Hammerheads Not Protected

Ms. Meyer mentioned this in class so I decided to do some further research. At a global conservation conference protection for an wide randge of shark species was denied. Obama administation and enviornmental groups were behind the force pushing for they protection laws. The species are in high demand for their fins, skins, meat and liver oil. Due to the high demand though, in some regions these species have declined by as much as 99 percent. A delegate from Japan suggests though that without the trade of sharks small island states would suffer economically if they were forced to regulate the shark trade. "For developing coastal states, trade would be hampered and enforcement would be a nightmare." This means delegates have rejected every proposal introduced to protect marine species this year.

Shrimp 600 Feet Below Ice

A few days ago NASA was drilling in Antarctica to explore the underside of the ice. Unintentionally they managed to capture a small shrimp like creature on tape. They actually managed to make two important discoveries. 1. They were the first to capture an image of what the ice looked like in the water under the actual ice. And 2. they discovered that even at such extreme temperatures, life still lived. People have known for a while that the freezing water of Antarctica is teeming with life, but they didn't know that even under the ice there was life. Even more surprising is that the shrimp was bright orange. That's pretty unusual considering the depth and temperature. It was shocking to find single celled organisms in the ice, but to find a massively complex organism is quite amazing.

Feel free to head to http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/antarctic-shrimp.html to watch the video.

The World Without Us Book Review

I read this book because I thought it might be kind of like "The Day After Tomorrow" or "2012", but it was very different than I had expected. But, even though it was less about action than I was hoping it was still very interesting. The book appears to be a very long book, but for me it seemed to be a relatively quick read and I am by no means a fast reader. Now that I've given my opinion, I'll actually tell you a little bit about the book. The author of this book, Alan Weisman explains his theory of how Earth is an incredibly resilient planet. He explains how within weeks of the disappearance of humans, major cities would start to crumble. That being said, Weisman's ideas are very radical but that is why the book was so interesting. I highly suggest anybody to read this book even if you aren't an avid reader. You will be hooked pretty quickly.

I would give this book a 4 out of 5.

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef, of the coast of Australia, is the world’s largest reef system and can be seen from outer space. Over 2,800 smaller coral reefs all make up the Great Barrier Reef. When visiting the Great Barrier Reef there are many activities that one can be a part of including: day tours, overnight and extended tours, snorkeling, scuba diving and fishing charters, glass-bottomed boat viewing, semi-submersibles and educational trips, cruise ships, beach hire and water sports, passenger ferries, whale watching and swimming with dolphins. More than thirty species of dolphins, whales and porpoises have been recorded in the Great Barrier Reef, along with six species of turtles and many other marine animals.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/00/earthpulse/reef/reef1_flash.html

In Defense of Food

I actually really liked this book. Even though it wasn't a story with a plot line, I still found it really interesting because it applied to modern day life. The motto throughout the book was "eat food. not too much. mostly plants." This motto really captures what the book was about. Micheal Pollan talks about how over the past thirty or forty years, actual food has been disappearing. Actual food has been replaced by substitutes of over processed food and even food that is said to be "healthy", but in retrospect is really not. Pollan also touches on the issue that people are worrying too much about what they put into their mouths. He talks about how food should be enjoyable and natural and people shouldn't be obsessing about what they put into their mouths. He talks about the issue of "nutritionism". This is where people see food that is enhanced with nutrients and they assume that it is healthier. This is not true though. It could actually be less healthy. Overall, I thought that this book was very well written and that it was very interesting even though I'm not super into food.

Tree Rings Speak to California's Past

I found an article that reveals that scientists can determine the occurrence of past events such as drought or wildfire by studying the rings of tree trunks. This has led to the compilation of a California climate record that spans thousands of years, thanks to the giant sequoia trees of western Sierra Nevada, which can live up to 3,000 years. A 3,000-year record from 52 of the world's oldest trees reveals that California's western Sierra Nevada was droughty and often fiery from 800 to 1300, according to a new study led by University of Arizona researchers. Knowing how giant sequoia trees responded to a 500-year warm spell in the past is important because scientists predict that climate change will probably subject the trees to such a warm, dry environment again, said Swetnam, a UA professor of dendrochronology and director of UA's Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. I think that this article is very interesting and informative because using the information from the rings of tree trunks, scientists are now able to project the likelihood of forest fires in the future. This knowledge can help to protect our national forests and will also be helpful in evacuating people from forest fire prone areas when necessary.

http://uanews.org/node/30720

Pompeii

In Pompeii, A novel by Robert Harris, the reader will be taken on a journey through the Roman Empire. Using fictional characters, Harris helps one experience the unexpected and incredibly destructive eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Both the eruption and chaos surrounding it are described in extreme detail. The thrilling ending of Pompeii leaves the reader wanting more. Romance, adventure and betrayal all help make this novel a bestseller. I was originally interested in reading Pompeii after hearing good reviews from other classmates. Also, I liked the idea of learning about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius through the eyes of fictional characters. I would recommend this book to any one either interested in volcanoes or thrilling novels.

Beluga Sturgeon in Caspian Sea Reclassified as 'Critically Endangered'

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100318113241.htm
============================

If Madonna knew of this newly endangered species, she's change her famous song to "Like A Sturgeon."

All jokes aside, this is a very serious matter. The Beluga Sturgeon, found in the Caspian Sea, is now officially classified as a "critically endangered" species. Kazakhstani officials now have a clear argument that his has happened due to the immense "fishing and international trade" in the area (Science 1). Because of this, they are implimenting a "stock-rebuilding plan should be initiated immediately" (Science 1).

These sturgeons are mainly hunted for one reason: their black caviar, widely considered to be the fanciest, shmanciest caviar in the entire world.

