not be able to stay at a reasonable temperature to allow life to survive. “Earth would end up feeling like Mars” (Scott). So all the people that say the greenhouse effect is only...
Words: 3061 - Pages: 13
...country, about global climate change. Nature is disrupted. We are seeing the impacts on a daily basis. We are losing our lands, water is disappearing, it rains when it shouldn’t rain, and we have freezing temperatures, when we shouldn’t have freezing temperatures. Also, warmer temperatures in our farming area have spurred plant diseases, and the quality of agricultural seeds has degenerated cutting into local women’s ability to earn a living. Because our yields are down, it is difficult to feed our children.” (Jaime Baily 14). Climate change has become a very contested and debated matter. Some scientists say that the earth is warming; skeptics contend that it is cooling. Glaciologists say that the polar ice on earth is melting, and skeptics say that Antarctic ice is growing. Skeptics-that have also concluded that the earth is warming-point out that the earth has gone through many such warming periods (interglacials or periods of desertification) in between cooling periods and that these are natural cycles. But the long-running debate over whether or not global warming is anthropogenic is arriving to its end. Not only it is caused by man, it’s real, it’s here. All across the world, in every place known to man, glaciers and ice-sheets are melting, the average temperature is increasing and dangerous weather events are occurring as an integrated response to green house gases produced by man’s activity such as motor vehicles, factories, fossil fuel plants, etc . We are already...
Words: 3299 - Pages: 14
...past ten years. The United Nations panel has predicted that the temperature will rise 3-10 degrees Fahrenheit by the century’s end. Yet we are still burning coal and oil the two of the world’s most top reasons why global warming is happening. If we do not do anything about it what we call as our today we will be saying was our planet yesterday. If global warming continues and temperatures continue to rise then it will be enough to have the polar caps all but melted. If this happens majority of Americas border will be under water including the famous city New York. Monuments and great building, as well as homes and lives will be lost forever, unless we all work together and take action to stop global warming today! I know we are all concerned about the effect global warming we can feel its affects on a daily basis. Yes we have heard it all before, but what can we do as individuals do to help save our planet? If everyone made some minor changes in their life than it we will have already started in saving our planet. Australia is particularly vulnerable to global warming environmentally and economically. We already live on the driest inhabited continent on earth. We are already experiencing more severe droughts in the bush, and water shortages in our cities. Victoria faced some of the worst bushfires on record. Professor David Karoly from the University of Melbourne’s school of earth sciences discusses how the record heat waves and prolonged drought prior to February 2009...
Words: 848 - Pages: 4
...Unit 9 Assignment 1: Geology of the Area Maryland’s Geology From the Atlantic coast on the east to the Appalachian Plateau on the west, Maryland has a great variety of geology and landforms. Maryland is part of six physiographic provinces (shown in the figure below). A physiographic province is a geographic area in which the geology (including lithology and structure) and climate history have resulted in landforms that are distinctly different from adjacent areas. An overview of the geology by physiographic province is provided below. Atlantic Coastal Plain The Atlantic Coastal Plain Province is underlain by a wedge of unconsolidated sediments including gravel, sand, silt, and clay, which overlaps the rocks of the eastern Piedmont along an irregular line of contact known as the Fall Zone. Eastward, this wedge of sediments thickens to more than 8,000 feet at the Atlantic coast line. Beyond this line is the Atlantic Continental Shelf Province, the submerged continuation of the Coastal Plain, which extends eastward for at least another 75 miles where the sediments attain a maximum thickness of about 40,000 feet. The sediments of the Coastal Plain dip eastward at a low angle, generally less than one degree, and range in age from Triassic to Quaternary. The younger formations crop out successively to the southeast across Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore. A thin layer of Quaternary gravel and sand covers the older formations throughout much of the area. Mineral...
Words: 7489 - Pages: 30
...even outdoors in deep shade. Prefers low lights. Grows in a clump. Leaves are sword-like, pointed, about 4" wide & 2' long. Occasionally flowers indoors. A variegated version is available with white stripes. (USDA Zones 7 - 9) 2. Christmas Cactus (Zygocactus or Schlumbergera) A trailing member of the cactus family that produces deep pink / red flowers in early winter. Seems to do its best when ignored. Can handle low light, but you’ll get more flowers in bright light. Pruning after blooming with keep the plant bushy. You can force your Christmas cactus to bloom in December by keeping it in complete darkness for 12 hours a night, beginning in about mid-October, until buds appear. An even easier method is to subject it to cool temperatures (50 - 55 degrees F.) starting in November. Just leave it on a windowsill at home while the heat is off, because you’re at work. (USDA Zones 9 - 11) 3. Dragon tree (Dracaena marginata) & Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderian) Dracaena have long been the centerpiece of container plantings. Street plantings in towns across America feature 1 spiky dracaena stuck in the center of red blooming geraniums in a half whisky barrel. But there is actually a good amount of variety in dracaena and most make excellent, easy care houseplants. In particular, Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata) which resembles a small palm tree and can reach heights of 10 ft. and Lucky Bamboo, which isn’t bamboo at all. Both have stems that can be trained to bend or spiral...
Words: 4640 - Pages: 19
...Unit 9 Assignment 1: Geology of the Area Maryland’s Geology From the Atlantic coast on the east to the Appalachian Plateau on the west, Maryland has a great variety of geology and landforms. Maryland is part of six physiographic provinces (shown in the figure below). A physiographic province is a geographic area in which the geology (including lithology and structure) and climate history have resulted in landforms that are distinctly different from adjacent areas. An overview of the geology by physiographic province is provided below. Atlantic Coastal Plain The Atlantic Coastal Plain Province is underlain by a wedge of unconsolidated sediments including gravel, sand, silt, and clay, which overlaps the rocks of the eastern Piedmont along an irregular line of contact known as the Fall Zone. Eastward, this wedge of sediments thickens to more than 8,000 feet at the Atlantic coast line. Beyond this line is the Atlantic Continental Shelf Province, the submerged continuation of the Coastal Plain, which extends eastward for at least another 75 miles where the sediments attain a maximum thickness of about 40,000 feet. The sediments of the Coastal Plain dip eastward at a low angle, generally less than one degree, and range in age from Triassic to Quaternary. The younger formations crop out successively to the southeast across Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore. A thin layer of Quaternary gravel and sand covers the older formations throughout much of the area. Mineral...
Words: 7488 - Pages: 30
