What weather would you expect a city to have if it is:
Ahead of a cold front? Ahead of a cold front, I would expect the weather to be warmer and wetter. Behind a cold front? Behind a cold front, I would expect the weather to be colder and drier. Ahead of a warm front? Ahead of a warm front, I would expect the weather to colder and less humid. Behind a warm front? Behind a warm front, I would expect the weather to be warmer and moister. What is relative humidity? How does it affect how a temperature *feels*? Relative humidity is the amount of water vapour in the air. It is expressed as a percentage of the maximum amount of water vapour the air can hold at the same temperature. One hundred percent relative humidity means that the air is completely saturated with water vapour and cannot hold anymore, resulting in the possibility of rain. When the relative humidity is high, the temperature appears much hotter than it actually is. This is because if the air is at 100 percent relative humidity, sweat will not evaporate into the air. When the relative humidity is low, the temperature appears cooler because sweat can evaporate easily. What happens when the air is saturated? (Provide 2 things) When the air at a given temperature holds the maximum amount of water vapour, the air is saturated. The air can absorb no more water, and the excess moisture will condense out of the air as cloud or fog droplets or various forms of precipitation at the Earth’s surface. What happens to relative humidity when the air temperature increases? Air temperature is an important part of relative humidity. If the water vapour content stays the same, and the temperature increases, the relative humidity will decrease. This decrease is because warmer air requires more moisture to become and remain saturated then colder air. What is fog? How is it created? Fog is a result of water vapour condensing. For fog to form, dust or air pollution needs to be in the air to allow water vapour to condense around the microscopic solid particles. Fog is formed on the ocean when water vapour condenses around bits of salt. During condensation, molecules of water vapour combine to make liquid water droplets that hang in the air. Fog is visible as a result of these tiny water droplets. What is the difference between Drizzle and Rain? The difference between rain and drizzle is the size of the water droplets; if the water droplets are smaller than 0.5mm, it is drizzle, if the water droplets are 0.5mm or bigger, it becomes rain. What is air pressure? How does it affect us? Air pressure is the weight of air molecules pressing down on the Earth. Differences in air pressure can have noticeable effects on the human body. One of these effects is when your ears pop. This commonly occurs on planes, as the air pressure in the cabin shifts when the plane rapidly changes altitudes. The rapid change causes expanding or contracting air in the middle ear to equalize its pressure with the surrounding atmosphere. Low air pressure can also cause headaches by creating a pressure difference between the surrounding atmosphere and the sinuses, which are filled with air. This same effect can occur in the joints of people who have arthritis. Give 2 ways to predict the weather without technology. Many common sayings predicting weather are based on scientific explanations. An example of this is the saying "Rains before seven, fine by eleven." This saying is based on the idea that if it's raining at 7 am, it has probably been raining all night, and the storm is likely on its way out by around 11 am. Another way to predict the weather is by examing the shapes and sizes of the clouds. Mammatus clouds often turn into thunderstorms, and wispy cirrus clouds can be used to predict storms and rain. The higher clouds are in the sky, the fairer the weather. Identify the information provided in the following station models. Note that the model uses the imperial measurement system. To answer this, provide a list of the information presented in each station model. Use the data table to help. Station Model A: Wind: Blowing 15 knots southeast Cloud cover: Partly cloudy Temperature: 74 degrees F Dewpoint: 72 F Visibility: 10 miles Barometric Pressure: 0.02 Pressure Trend: -31 continuously falling Precipitation:.50 (.50 inches in last 6 hrs) Station Model B: Wind: Blowing 25 knots northeast Cloud cover: Mostly cloudy Temperature:46 F Visibility: ¼ mile Dew point: 45 F Precipitation: .15 (.15 inches in past six hours) Barometric pressure: 096 Barometric trend: -6 References: Gallegos, E. (2020, February 20). 13 Old-Fashioned Ways to Predict the Weather. Retrieved from https://thedyrt.com/magazine/lifestyle/predict-the-weather/Humidity. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://climate.ncsu.edu/edu/Humidity#:~:text=If the water vapor content,become saturated as warmer air. Keith-Lucas, S. (2018, April 24). Drizzle or rain, sleet or snow? Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/weatherwatchers/article/43882701/drizzle-or-rain-sleet-or-snow/ National Geographic Society. (2012, October 9). Humidity. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/humidity/ National Geographic Society. (2012, October 9). fog. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/fog/#:~:text=Fog shows up when water,that hang in the air. Ray, C. C. (2013, July 1). Pressure and Pain. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/02/science/can-barometric-pressure-cause-headaches-and-other-discomforts.html
1 Comment
1) What type of burial is best for fossilization? Why?
