Moon and Tides

High and low tides are a result of the moon's gravity and distance from our planet (its altitude). The tides seem to be the highest soon after the moon rises, and the lowest during sunrise and sunset, but they vary throughout the day. The tides are different depending on where you are in the world; the moon's orbit around the Earth is elliptical.

Which Way The Winds Blow

The Earth's uneven heating is caused by its spherical shape, elliptical orbit, and tilt on its axis. Angled light rays have direct lighting on a small surface area, and then the light disperses as it goes on. Direct light rays are harsher and have an equal effect on the whole model. For example, we did an activity where we shined a flashlight on a globe where this happened. From the global wind patterns activity, I learned about how wind patterns affect the weather. The Earth's rotation causes air and water to move in certain patterns. During our activity, we spun a circular piece of paper to act as the Earth rotating and put droplets of water on it. The result was spirals of water. The coriolis  effect is an effect where a mass moving in a rotating system experiences the force acting perependicular to the direction of motion and to the axis of rotation.A Hadley cell is a large-scale atmospheric convection cell in which air rises at the equator and sinks at medium latitudes, typically about 30° north or south.Most deserts are found at 30 degress N or S latitude because due to the Hadley cells and horse latitudes, the air is much more stable and there is less weather. Prevailing global wind patterns blow predominately from a single direction over a particular point on the Earth's surface. In the 18th century, England's merchants used the trade winds for trading routes. Doldrums can trap boats for days or weeks, because sometimes the winds can disappear altogether. Dry conditions of the horse latitudes cause the existence of temperate deserts. Columbus could have used the westerlies to travel toward the US. The global wind patterns activity helped me learn about the directions of the winds and how explorers can use them to their advantage. This affects the airline flight patterns in the US because they need to use the wind to their advantage and travel in the direction the winds are blowing. 

http://www.noao.edu/education/gsmt/weather

According to this article, winds could mask the effects of global warming.

Loggerhead Island Report

Special considerations we made to protect the sea turtles included dark hours for the nearby houses, no other buildings in that area, and boat restrictions so the wakes don't disturb the turtles or worm reefs. Special considerations we made when determining a good site for the fishing pier were that it couldn't be too close to the turtles or worm reef. We made it near the lagoon, but restricted it to only fishing rods and kayaks- no boats or fishing nets- so the dolphins and manatees are not disturbed. Some of the potential problems that might arise from the proposed golf course are that golf balls might enter the ocean, which is why we didn't make it near the lagoon or turtle nesting site. That's the best we can do to reduce impact. Chemicals in the grass might also disturb the ecosystem, so we can make a less harsh impact with an environmentally friendly course and less chemicals. The economic benefits to the community of Loggerhead County if the development was done with the least amount of environmental impact would be that tourism would be booming, which would raise a lot of money. Energy, water, etc. could also be cheaper if we used natural resources as much as possible and didn't pollute the area. Humans negatively impact coastal ecosystems such as this one by polluting the ocean/ground/sky, eroding the shoreline with the construction of buildings and roads, hurting the native animals with activities such as boating and fishing, and covering habitats with paved roads. Maintaining natural vegetation can help us to reduce the damage caused by oceanic events such as hurricanes, tsunami and continued beach erosion by keeping the shoreline in place and therefore not disrupting wave patterns/currents. I did not hear any ideas that I would have used if I thought about it before-hand, but a few new ideas could be making sure that any waste was not polluting the environment (waste from the restaurant, club, etc.), creating a communal compost pile, and making the villa into a natural getaway with hiking routes and natural spas rather than something like a casino. 

7. After listening to the other groups make their presentations, were there any ideas they had you would have used if you had though about it before-hand? You should list at least three different ideas and indicate why their idea is actually better for the environment than yours. 

What can a grain of sand tell you about the Earth?

Station	Color	Magnetite	Size	Texture	Wentworth	Sorting	Comp.
Maui	mixed	yes	1.5 mm	rounded	sand	well	rocks
Klamath	black	no	1.5 mm	angular	sand	moderate	rocks
Hampton	light	no	1 mm	angular	sand	moderate	rocks
Salinas	light	no	.3 mm	angular	sand	very well	rocks
Edgartown	light	no	1 mm	subrounded	sand	moderately	rocks
Virgin	light/black	no	.1	angular	sand	poorly	rocks
St. Martin	light	no	varies	angular	sand	very poor	rocks
Pine	light/clear	no	.1	subrounded	sand	well	rocks

The “Maui” sand must be from a beach with very high-energy waves because of its rounded shape. It must be from a marine source because there are no holes that hint at a volcanic origin, plus the colors are mixed, which means it could be accumulated from/traveled from many different places. The round edges are another hint at a long journey for this sand. Since it is well-sorted, it must be from the water, since water naturally sorts based on size and density.