Since 2004 when the Beluga Sturgeon was placed on the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA), the United States has placed a ban on imports of the caviar to our country.

Doctors and scientists have suggested methods to bring the Beluga Sturgeon population back up. They think that most of the stragegies should focus more primarily on reducing overfishing rather than heavy hatchery supplementation. Besides, they mention that harvest rates for this fish are "four to five times higher than those that would sustain population abundance" (Science 1).

Save the sturgeon! If you like caviar and are planning on splurging, maybe go for different type, or just stick with the cheese and toast points that will be served also. I'm sure those are equally yummy.

Book Review: The Omnivore's Dilemma

Review by Andrew Heisler
=======

You should read this book.

At first, I found it pretty intimidating, considering it was 400 pages and had tiny-ish print, but I found that I flew it relatively quickly. Author Michael Pollan has a very distinct writing style that is not only informative, but fun also. I found that I could relate to him very easily, and that made the book almost personal, (in a good way).

In "The Omnivore's Dilemma," Pollan outlines very specically three sections of how the American diet works, how it has evolved, and how it can be applied to real life. The first section focuses most on corn, not just the sweet stuff we eat off the cob on a warm summer night, but the industrial corn, corn that doesn't have much a purpose except to be used as an industrial sweetner in your brand name yogurt or soda.

Basically, farmers, who are having a tough time making straight-cash homie, are growing monoculture crops (just one type, not a variety) to make money because corn and soybeans, the main ones, are in highest demand. This is because they are featured in a majority of the foods we eat today.

In one case, Pollan talks about his family's trip to McDonald's. He got a Big Mac, his wife a salad, and his kid some McNugget's. Not much corn is present, you might assume. But after reading this book, you'll realize his meal was nearly 80% corn. The french fries fried in corn oil, his burger made of cows fed a corn-based diet, his wife's salad dressing containing high-fructose corn syrup. It's eerie reading this book. You are a living, breathing, walking stalk of corn.

The second part addresses the organic movement: how it started, how it gained popularity, and the newfangled credibility of it. He talks about "what is organic?" Is everything from Whole Foods organic? Well, that's ultimately your decision, but Pollan lays it on thick, explaining that quite possibly, organic is become as common a term as "low-fat," and holding as much credibility as "all-natural."

Lastly, Pollan explains on how a omnivore like a human reacts with finding naturally organic goods in real life. This means going hunting for your own meat and foraging for your own mushrooms. Briefly, Pollan goes on a rant about the morality of killing and slaughtering animals, and he gets pretty graphic, (he worked on a legit organic farm in Virginia for a week. While there, he was asked to do the day's work of slaughtering chickens.)

Reading this book has taught me a lot about my diet and made me more aware of what I'm putting into my body. Under my current roof, I have little say in what I eat, because if I told my mom I wasn't eating what she made, she'd probably tell me I'm SOL. But going to college next year is a golden opportunity for me to take charge in what I eat and how much of it I eat. Many kids gain weight while off at school. Hopefully I won't fall under this umbrella.

Thanks Mr. Pollan.

You are pretty cool.

The Omnivore's Dilemma Book Review

I found this book to be extremely interesting, especially because I read In Defense of Food previously. Although this book came before, it still makes some very interesting points and teaches the reader a lot about healthy eating. The book is divided up into 3 sections: getting food industrially, getting food from a pasture, and getting food by yourself (gardening).
In the first section, Pollan delves into the field of corn and how it is prevalent in many things we consume. It’s in more than you think. It can be eaten as corn, put into chemicals, or fed to animals which we later consume. The way corn has dominated America is very interesting. At the end of the section, Pollan describes a McDonald’s meal and explains why everything in the meal contains corn. The percentages are much higher than one would expect, meaning that corn really does have a lot to do with the American diet, which I find extremely interesting. It makes one wonder if the supply can meet the demand.
The next section deals with organic food and the surge of popularity it has experienced as many people have decided to start eating healthier. Whereas the first section focused mainly on corn, this one focused on grass in the sense of produce (grass-fed beef, etc.) Despite the loose definition of the term “organic,” it can be seen that all organic food is healthier than corn-based food. The problem is that transportation is a huge cost of the organic food as it is not grown everywhere. He visits a small rotation farm where waste is minimized as much as possible. Though this is obviously better for the environment, it is harder to accomplish. The meal at the end of this section is described as much better than McDonalds, and considering that none of it was processed, is probably much healthier as well.
The final section, and probably the hardest part of the book to follow in real life, is a hunter-gatherer type diet in which one only prepares food that they can hunt, gather or grow for himself. Local people help him in his quest to make a meal. While this is not only the healthiest diet one can follow, it is very impractical and takes up a lot of time. However, it is good as a way of remembering how food consumption was before industrialization. The meal described at the end of the chapter sounds delicious, but again, would be hard to replicate 21 times a week if one chose to follow that lifestyle.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book; Pollan has a unique writing style that is extremely interesting. Since reading two of his books, I have started considering more environmentally-friendly ways to eat as well as ways that would benefit my health. I highly recommend this book for anybody interested in the subject of food or just looking for a good read in general.

