A Year of Documented Learning

There were many topics the class has studied and had fun with, but there is some topics of Astronomy, Geology, Weathering and Erosion, Weather/Climate, and Earths waters that I enjoyed most.

Astronomy-Comets

I found comets most interesting in the Astronomy segment. I enjoyed this topic most because I have always wandered how comets are formed and what they are made of. I thought it was interesting that the nucleus of a comet is made of mainly ice and particles. I also thought that the fact that all tails of comets always point to the direction opposite of the sun. Because of the astronomy segment we studied I have learned much about what I have been waiting to learn.

Geology- Pangaea

What I found most interesting in the Geology segment was the great continent of "Pangaea". Pangaea was my favorite topic on geology because its amazing that all the continents and countries in the world were once one. Since then all continents have separated. These continents have separated from "Plate Tectonics". The plates are beneath the surface of the earth and move 2 inches a year. North America is expected to move closer and closer to Europe.
Weathering/Erosion- The Occurrences

What really made me think about "Weathering and Erosion" is that no one ever thinks of what it does to our planet. The beauty of it all is that it was not caused by man. It was caused by the environment around us. Weathering is the process of wearing substances/surfaces down. Whats really cool about weathering is all of the patterns it can form on a simple massive boulder or rock. It was truly fascinating.

Weather/Climate- O-zone

What I enjoyed learning about most in the Weather and Climate segment was learning about the O-zone layer. I never really knew it existed. That's not necessarily a good thing because the O-zone is slowly deteriorating. The O-zone consists in the Stratosphere. The O-zone layer keeps oxygen in the air and because it is deteriorating, the oxygen in our atmosphere is slowly going away. If we don't act now there could be some major consequences.
Earths Waters-"H2O"

Out of all of the segments I have studied in Mrs. Casey's class room Earths waters inspired me the most. A water molecule is made of 1 oxygen atom and 2 hydrogen atoms. This molecule, because of the small electrical charge, the molecule is known as a polar molecule. Water is known as a "Universal Solvent," this means that water can dissolve anything. Also in this segment, I learned that there is not at all as much fresh water as I had thought. Of all the water on the planet, 3% is freshwater. The rest is Salt water.

Manitou Water .v. Co. Spr. Water

Both Manitou and Colorado Springs drinking water both come from the same source the "Rocky Mountains." After analysis and purification Manitou's water is then distributed to Crystal hills water tanks, while Colorado Springs water is distributed to Fountain Creek. Each water source is analyzed and purified continuously for the satisfaction of the customer, us. Manitou has a total of 750 acres and Colorado Springs has a total of 22o,900 acres. Colorado Springs water has to travel 200 miles through pipes. Manitou Springs water doesn't travel near as far.

The Water Cycle

The water cycle is a process of which water moves through our atmosphere. The source of the water cycle is the sun. Precipitation from the earth evaporates into the air and condensates, creating clouds. As the evaporation continues the precipitation builds within the cloud. When the precipitation of cloud gets to heavy for the cloud to contain, the rain, snow, or hail falls from the sky. In order for this to occur there must be 100% humidity. Sometimes the rain, snow, or hail does not even make it to the ground, because the precipitation evaporates before the substance has the chance to make it to the surface.

Fuel Efficient Cars

4 Essential Questions

Q1)What, specifically about your topic, are you going to research?

A1) On the topic of Fuel-Efficient Cars I am going to research how much miles and gas can be saved by using fuel-efficient cars.

Q2)What conclusions did you come to? What do you recommend average citizens do to make a difference? Be specific. This is the main part of your assignment.

A2)

Q3)What would happen if, worst-case scenario, nobody listened to your recommendations?

A3)If no one were to listen to my recommendations, in worst-case scenario, our grades that we receive from the effort of the project will not turn out the way we'd all like.

Q4)What would happen if, best-case scenario, everybody listened to your recommendations?

A4)If everyone were to listen to my recommendations, in best-case scenario, our grades could turn out great and maybe make some new friends on the way through the project.

Greenland Ice Cap

http://www.thulegreenlandsite.com/greenlandsatb.jpg

Dear reader,
I am an engineer trying to solve the global warming issues occurring near the Greenland Ice Cap. The Greenland Ice Cap is located on the coast of Greenland. The ice cap covers 665,000 square miles of the Northern Atlantic. Since 1992 the cap has been melting at almost 3 times the rate it was during the time of 1992. The weather conditions are quite extreme. The temperatures during the time of November through April remain below freezing. As June, July, and August come around the temperatures remain below 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Living on the Greenland Ice Cap are animals such as polar bears and penguins. Some sounds you may happen to hear is the sounds of rushing water or the cracking of the ice melting or breaking off below. The Greenland ice cap is just one big, thick sheet of ice. The melting rate of this location shows that earths global warming problem is not getting much better.

Earthquake Webquest Day 1

1.)Earthquakes tend to occur around coastlines. Yet, earthquakes tend to happen most often around the coastlines of Japan.

2.)I think that because, Japan rests on a fault line. So as the tectonic plates move each year those faults cause a disruption as they slide against each other, causing an earthquake.

3.)The area where earthquakes most often occur is an area located in the Pacific Ocean
called the "Ring of Fire."

4.)The earthquake that occurred nearest to Manitou Springs occurred up in Denver. Because of the level of magnitude, the people of Manitou Springs were incapable of feeling the quake. The earthquake with a magnitude 1 would've had to have 5.6 more magnitude to even compare to the magnitude in the Denver earthquake. Even though the earthquake p in Denver was a magnitude of 6.6, the earthquake would've had to have a more increased level of magnitude for the people of Manitou to feel the tremor.

5.) An earthquake happened today (1/21/09) at approximately 10:08 (MTS). The earthquake occurred Southeast of the Loyalty Islands (22.733°S, 170.981°E). The Magnitude was at a level of 6.3 magnitude. The earthquake occurred 70 miles WSW Ile Hunter, Loyalty Isl., New Caledonia and 215 miles ESE of Tadine, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia.



6.)To keep yourself safe during an earthquake you need to get as low as possible, get shelter and hide under the most stable thing possible like hide under a table or bed.Or you can also go to the basement and if your trapped down there you might want to have food and water down there already.In conclusion, that is how you can protect your self if there is a earthquake.