The “St. Martin” sand must be from a calmer beach because it’s angular and less broken down than the Maui sand. The variety of surface features and textures hint at a variety of sources- most likely land-based due to the poor sorting and harsh texture. The size also varies greatly. It is unlikely for this sand to be from the ocean because water sorts very well/usually rounds off the grains.

Sounding the Sea; A Study in Bathymetric Mapping

1.       Identify the research questions for this activity, and your ideas/answers to those questions.

2.       Define the following ocean floor features (your model maps contained at least three of them) and provide pictures for three of them:

a.       A flat abyssal plain.

b.      An underwater seamount or guyot.

c.       A continental shelf, break, slope, and rise.

d.      A submarine canyon on the continental shelf.

e.      The mid-ocean ridge.

f.        A trench and island arc system.

3.       Write up responses to the three analysis questions above.

4.       Write two new research questions based on what you have learned from this activity:

5.       What was the value and importance of this activity to your study of science.

Ocean floor features can be measured and mapped using current acoustical technology such as bathymetric mapping and sonar technology. Ocean floor maps can be used in the commercial, military, and/or private sector by identifying underwater objects such as submarines. A flat abyssal plain is any flat or gently sloping sediment-covered section of the ocean floor.An underwater seamount is an underwater mountain rising from the ocean floor and having a peaked or flat-topped summit below the surface of the water.  A trench/island arc system is a group of volcanic islands, usually situated in a curving arch-like pattern that is convex toward the open ocean, having a deep trench on the convex side.

Flat Abyssal Plain

Underwater Seamount

Trench./Island Arc System

 http://www.morning-earth.org/Graphic-E/BIOSPHERE/Bios-PL-BenthicBiomes1.htm

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/weeklynews/may10/seamounts.html

http://news.dbv.vn/japan-said-chinas-claim-to-okinawa-as-unthinking-27511.html

Based on my seafloor model, the topography of my surveryed area was flat in some places with gentle slopes/valleys/inclines. Most measurements were basically the same; all between 6.5 and 8.5 inches with many areas consisting of the same measurement, usually 7.5. We used a simulation of remote sensing technology, which is better than direct observation because it measures every possible valley and incline, rather than our eyes just skimming over and capturing the general idea. In the real ocean, direct observation would not be useful because we cannot see the ocean floor clearly from an aerial view. It also gives you more coverage; a bigger area of measurement. We used vertical exaggeration because it stretches out the sea floor, exposing every detail. The value and importance of this activity to my study of science was that I learned new ways to measure the ocean floor and discovered technology I wasn't previously aware of. It opened up new horizons to my future in science, since I want to go into environmental studies.

Two new research questions

1. How else could bathymetric mapping be useful?
2. What would a bathymetric map look like when complete?

Dancing of the Continents

Through the "Dancing of the Continents" activity, I learned which continents shared things such as mountain rages and animal fossils with which continents. Before this activity, I though Pangea was shaped differently; more like a circular-looking continent, when in reality it looks more like an "L". This applies to the theory of continental drift because it discusses how the continents 'slide' over the ocean floor. The theory of sea-floor spreading states that magma oozes up between the plates, hardening and spreading them further apart, therefore moving the continents. The plates move thanks to the Theory of Plate Tectonics; the Earth's crust is broken into six large plates and many smaller ones. Scientists of different disciplines may share information such as their theories on continental drift by finding common ground in their studies and making connections between their different ideas.

Memorandum

Assignment: "You are a biological oceanographer studying and documenting the breeding habits of a clam that lives in a depth range of 40 to 140 meters (130 to 459.3 feet). The clams are found only in the South Pacific about seven days sailing from the closest port. The breeding cycle takes place nightly and lasts 4 to 6 hours."

In order to study this clam, I would begin by forming a team of fellow scientists. We would work together to choose and purchase a submersible- possibly the one produced in our last project. That way, we would be able to stay close to the clam for as long as we needed. Since the habitat is seven days away from the closest port, we wouldn't be able to go back and forth to replenish our supplies. Therefore, we would need plenty of food, clean water, pillows and blankets, sampling supplies, diving equipment, and other experimenting tools to last us as long as necessary. The weather probably wouldn't stay constant the whole time we were there, so variables could include currents and water temperature. We would sample the water, sand, and breeding area in order to identify the conditions necessary for clam reproduction.