Second Semester Book Review Katie Powell

The Botany of desire by Michael Pollan is a book about the relationship between plants and humans through the views of four very unique plants: the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. Each plant represents a certain desire. The apple represents sweetness, the tulip: beauty, marijuana: intoxication, and the potato: control. The book focuses on how the plants have played upon and manipulated these human desires as an evolutionary strategy to further their species. The apple focused a lot of the discoveries that Johnny Appleseed made and how he spread apples all over the U.S. and how the apples started out bitter and were good for cider. After prohibition though people started selecting apples for their sweetness, and the apples became sweeter, redder, and crisper; a winning move for them. The tulip focuses on the beauty that they hold, and just the beauty. He focuses mainly on Holland and many royal gardens that highly regarded tulips and how the tulips adapted their beauty to keep being planted. The chapter about marijuana focuses on the fact that it makes itself desirable for it’s mind-altering qualities. The potato chapter talks about how the potato has made itself likable by humans by being able to be genetically altered and controlled. The entire book boils down to one simple point: plants use us to distribute themselves and keep their species alive, not the other way around.

Overall the book was very good and I liked it. His writing style is very conversational so it goes along pretty quickly. It’s also a pretty a short book. At times he gets repetitive or focuses on one thing for too long but overall it’s good. He successfully accomplished writing a book about plants without making it overly scientific and hard to read. It really showed the human-plant relationship from a different perspective. If I thought it before the book I really would of said that I put bamboo in my room because I like bamboo. The bamboo should be grateful to me because I’m in control. Michael Pollan looks at from the perspective that that type of bamboo has adapted to human wants and needs and used us in order to succeed. I would suggest this book because it gives you a new perspective on the apple in your lunch bag or the vines covering your house or the flowers in your garden.

3/15-3/19

In lue of St. Paddy's Day....so every year Chicago dies the river a certain color for St. Patrick's Day.  What color dye do they use?

Father of Geology

I found an article on the discovery of Geology. Most scientists have assumed that the study of Geology (Earth , its history, and all living things on it) began at the most, 300 years ago. Now with a deeper look into how far back geologic studies go, a few scientists believe that a well known Polish astronomer

named Copernicus "set the stage" for geologic discoveries. One of his main epiphanies that he had about 500 years ago was about Earth's place in the

Universe. Instead of the popular belief that Earth was the center of the Universe, Copernicus realized that not only is that false, but Earth is a planet among many other in our Universe. This was just the beginning of many geologic discoveries to come in the future, and Copernicus, "The Father of Geology" is to thank for this.

http://news.discovery.com/earth/geology-copernicus-earth-science.html

Seismic Science: Is number of earthquakes on the rise?

I chose this article because it endeavors to answer the question that has captivated our class-why have there been so many earthquakes lately? The man with the answers is Michael Blanpied, who serves as associate coordinator for the USGS Hazards Program. He said that by looking at historical data, the number of earthquakes is not actually increasing. For example, an earthquake in the 7 to 7.9-magnitude range occurs on average 17 times a year throughout documented history, and fittingly in 2009 there was 16. He said the reason recent earthquakes seem more treacherous is because the quality of reporting is much higher, seismic technology allows earthquake data to be unfolded in real time causing instant worldwide horror, and the number of people living in earthquake prone areas is much greater. It is still unknown whether earthquakes trigger earthquakes across long distances, and that is an area of active research. As we know, earthquakes cause multiple aftershocks in their region. Some researchers are exploring the idea that melting ice and sea-level rise is changing the weight bearing down on faults, such that they might be more prone to making earthquakes. I thought this was interesting and I would be curious the see what scientists find. Overall, I enjoyed reading this article. However, some of the questions that they asked the geologist were so rudimentary that our class could answer it. A question I found unintelligent was “Would it be possible to trigger an earthquake deliberately, for strategic or political or criminal purposes?” The geologist did answer the question professionally though, props to him.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2010/03/08/DI2010030802570.html

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/eqstats.php

Chile quake moves city 10 feet west!!!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35780643/ns/technology_and_science-science/
===================

Hey, remember that earthquake that happened last week? Y'know, the one that reached 8.8 on the Richter's Scale? Well, we obviously know about its amazing power and damage. But it had some other odd effects. We found it it shortened the length of the day by a few millionths of a second, but it did something else to the city of Concepción. If you go there today, you will unfortunately be 10 feet east of where it used to be. That's right. The earthquake moved an entire city.

This massive quake shifted parts of the entire continent, including the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires, about 1 inch. And think about that; it's across the entire continent. Powerful stuff.

Ben Brooks of the University of Hawaii states that "'The Maule earthquake will arguably become one of the, if not the most important great earthquake yet studied. We now have modern, precise instruments to evaluate this event, and because the site abuts a continent, we will be able to obtain dense spatial sampling of the changes it caused'" (Brooks 1).

I've heard of earthquakes collapsing buildings and public infrastructure, but never have I heard of one shifting a city. That is insane. That's as if I came home and my room was now where my sister's is. None of you have actually been to my house, but from my point of view, that's pretty weird. Ten feet is a lot, especially if it's all at once. The continents move large distances naturally, but that takes millions of years.

Earthquake in Turkey

On this past Sunday march 8th yet another earthquake occurred, but this time Turkey was the victim. The earthquake was magnitude 5.9 and about 51 people were killed. Although this particular earthquake closely followed both the earthquake in Haiti and Peru, seismologists believe they are too distant geographically to be related. Okcular seemed to be the town most affected by the earthquake. Villages which consisted of mud-brick and stone houses did not stand a chance. The collapsed buildings were the cause of the majority of the deaths and the Prime Minister of Turkey promised the area will be re-built with quake-proof homes. After the original earthquake, aftershocks up to a magnitude of 5.5 have continued to strike. Earthquakes in Turkey are fairly common, as the country is bordered by two major fault lines, the North Anatolian Fault and the East Anatolian Fault. These two faults are part of a "complex geological environment" formed by the constant westward motion of the Anatolian plate. The reason I found this event interesting was because of what seems to be the recent increase in natural disasters.