Rapid burial is best for fossilization because it protects organisms from biotic factors such as scavengers and decomposers as well as from abiotic factors such as sun and wind. Slow burial risks exposing the organism to a variety of risks that may prevent fossilization. 2) Why is the fossil record incomplete? Give at least 2 reasons. The fossil record is incomplete for many reasons. Only some organisms live and die in environments conducive to fossilization, and even if they become fossils, geologic forces such as earthquakes and crushing are still a threat. Additionally, many organisms may never become fossils as organisms with hard body parts have a significantly higher chance of becoming fossils than organisms with soft-body parts. As a result of this, the fossil record contains only a few remains of organisms such as jellyfish, earthworms and flowers. 3) What is the difference between relative time and absolute time? Relative dating gives the age of an object in comparison to another object. It is based on the law of superposition, the assumption that unless something has happened, in a sequence of sedimentary rock layers, the newer rock layers will be on top of older ones. Absolute dating is based either on fossils, which are recognized to represent a particular interval of time or on radioactive decay of specific isotopes. 4) Why are unconformities in the rock layers important features? An unconformity is the contact between sedimentary rocks that are significantly different in age or between sedimentary rocks and older, eroded igneous or metamorphic rocks. Unconformities in rock layers are important feature because they represent that the geologic record in any one location is not complete and contains gaps. Recognizing unconformities is important for understanding time relationships in sedimentary sequences. 5) What is a half-life, and how it used in radiometric dating? The amount of time that it takes for half of the parent isotope to decay into daughter isotopes is called the half-life of an isotope. When the quantities of the parent and daughter isotopes are equal, one half-life has occurred. If the half-life of an isotope is known, the ratio of the parent and daughter isotopes can be measured, and the amount of time that has elapsed since the radioactive decay of the parent isotope began can be calculated. 6) If a 20g of Carbon14 has a half-life of 5,700 years, what would be the half-life of a 40g sample? The half-life of a 40g sample would be 5,700 years. 7) What percent of Carbon14 is left after 5 half-lives? 3.125 percent of Carbon 14 would be left after five half-lives. 8) How is learning about fossils and geological time periods relevant to our everyday lives? Why should we care? Fossils and geologic time periods provide us with essential information about how the environment around us and the life within it has evolved. Understanding geologic time and the changes which have occurred is an integral part of solving both geological and societal problems like climate change. Additionally, learning about the past allows us to see our impact on the present and use our knowledge to prevent future damage. Resources: Collins, J. J., & Lindstrom, K. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/fossil/9to12/intro.html (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/education/explorations/tours/geotime/index.html Unconformity. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/unconformity 1) What's the difference between extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks?
The difference between extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks is in the way they are formed. Intrusive igneous rocks are formed when magma or lava cools slowly under the Earth's surface. Extrusive igneous rocks are formed when lava cools at the surface, such as after a volcanic eruption. Gillespie, C. (2019, March 2). Differences Between Extrusive and Intrusive Rocks. Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/differences-between-extrusive-intrusive-rocks-10017336.html 2) What are the 4 textures of igneous rocks? How does the rate of cooling affect these textures? The four textures of igneous rock phaneritic, aphanitic, porphyritic, and glassy. The rate of cooling affects these textures because the chemical elements that become part of the mineral must migrate from the liquid magma to bond with other elements in a certain way to form the crystal structure for that mineral. When magma cools slowly, the chemical elements needed to form a specific mineral have time to migrate; that mineral can become large enough to see without a microscope. This slow cooling creates a phaneritic texture. An aphanitic texture occurs when magma cools quickly, and there is less time for the chemical elements to migrate and form large mineral crystals. As a result, many small crystals of a specific mineral will form. When there are some visible textures in an otherwise aphanitic rock, the rock is referred to as porphyritic. These two different crystal sizes indicate that the cooling rate of the magma increased; while the magma was cooling slowly, larger crystals can form, but if the magma starts to cool faster, then only small crystals can form. Glassy texture in igneous rocks is formed when the magma cools so quickly there is no time for the minerals to form, and the chemical elements in magma have no time to migrate into a crystal structure. When this occurs, a dense glass called obsidian is