150 Meter tall waves?

This article looked really interesting because we have been studying waves but we didn't learn anything about internal waves. A study from the University of Rhode Island has discovered giant underwater waves that occur between layers of cold and warm water. These huge waves have been recorded at up to 150 meters in the South China Sea. The large underwater waves have a large effect on the surface waves. The scientists think that as these waves move towards the southern coast of China they create larger surface waves that increase as they move up the continental shelf. The underwater waves only affect waves created by diurnal tides.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224165231.htm

Waves and Tides

This is just a little but about waves that can help all those people out there who haven't taken the test (i think just me) study.

Parts of a wave

Crest - The top of a wave
Trough - The lowest part of a wave
Wave length - The distance between two troughs or two crests
Wave height - The distance between the crest and the trough
Period - the time elapsed between two waves (for 6-16 seconds)

Tides - the rise and fall of the ocean caused by the gravity of the sun and moon

Ebb current - where the tide goes out and the water moves out
Flood current - where the tide comes in and the water floods in
Spring tides - very high and very low tides
Neap tides - high and low tides less extreme
Semidiurnal - two equal high and two equal low tides a day (east coast)
Mixed semidiurnal - high and low tides are different but there are two a day (west coast)
Diurnal - one high and one low tide per day (gulf of mexico)

That's pretty much all I know about waves and tides so hopefully this helps me on the test.

Sea Water

Sea water is mostly composed of sodium chloride.

Salinity-- amount of dissolved salt

It's expressed in unites PPT (parts per thousand)

Average salinity is 35 ppt

Salinity varies due to evaporation and precipitation

Halocline is the rapid change in salinity.

Anadromous Fish- spend all or most of their adult lives in salt water and return to fresh water to spawn

Catadromous fish- live in fresh water and spawn in salt water

Temperature

-varies with lattitude and decreases with depth

-things dissolve better in cold water

Thermocline is the rapid change in temperature

Density is the amount of maeria or mass per unit of volume

Temperature and salinity determine the density.

Cold water is more dense

Warm water is less dense

An increase in salinity= increase in density

A decrease in salinity= decrease in density

Pycnocline is the rapid change in density

Pressure

on land= 1 atm

-water is heavier

-every 33ft, pressure increases 1atm

organisms must adapt for as pressure increases, gases are compressed

High pressure on scuba divers can lead to "the bends".

Current Events: K-T Boundary Extinction

"It's official: The extinction of the dinosaurs and a host of other species 65.5 million years ago was caused by a massive asteroid that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico..."

On March 4th, 2010, a group of internationally renowned scientists, who call themselves "the dream team", released to the public that the K-T boundary (Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary) mass extinction that occurred 65.5 million years ago completely resulted from a 7.5-mile-wide asteroid hitting the Earth. This asteroid, traveling at a speed 10 times that of a rifle bullet, released a billion times more energy than the Hiroshima atom bomb when it hit Earth. This collision caused wildfires, tsunamis, and earthquakes stronger than we've ever experienced, reaching up to an 11 or larger on the richter scale. Up until now, scientists have had many theories as to what caused this mass extinction, but they have now concluded that this asteroid was the direct cause of the extinction of half of the Earth's species 65.5 million years ago. The KT boundary extinction, also known as the greatest extinction in history, wiped out dinosaurs, early bird forms, large marine reptiles, and some smaller sea creatures. Following this extinction, mammals began to emerge and eventually dominated the planet.

Ever since the idea that the asteroid might be the cause of this extinction was proposed 30 years ago, "the dream team" members have been researching this extinction to prove it. How, after 30 years of speculation, did they finally settle on this theory? High concentrations of the element iridium in sediments from the K-T boundary are what finalized their belief in the asteroid being the cause of this extinction. Iridium is rarely found on Earth but abundant in space, and the age of these iridium filled sediment layers is the exact same age as the 1.5 mile deep crater in Mexico where the asteroid hit. Other theories based on multiple asteroid collisions or volcanic eruptions were eliminated. Scientists believe that if the mass extinction was caused be large volcanic eruptions, there would have been more activity in the biological world. The immediate cause of volcanism would have been global warming and prosperous biological diversity, but the exact opposite happened. The conclusion that a strong asteroid collision caused the largest extinction in history is finalized, and "the dream team" members think it is important for our world to know what could happen if another asteroid were to hit Earth again.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/04/science/la-sci-dinosaurs5-2010mar05

Rogue Waves

Three 26 foot waves crashed in to a cruise ship on Wednesday off the Mediterranean coast of Spain and many people are classifying these waves as rogue waves. Two passengers were killed, and a third seriously injured in the incident, which shattered plate-glass windows at the bow of the vessel.Rogues come about in different ways but are almost always generated by storm-related winds. "The waves in the area measured about five meters on average," according to data collected by a Spanish weather buoy just before the accident, Jean-Michel Lefevre said."Under those conditions we would expect eight-metre waves every 15 minutes." Some scientists think that 1 in every 3000
waves is a rogue wave.