formed. McBeth, J., Panchuk, K., Prokopiuk, T., Hauber, L., & Lacey, S. (2020, January 8). Exercises on Igneous Rocks. Retrieved from https://openpress.usask.ca/geolmanual/chapter/exercises-on-igneous-rocks/ 3) What are the 3 agents (factors) that affect the metamorphism of rocks? The three main agents that affect the metamorphism of rocks are heat, pressure and fluids. Varying temperatures may have different effects on the way atoms combine; a mineral stable at one temperature may become unstable at a different temperature. Heat also acts as a catalyst for chemical reactions. Pressure creates a preferred orientation of minerals as they form. Additionally, pressure contributes to the stability of minerals. Fluids speed up other metamorphic processes. Dissolved ions in the fluid also make those mineral transformations that require chemical changes in the minerals to occur, whether by supplying needed ions or flushing away excess ones. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://itc.gsw.edu/faculty/bcarter/physgeol/metrx/agents.htm 4) What's the difference between foliated and non-foliated rocks? The main difference between foliated and non-foliated rocks is the pressure present when they are forming; this pressure affects their texture and appearance. Foliated rocks are formed in an environment with either directed pressure or shear stress. Foliated rocks have banded minerals which will appear layered and parallel to the rock. The result of a foliated rock breaking is a thin rock fragment. Non-foliated rocks are formed in an environment without directed pressure or relatively near the surface with very little pressure at all. In a non-foliated rock, the minerals will not have clear banding and will have a granular appearance. Unlike a foliated rock, there will be no layers, and they will not flake apart into thin layers when broken. Howard, A. (2019, November 18). Differences Between Foliated & Non-Foliated Metamorphic Rocks. Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/differences-between-foliated-non-foliated-metamorphic-rocks-13406863.html 5) Fossils are made out of living things. Which type of rock would be most likely to have fossils? Explain why. Most fossils are found in sedimentary rocks because sedimentary rocks are formed layer by layer, so the fossil is preserved. Sedimentary rocks are also formed by gradual deposition and do not require high heat or pressure the same way igneous and metamorphic rocks do, which would destroy the fossil. Whitehead, C. (2019, March 2). The Rock Most Likely to Contain Fossils. Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/rock-likely-contain-fossils-8117908.html 6) Why is a basic understanding of rocks necessary for understanding Earth's processes? Rocks allow us to learn about the past and the future, as well as play an essential role in our utilization of many resources. Rocks and fossils provide clues to understanding the transformation the environment, as well as the life within it, has undergone. The erosion of rocks into fine particles and the sequential formation of soil is an essential and connection to the food chain. Additionally, understanding rocks is an integral part of effectively and sustainably using resources, such as the fossil fuels found in sedimentary rocks, and in navigating a way to avoid increasingly dire damages to the environment. 1) What are the 5 characteristics of a mineral?
In order to be a mineral, the substance must exist as a solid under normal conditions on Earth, and it must be naturally occurring on Earth. The substance also needs to be inorganic and have a fixed chemical formula. Additionally, the atoms that make up the substance must have a specific atomic arrangement and must be arranged in an orderly structure. Sammartano, M. [Mike Sammartano] (2013, Jan 11). A Brief Introduction to Minerals [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a7p1NFn64s&feature=emb_logo 2) Identify at least 5 physical properties that can be used to identify a mineral. Five physical properties that can be used to identify a mineral are luster, hardness, streak, cleavage, and colour. Sammartano, M. [Mike Sammartano] (2015, Jan 27). Identifying Minerals [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32NG9aeZ7_c&feature=emb_logo 3) What is the difference between a mineral and a rock? Minerals have a specific chemical structure, which is the same throughout their entire structure. In contrast, rocks can be composed of many different metals and are not consistent throughout their structure. Sammartano, M. [Mike Sammartano] (2013, Jan 11). A Brief Introduction to Minerals [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a7p1NFn64s&feature=emb_logo 4) Using the mine poster above, or Google, identify 2 active mines in British Columbia and describe what commodity they mine. Brucejack Mine located in the Boundary Range of the Intermontane Belt of the Canadian Cordillera. It is an underground mine that mines gold and silver. New Afton Mine is located 10 km west of Kamloops, BC. It is an open-pit mine that mines copper, gold and silver. BC Operating Mine Profiles. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.mineralsed.ca/learning-resources/bc-mineral-resources-map/bc-operating-mine-profiles/ 5) Why do you think it's important to learn about minerals? I think it is important to learn about minerals because they are in so many of the things we use every day. Do humans have the right to take resources from other parts of the solar system?
One may argue that in being from Canada, nature plays an essential role in our identities. In the same way we depend on nature for everyday lives; oxygen from trees, and the complex ecosystems that make up the natural world, we also rely on space to tell us crucial information about Earth. Space resources should be protected and preserved in the same way national parks are. It is because of the indispensable myriad of scientific opportunities provided by the solar system, as well as humanity’s track record with Earth’s resources that humans do not have the right to take resources from other parts of the solar system. No country can lay claim to the moon, asteroids or other celestial bodies; space is open to all for exploration (Dunk, 2018); this key principle, as well as many others, were laid out in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. The treaty, overseen by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs gives no mention of the exploitation of space resources or commercial space endeavors (Dunk, 2018). Perhaps, the disclusion of this concept was purposeful. The solar system contains so much untapped information and burglarizing it of resources could prevent key scientific discoveries. Space should remain a place of exploration, not a place of commercialization, in which it is stripped of it's wonder for profit. Ian Crawford, a professor of planetary science at Birkbeck College, spoke to the topic: “For scientific reasons, some areas of the Moon are sites of special scientific interest and should be preserved and protected from commercial activities." (Crawford, 2015) The same commercial activities in question have wreaked havoc on Earth’s natural resources while sustainable alternatives have been frequently overlooked. Exerting energy and money on exploiting resources from the solar system, when there are sufficient opportunities for sustainable resource management on Earth is extremely unethical. To keep taking resources with little regard for the consequences and immense damage left behind is unacceptable, and until humans can take care of Earth’s natural resources we have no right to look anywhere else. References: Ali, Y. (2015, September 25). Who owns outer space? Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34324443 Dunk, F. von der. (2018, July 20). Who Owns the Moon? A Space Lawyer Answers. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/who-owns-the-moon-a-space-lawyer-answers/ 1. Why is it important to study the Sun and other stars? Be specific.
It is important to study the Sun because without it life on Earth would not exist. Understanding how the sun works, and changes and in turn how those changes affect us is important for our future. By studying stars, scientists are able to learn about our universe, different elements that make up the things around us, and gain a greater understanding of our Sun. 2. What is the Doppler effect and how does it tell us information about stars? What does it mean to be blue or red shifted? The Doppler effect is “ the apparent difference between the frequency at which sound or light waves leave a source and that at which they reach an observer, caused by relative motion of the observer and the wave source”(Britannica, 2007). An example of the Doppler effect is when a fire truck drives by with its sirens on. The pitch changes to those pulled over even though to the fireman the pitch stays the same. To those pulled over, the perceived pitch is higher until the sirens are reached and then become lower as the truck passes. The siren’s wavefronts bunch up as it moves towards the observer and spread out as the truck travels away. This effect can be seen with stars. If a star is moving towards an observer, the light waves it emits will be bunched up and be seen at a higher frequency. This higher frequency means the light will appear blue, and the star will be blue shifted. If a star is moving away from Earth, its waves will be travelling at a lower frequency and therefore the light from this star will appear red; this is a red shift. The Doppler effect, and the red or blue shift of stars, allows astronomers to tell whether stars are moving towards or away from Earth. Alt Shift X. (2013, June 6). The Doppler Effect: what does motion do to waves? [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4OnBYrbCjY The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2019, October 17). Doppler effect. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/Doppler-effect 3. Explain how the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is created and what it represents. Think back to your H-R lab The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram plots the temperature of stars against their luminosity. It compares the distance of stars from earth with the temperature of the star. (absolute magnitude). The diagram represents how stars are grouped. 4. Over time, what will happen to our Sun? Why? In approximately 5 billion years the Sun will become a red giant star and after trillions of years, it will run out of hydrogen fuel and turn into a white dwarf star. Redd, N. T. (2018, March 28). Red Giant Stars: Facts, Definition & the Future of the Sun. Retrieved from https://www.space.com/22471-red-giant-stars.html 1. What is a tide? What causes it?