Unit Review

-71% of the Earth is covered in water

Major Ocean Basins:
-Pacific: deepest and largest
-Atlantic: Narrow, receives lots of water and sediments from rivers
-Indian: Smallest
-Southern: Connects the Pacific, Atlantic, & Indian
-Arctic: At the top of the globe

Sea Floor Features:
-Continental Margin: where continent meets ocean, underwater portion of continental crust, consists of shelf, slope & rise
-Continental Shelf: gently sloping region of the continental margin that extends seaward from shoreline to continental shelf break
-Continental Slope: Steeply sloping region of the continental margin that extends from the continental shelf downward to the ocean basin
-Continental Rise: gently sloping, smooth surfaced, thick accumulation of sediment at the base of the continental slope
-Abyssal Plain: ocean floor and the beginning of the oceanic plate
-Trenches: long, deep, narrow portions of the abyssal plain; deepest part of the ocean
-Oceanic Ridges: places where the ocean floor is spreading and magma is coming up from the crust creating mountains
-Seamounts: under sea level mountain that keeps it's volcanic shape
-Guyot: under sea level mountain that is flattened at the top, a.k.a. tablemount or plateau
-Submarine canyon: a steep-walled, v-shaped canyon that is cut into rocks and sediments of the continental slope
-Volcanic Island: Volcanic mountains that are above sea level that have become islands

Passive Continental Margin: not at a plate boundary, no tectonic activity, wide shelf, gentle slope, continental rise
ex: East/Atlantic Coast

Active Continental Margin: tectonic plate activity going on, has earthquakes and mountain building, little or no shelf, steep slope, trenches, no rise
ex: West/ Pacific Coast

Salinity
-is the total amount of dissolved salt in sea water
-expressed in PPT (parts per thousand) or PSU (practical salinity units)
-Salinity varies due to evaporation and precipitation
-Rapid change in salinity is called the halocline

Temperature
-decreases with depth
-gases dissolve berter in cold water, so there is more oxygen in deep, cold water
-rapid change in temperature is called the thermocline

Density
-is the amount of material or mass per unit of volume
-determined by temperature and salinity
-cold water: more dense
-warm water: less dense
-increase in salinity: increase in density
-decrease in salinity: decrease in density
-rapid change in density is called the pycnocline

Pressure
-water is heavier than air so marine organisms are under great deals of pressure
-pressure increases 1 atm every 33ft (10m) underwater.
-decompression sickness is caused by not decompressing enough, going down too quickly, going down too deep, coming up too deep, or flying (or going to high altitudes) within 24hrs of diving
-nitrogen narcosis is caused by air bubbles getting into your blood stream from your tissues while diving

Stratification
-water is stratified due to different densities
-layers do not mix so substances, like pollutants will be contained in one area
-Surface layer: 100-200m, lots of sunlight, lots of life
-Intermediate layer: 200-1000m, transition zone, home to thermocline, pycnocline, and halocline, contains the twilight zone, little light
-Deep Layer: 1,000meters to bottom of trenches, coldest layer
-overturn: changes in density causes water to mix

Tides
-tides are the periodic rising and falling of ocean waters caused by gravitational forces of the moon and the sun
-tidal range: difference between high and low tides
-6hrs between a high and low tide, 12 hours between a high & high, or low & low
-full cycle=24hrs, 50min
-Spring tide: full moon and new moons, causes extreme water height variation
-Neap Tides: quarter phases of the moons, cause the wave heights between high and low to be extremely close together
-Semidiurnal: two equal high and low tides
-Mixed Semidiurnal: two highs and two lows of unequal heights
-Diurnal: one high tide and one low tide every day

Tsunamis
-are caused by earthquakes, landslides and meteors
-also known as seismic sea waves

Waves
-caused by wind
-wave height: vertical distance between the trough and crest
-wavelength: distance between crest and trough
-crest: highest part of the wave
-trough: lowest part of the wave
-period: time a wave takes to go by any given point
-fetch: the span of open water over which wind blows

Currents
-Surface currents: caused by wind
-currents flowing away from the equator are warm, flowing towards the equator are cold
-Gyres: circular currents

Tides

Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the rotation of the Earth and the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun. The tides occur with a period of approximately 12 and a half hours and are influenced by the shape of the near-shore bottom.

Semidiurnal Tides: Two equal high and low tides. EX East Coast

Mixed Semidiurnal: Two different high tides and two different low tides. EX West Coast

Diurnal: One high tide and one low tide. EX. Gulf of mexico

Spring tide: When the sun and moon are in a straight tide so the difference between the high and low tide is greater

Neap Tide: When the sun and moon are at right angles so the difference between high and low tide is smaller

There is about 6 hrs between a high and low tide and about 12 hours between a high and high tide

The Vampire Squid

The vampire squid is a deep sea creature that is very odd looking and interesting. It kind of looks like an elephant because it has two fins that look like ears on the side of it and it is usually orange in color. The squid has photophores all over its body that make it possible for the squid to light up when it wants to. This creature lives up to 3000 feet under the ocean. It is not a usual squid though because it does not have an ink producing sack but instead has tons of tiny spikes all over its fins for a defense mechanism. The squid uses its arms to catch prey. If the squid ever feels frightened it can bring its arms over its head and make a web to cover its body. This creature is also very fast.

Chemical and Physical Features of Seawater

Inside seawater there are many features.

Salinity: amount of dissolved salt in seawater. This is expressed in PPT (parts per thousand) or PSU (practical salinity units). The average salinity in the ocean 33 PSU. A rapid change in salinity is called a halocline.

Temperature: As one goes down latitude in the ocean the temperature decreases. Gasses dissolve better in cold water. A rapid change in temperature is called a thermocline.

Density: amount of material or mass per unit volume. Temperature and salinity determines the density of seawater. An increase in salinity causes the density to go up and vice versa. A rapid change in density is called a pycnocline.

Stratification

Sea water is in layers because of the different densities.
Surface Layer: down to about 200 m, most of the life is here
Intermediate Layer: 200-1000 m, changes in density, salt and temperature as the surface layer
Deep Layer: lower than 1000 m

Stratification is the layers of water according to its density there are two layers: there is warmer water overturning cold water, the water doesn't mix so pollutants usually stay in the same area.
Overturn is when changes in density causes water to mix (when polar water is cooled it sinks and the lower water comes up)

Effects of the Deep

As one goes deeper and deeper in an ocean or sea, a number of changes occur in a number of different of properties.

Temperature:  The deeper down, the lower the temperature, as less and less sunlight is able to penetrate until the point where no sunlight at all is present.  Creatures that tend to live in the deep adapt to this by developing a layer of blubber to help keep their inner temperature regulated.  Also, other organisms that live in the deep are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperature is the same as their surroundings.

Pressure:  Every 33 feet, pressure increases by one unit.  In the very deep, pressure is ridiculously high, something that the human body would not be able to take.  Creatures in the deep sea and ocean have a couple of adaptations to the extreme pressure.  They first do not have a number of organs that would be crushed by the pressure, able to get by on fewer organs.  They also have very soft and loose bodies.

Bioluminescence:  In the darkness of the deep, some organisms have the ability to produce their own light, or bioluminescence.  This is used mostly as a protective adaptations, used to stun predators startled by the light.

Density:  The density increases as depth increases, because higher density is always on top.  Think the food coloring lab we did.

Salinity:  Remains stable as depth increases

El Niño

Around California, scientists are seeing that the sea surface temperatures are a lot higher than normal. (.9-1.8 degrees Farenheit higher in many areas). These high sea surface temperatures are part of the affect of El Niño, a "cyclical phenomenon characterized by warming eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean waters." What's happening is that there is a much stronger northward movement of warm water, travelling up California's coast. Along with the increase in ocean water temperature comes the decrease in ocean production, including less plankton and low numbers of pelagic fish. Scientists predict that this will mean sea birds will fail to reproduce, and that the squid market will have difficulty getting many catches. Scientists are worried that the conditions caused by El Niño will continue on in the spring, creating many more consequences for marine life.

Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100303162856.htm

Picture: http://www.deepseawaters.com/image/seabirds2.jpg

All About Waves

So here is a little review about waves...

Wave Height: vertical distance between any crest and succeeding trough

Wave Length: horizontal distance between two successive crests or troughs

Crest: highest point of the wave

Trough: lowest point of the wave

Period: the time it takes two successive crests to pass a fixed point (about 6-16 seconds)

Fetch: the span of open water in which the wind blows

The size of a wave depends on:

1. Fetch
2. Speed of wind
3. Length of time wind blows for

hope this helps...

Tsunami in Hawaii

So, as most of us have heard, there was an earthquake in Chile earlier this week. It wasn't just an earthquake though, it was an 8.8, which is HUGE!! As we learned about the sensors in the pacific that are monitored in Hawaii, after this earthquake, the employees at the Tsunami center were quick to send out a tsunami warning for the islands of Hawaii. It was speculated that there would be a huge effect from the earthquake, but as it turned out, the warning was called off at 2 p.m. The Hawaiian islands got away with 9 foot waves, and as Gerard Fryer said, "I think we dodged a bullet". That is true, but historically when natural disasters strike, the communities and people are unprepared, but what made this time different? What made Hawaii over prepared? Kaaumoana Tozer was in Hawaii during the warning, and he also happened to be in Phuket, a village in thailand when the 2004 tsunami hit. His biggest concern was living through yet another disaster, and he said that while in Phuket, he saw multiple cars stacked on top of eachother, on top of a two story building. There is no exact answer of why Hawaii was over prepared, but many people are eternally grateful for the advances in technology that allowed them to be warned ahead of time.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/27/national/main6249805.shtml

Tides Review

Tides are the rise and fall of the ocean caused by the gravity of the sun and moon.

Why do they happen? Forces of sun/moom pull on water and create bulges. Water pulled toward the moon is high tide, the opposite is a low tide.

Tidal Range: Difference between high/low tide. Usually 6 hours before high/low tides, 12 hours before high/high low/low.

Flood current: Tide rises, water moves in

Ebb Current: Tide recedes, water moves away

Spring Tides: When sun/moon/earth are aligned. Very high/low tides.

Neap Tides: Sun/moon/earth at right angles. Tides not as high/low

Semidiurnal: 2 equal high/low tides per day, most common type, east coast

Mixed Semi diurnal: high tides differ in height, 2 per day, west coast

Diurnal: 1 high, 1 low tide per day, rare. Gulf of Mexico

A review on Oceanography

Let's review exciting oceanography!!

Oceanography is the physical, chemical and geological study of oceans (unlike marine biology which focuses on the study of marine organisms).

71% of Earth is covered in water...!

The Pacific Ocean is the deepest and largest ocean and the Indian Ocean is the smallest.

TERMS TO KNOW:

Continental shelf-gently sloping region of continental margin that extends seaward from shoreline to continental shelf break

Submarine Canyon-steep walled, v-shaped canyon that is cut into rocks of continental slope

Abyssal plain-the ocean floor

Seamounts-sharply shaped VS Guyots-rounded

Passive Continental Margin-East coast, gentle slope, not at a plate boundary VS Active Continental Margin-West coast, steep slope, tectonic activity.

YAYY now you're ready to ace the oceanography portion of the test!!

The Lack of an Early Tsunami Warning System in the Indian Ocean

After finishing our tsunami video today and discovering that there is no Tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean, I have been wondering, “wait, why isn’t there one?!” According to Douglas A. Wiens, Ph.D., Washington University professor of earth and planetary sciences, one of the major reasons that there is no system in the Indian Ocean is the fact that the region, before the 2004 Indonesia tsunami, hadn't experienced a disastrous tsunami for more than 100 years. The Pacific Ocean, on the other hand, has experienced many tsunamis, and as a result, does have an early warning system. While the Indian Ocean has not been a terribly active region in the past, and early warning data is sometimes unreliable (it has caused many false alarm), Wien stresses that it is vital the regions surrounding the Indian Ocean implement a early warning system because this implementation has the potential to save countless lives.