Tides are the rise and fall of seawater along a coastline.The moon’s gravitational pull generates a tidal force which causes Earth to bulge out on the sides closest and farthest from the moon. These bulges of water are high tides. When regions of Earth are not in these bulges, a low tide is experienced. As the Earth rotates, different regions of Earth pass through both of these bulges each day. When the region is not in one of the bulges, a low tide is experienced. The gravitational attraction of the Sun also plays a small role in the formation of tides. What Causes Tides? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://scijinks.gov/tides/ 2. Is the moon moving away from Earth? Explain. Tidal bulges are created when the moon’s gravity pulls on ocean water. Earth’s tidal bulge also exerts gravity on the moon. The Earth spins faster than the moon orbits it, so as the bulge rotates away, it pulls the moon along with it.The moon pulls back, and that slows the Earth's rotation. This dragging back and forth creates friction around Earth's tidal bulge, which pushes the moon outward and makes its orbit larger. McFall-Johnsen, M. (2019, October 1). The moon has been drifting away from Earth for 4.5 billion years. A stunning animation shows how far it has gone. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/video-moon-drifts-away-earth-4-billion-years-2019-9 3. What is different about the 2 crescent phases of the moon. The two crescent phases of the Moon are the waxing and waning crescent. A waxing crescent appears after right a new Moon, and ‘grows’ or expands in illumination. As sunlight decreases the moon enters the waning crescent phase. The waning crescent refers to a ‘shrinking’ or ‘decrease’ in illumination. The right side will be illuminated during a waning crescent moon whereas the left side will be illuminated during a waxing crescent moon. Aceves, A. V. (2018, January 22). What Determines the Moon Phases? Retrieved from https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/what-are-the-phases-of-the-moon/ 4. Explain how solar and lunar eclipses occur. How are they different? A solar eclipse happens when the new Moon moves between Earth and the Sun and blocks the Sun or a portion of it. A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth passes between the Moon and the Sun and the Earth’s shadow blocks the moon. Solar eclipses occur during the day whereas lunar eclipses occur at night. Cain, F. (2015, November 16). Why aren't there eclipses every month? Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2015-11-eclipses-month.html 5. Why don't solar and lunar eclipses occur every month? Solar and lunar eclipses don’t occur every month because the Earth's orbit around the Sun is not in the same plane as the Moon's orbit around the Earth. Cain, F. (2015, November 16). Why aren't there eclipses every month? Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2015-11-eclipses-month.html Why wasn't the zodiac symbol of your horoscope in the night sky at the time of your birth? What is this effect called? What does this mean for the future?
The axis of the Earth changes position as it rotates, and is often described as moving like a ‘wobbly’ or ‘spinning’ top. This causes a shift in the Earth’s position which in turn changes what we see in the night sky. The shift is caused by precession, the wobble in the Earth's axis caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon to the Earth's equator. As a result of procession, the zodiac symbol of your horoscope was not in the night sky at the time of your birth. Currently, the North pole is pointing towards Polaris however in 13,000 years, Vega will become the new North Star. Source:https://www.livescience.com/9292-wobbly-earth-means-horoscope-wrong.html What causes the seasons? Explain. The seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth's rotational axis away or toward the sun as it travels around the sun. Earth has a tilt of 23.5 degrees relative to the "ecliptic plane". This tilt toward the sun is maximized in the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, when the amount of sunlight is at a maximum. In late December, during the winter solstice, the Earth's tilt away from the sun is maximized, which means a minimum of sunlight reaches the Northern Hemisphere. Source:https://weatherstreet.com/weatherquestions/What_causes_the_seasons.htm Why should we (YOU!) look out at the sky each night? What benefit does it serve? Looking out at the night sky is important to understand and learn about the universe around us. Stargazing has also been shown to calm the mind. The study of Van Capellel and Saroglou shows that people feel a greater feeling of connection and oneness with each other when experiencing vastness and awe. Source: https://yugenlab.com/news/benefits-of-the-night-sky 1) What you are you most looking forward to in this course?
I am most looking forward to learning about atmospheric science and climate. 2) What are 3 Earth Science – related questions you hope to answer in this course? - What causes climate to change? - Is there life on any other planets in our solar system? -What’s at the bottom of the ocean? 3) What is your goal for this course and how are you going to achieve this goal? My goal for this course is to stay on top of all of my work. I plan to achieve this goal by using my class time effectively and catching up on work I miss for skiing. |
|