Iceberg Collision Could Alter Ocean Currents

A very large iceberg recently struck Antarctica, which broke loose a huge piece of ice. This block of ice holds the equivalent of 1/5th the earth's yearly consumption of water. Some scientists are concerned with its possible effects. There is mainly open water in the area the iceberg dislodged, which means there will be massive water displacement in an area very important for ocean currents. The ice could fill the area with cold water, which means it will not sink and rise normally, which is critical for currents. Others suggest that while these weigh as much as 800 billion tons, they will not cause any damage. They are expected to move west in the current.

http://news.discovery.com/earth/icebergs-antartica-collision-glaciers.html

All about waves

Here's everything you'll ever need (or want) to know about waves

PARTS OF THE WAVE
Crest: highest point of the wave
Trough: lowest part of the wave
Wave height: Vertical distance between any crest and succeeding trough
Wavelength: Horizontal distance between 2 successive crests or troughs
still water level: what water level is without waves
Period: Time it takes 2 successive crests to pass a fixed point (usually 6-16 seconds)

Waves are movements of energy, not water

The size of the wave depends on three things:
Fetch (span of open water over which the wind blows)
Speed of wind
Length of time the wind blows

The Anglerfish

I was pretty interested when we saw the part on the anglerfish during the Blue Planet video, so I decided to go a bit more in depth into these creatures. There are approximately 200 different species of anglerfish, all of which live in the deep sea, so they are rarely seen. Because it can be extremely difficult to find each other down there because of the darkness and such, when a male and female come into contact with each other, the male bites down on her side and over time will fuse to the female's body so they are able to reproduce. Over time, the male will lose most of his organs, but he does get carried around for the rest of his life. The anglerfish is able to get food by luring prey with a light that hangs above its head, which is extremely useful as it is very dark and many smaller animals are drawn to the light.

Barnacles!

Research has shown that barnacles are mostly absent in coastal tidal zones. There has been much mystery as to why this is. Now, new studies explain this. Barnacles thrive in vertical dwelling environments. This contradicts an older assumption that barnacles do not like vertical dwelling environments. Scientists believe that they do indeed like these environments because they are constantly being bounded against rocky wall, and they thrive with this contact. Super interesting!

http://news.brown.edu/pressreleases/2010/03/upwelling

Deep Sea Fish Eat Greens?

While we've been studying oceanography, we also looked at some of the animals that live in the ocean. We found out that the animals at the surface eat the algae, which creates that food chain, and that the animals at the bottom of the ocean eat dead animals that float down and whichever live animals they can catch. Scientists have now found that some common deep-sea fish are eating pieces of plants that fall down to the bottom. This isn't an entirely new discovery, though. Scientists have found plant remains in the stomachs of deep-sea fish before and there is a species of crab which eats wood that falls to the ocean floor, but this is the first time that deep-sea fish eating plants has been caught on tape. The scientists sent a rig, which contained spinach, with a video camera on it into the North Atlantic sea and at around 3000m down, it released the spinach and soon after the bait was dropped, at least three species of deep-sea fish began it eat it (grenadiers and cusk eels). Scientists will now be looking at how this new discovery affects the food web.

Link to orginal article

DISSECTING A WAVE

The crest is the highest point of a wave. The trough is the lowest. You can remember this because C comes before T in the alphabet, so it is hence higher up. The wave height is the vertical distance between any crest and succeeding trough, and the wavelength is the horizontal distance between two successive crests or troughs. This is easy to remember because height is always vertical, so length must be horizontal. The still water level is what level the water would be without waves. The period is the time it takes two successive crests to pass a fixed point.

Remember, wave movement are caused by energy, not water. The size of the wave depends on the fetch (span of open water), speed of wind, and the length of time that the wind blows.

Deep Sea Life

For my unit post I thought that it would be fun to look into some of the deep sea life.

Starting with.....

1. THE GIANT SQUID!!!!

The Giant Squid is no myth ladies and gentleman. It stead of thinking of it as a giant scary monster it would be more proper to refer to it as Architeuthis Dux, it's scientific n

ame. Giant squids are quite giant though and can reach up to 60ft long. Since they are mollusks they have a mantle, eight arms, and two longer tentacles, just like any other squid. All of the arms and tentacles are covered in giant suction cups that are surrounded by sharp point edges. Giant Squids are also thought to be quite the brainiacs too. Females giant squids are usually about 43 feet in length where as males are only about 33 feet. The only thing larger than the giant squid is, well, THE COLOSSAL SQUID (also known as mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) which is a close cousin to the giant squid. Giant squids also make a tasty snack for sperm whales.

2. The Gulper Eel

The gulper eel also known as the Eurypharynx pelecanoides is not your average eel. It has a giant mouth, that can open big enough to swallow things larger than itself. They have log tails that are used for movement and are tipped with a little light. It is thought that they use this as a fishing tactic to lure in prey and then turn around, unhinge their jaws, and eat stuff. However the gulper eel has very tiny teeth so it generally preys on smaller food, but can swim through schools of fish and gulp up a good many. The gulper eel is typically found from 150 to 1,800 meters deep.

3. Giant Isopod

The giant is a carnivorous crustacean that can grow to 16 inches, which is very large compared to their 1 to 5 centimeter land buddies. It uses large antennae to crawl along the ocean floor as it scavenges for food. This giant bug thing has compound eyes and a body that can roll into a ball to protect itself. They have long legs with little hooks on the edge and like to eat dead whales, fish, and squid! Yummy! They can be found in areas 170 to 2, 140 meters deep.

4. Sperm Whales

Sperm whales large toothed whales that enjoy breathing air and diving to depths of 3,000 meters, although they usually hang around the 800 meter range. They used to be hunted largely for the oil in their blubber but now, not so much. The whales can be 67 feet long and with 63 tons. Sperm whales are generally gray and have bumpy skin, and the largest brain of any animal. They use echolocation to find food in the darkness of the deep sea. They like squid (regular, giant, or colossal) and tend to have food fights with them, as noted by the beaky scars found on dead whales. Unlike other deep sea animals that like to live alone, whales like travel in schools for the first part of their life. Although these whales can take down COLOSSAL SQUIDS they do fall victim to orca whales now and then who like to gang up on the poor sperm whales. And sperm whales are friends for life, they can live to be about 70 years old.

5. Oarfish

Oarfish are found around 200 meters usually although they have been spotted as shallow as 60 meters and as deep as 1000 meters. Oarfish are long, bony fish with bodies that resemble ribbons. They are usually a silver-blue color with a red dorsal fin that goes the entire length of the fish. They also have pelvic fins that are really long. They like to eat plankton, small squids, and other small things that they can fit in their tiny mouth.

Tides!

Tide= the periodic rising and falling of ocean waters caused by gravitational forces of the sun and moon (they pull on water and create bulges that are high and low tides)
- these high tides occur when the water is pulled towards the moon (also called flood tides because water going towards shore) and low tides are the opposite (also called ebb current because the water moves away from shore)

Spring Tides- when the sun and moon are aligned (full and new moons) and cause extreme height variation in water

Neap Tides- when sun and moon are at right angles (quarter phases) and it is hard to tell the difference between the high and low tides

Semidiurnal- high and low tides at same height (most common)

Mixed Semidiurnal- high tides differ in height

Diurnal- one high and low tide every day (least common)

Giant Wave Hits Cruise Ship

Just North of Barcelona, a Louis Cruise Lines ship was hit by 26 foot waves. It was traveling from Barcelona, Spain to Genoa, Italy with 1,350 passengers and 580 crew members. Luckily, only 2 people were killed and 14 injured from glass that flew from windows as the waves hit them. None of the injured passengers are in fatal conditions, but have been hospitalized as a precaution. Though weather conditions were strong (one buoy nearby documented winds of 45 mph), these massive waves are unusual. The remaining passengers are to be flown home from Barcelona, compliments of the cruise line, and the next cruise has been canceled for the ship's repairs. However, cruises will resume on March 14.
There is a great movie of the wave (and the whole article) at this site:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/03/03/cruise.ship.wave/index.html?hpt=T2

Unit Review Post-Oceanography

OCEANOGRAPHY

-71% of the Earth is covered in water
-the average depth of the oceans: 4,000 meters

Pacific Ocean:
-deepest and largest ocean in the world: most diversity of life

Atlantic Ocean:
-narrow; connects the Arctic and Antarctic

Indian Ocean:
-smallest of of three oceans

Southern Ocean:
-connects three ocean basins; source of cold, dense water.

Passive Continental Margin:
-not at a plate boundary
-no tectonic activity
EX) Atlantic coast-gentle rise

Active Continental Margin:
-plate boundary
-plate tectonic activity (mountains, earthquakes)
EX) Pacific coast- steep slopes; trenches

WAVES:
crest: highest point of a wave
trough: lowest point of a wave
wave height: vertical distance between any crest and succeeding trough
wave length: horizontal distance between two successive crests or troughs
still water level: what the water level would be if there were no waves
period: time it takes for two successive crests to pass a fixed point (6-16 seconds)

Basics of Oceanography

Oceanography: physical, chemical and geological study of oceans.

Marine Biology: scientific study of all living organisms in the ocean.

Water covers 70.8% of the Earth and the average depth is 4000m.

4 Major Oceans:

1. Pacific: Deepest and largestwith most diverse life

2. Atlantic: relativelynarrow and connects Arctic and Antarctic; receives its water from rivers

3. Indian: Smallest of 3 oceans

4. Arctic: three major ocean basins connect to the southern.

Waves!

Waves....In a Nutshell


Crest: Hightest point of the waves

trough: lowest point of the wave

Wave height: vertical distance between crest and trough

Wavelength: Horizontal distance between 2 succesive crests

Still Water Level: What level the water would be if there were no waves

Period: time it takes for 2 sucesive wave to pass a fixed point

WAVES ARE MOVEMENTS OF ENERGY

SIZE of wave depends on.....

1) Fetch: span of open water of which wind blows
2) Speed of wind
3) How long long wind is blowing

Currents

Surface currents -Wind movement in certain paths that transports water around. This moves WATER not energy.

Temperature that flows away from the equator remains warm until it intervenes with the colder northern currents and vice versa.

Gyres- Circle currents within the ocean.

Highest Tides in the World

In Nova Scotia, Canada there is a bay called the Bay of Fundy. This is where the highest tides in the world occur. During high tide you can find water twenty three feet into the bay, while during low tide you can only find about two and a half feet. This is a pretty huge difference and the website says that the force of the waters is equal to 8000 trains or 25 million horses, so you can really see just how strong the waters are.
http://www.bayoffundy.com/highesttides.aspx

After Effects of Earthquake in Chile

Pictured: A bridge that collapsed as result of the quake.


By now almost everyone has heard about the magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck off the coast of Chile, however I found some interesting and perhaps less known facts about the after effects about this major quake! In the six days since the disturbance the earthquake has created more than 180 aftershocks, including seven above magnitude 6.0. Also, this earthquake caused the earth's axis to tilt about 8 centimeters and as a result each day is 1.26 microseconds shorter than before the quake.