Conclusion

Conclusion

            Throughout these past ten weeks, I posted essays in my blog regarding different subjects about Earth Science and its different applications. These topics are related with the principal sciences such as geology, physics, chemistry, biology and astronomy. Also different social aspects are discussed in each theme; with the use of descriptions, arguments, information and opinions, I developed these topics. With the research of these, I learned and understood a little more about the science that I will study. My objective was to inform from different sources about the Earth Science and raise awareness of how important it is to care for the resources discussed above. I enjoyed doing this and I hope it was of your liking and you have learned about the environment where we live. 

The Earth in The Solar System

The Earth in the Solar System

One of the principal features of planet Earth is its localization in the Universe.  Astronomy is the science that interrelationships Earth and the outer space, is the discipline that studies celestial bodies, their positions, movements and all related with them. This science emphasizes the study of planets, stars (including the Sun), moons, asteroids, meteors, galaxies, etc. All the phenomena that occurs in the big galaxy and the features of astronomical objects has been studied from ancient to modern times. To understand where we live, we need to know where is the Earth in the Solar System and some of the peculiarities of this planetary system.

First of all, we should know that the Solar System where we live is located in the Milky Way, in a small corner of this galaxy. Here, the Solar System is surrounded by other stars, planets and others astronomical objects that are relatively far away. Within the Solar System itself, there is the Sun, the principal star and a group of planets that revolves around this star. One of these planets are the Earth, the only with the necessary features (such as water, temperatures, atmosphere and special gasses) to support life. In order from the Sun, Earth is the third planet and the fifth largest planet. Accompanying the Earth is the Moon, its only natural satellite. This planet is the only with active tectonic plates and has a unique atmosphere that protects it from the Sun, cosmic rays and other celestial bodies such as meteors.

Neighboring planets to Earth have their special features that distinguishes them individually. The planets of the Solar System are subdivided into three groups: the interior or terrestrial planets (with solid surface, composed by silicates and located between the Sun and the Asteroid Belt), the exterior planets or gas giants (lack solid surface, composed by gasses, mainly hydrogen, helium and methane and are located beyond the Asteroid Belt) and dwarf planets (minor or small planets, are smallest than Mercury, the smallest terrestrial planet). The interior or terrestrial planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars; the exterior planets or gas giants are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune; and some of dwarf planet are Pluto, Ceres, Eris and Charon.

Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun and lack an atmosphere, having extreme hot and cold temperatures. Venus is the second planet from the Sun and is the brightest celestial body in the sky due to its atmosphere rich in carbon dioxide and clouds of sulfuric acid. Earth is the third planet from the Sun and is the only that support different forms of living organisms, including humans; it has large quantities of water and an atmosphere composed mainly by nitrogen and oxygen. Mars, the red planet and the fourth from the Sun, contains the Olympus Mont, the biggest volcano of the Solar System. Jupiter, the biggest planet of the Solar System and the fifth from Sun has bands and the Great Red Spot that is an atmospheric turbulence strong storms. Saturn, the sixth from the Sun, is distinguished by its rings, composed by rocks and ice fragments that revolve around the planet. Uranus, the seventh from the Sun, gets a blue-green color due to the presence of methane in its atmosphere, and has a faint ring system. Neptune, the eighth from the Sun, contains the strongest winds of the Solar System, it is bluish due its atmosphere and also has a faint ring system. Pluto is a dwarf planet and consists of icy materials due its remoteness from the Sun.

Also, the Solar System its composed of other members. Natural satellites, asteroids, comets and meteorites are part of the neighbors of this planetary system. Natural satellites or moons are celestial bodies that revolve around the planets, for example the Moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth, but planets like Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus have 63, 61 and 27 ‘‘moons’’ respectively. The Asteroid Belt, that orbits between Mars and Jupiter contains thousands of rocky objects. Meteorite are fragments of rocks that move around the space that often collide with planets and moons, including the Earth. Comets are small icy objects prevenient from the Oort cloud. We already know general terms of the Solar Systems and it members, we can understand what occurs around the planet where we live, the Earth, in a very small corner of the big universe. 

References:

Information:

http://www.definicionabc.com/ciencia/astronomia.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System

Alonso J., Serie Naturales. (1998). Descubrimiento 9 Ciencia Integrada.         

            Puerto Rico: Ediciones Santillana, Inc.

Picture:

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistema_solar#/media/File:Solar_sys.jpg

Natural Disasters

Natural Disasters

Planet Earth through its geological history and since its formation has evolved in different ways. Many of these processes of transformation and change occur in a drastic and cataclysmic way. Actually, these change continue and manifest themselves in many ways. Natural disasters are part of these changes that happen in the Earth, this term is defined as extreme and sudden events caused by environmental factors that injure people and damage property. These disasters can be sub divided into two groups: the natural disasters related with atmospheric phenomena and natural disasters caused by geological force and processes. Therefore, these are the result of external and internal processes that happen in the planet.

Natural disasters produced by atmospheric phenomena are part of these external processes of Earth. The external process that occurs in the atmosphere, specifically in troposphere (one of the atmosphere’s layers), changes every day, modifies the climate and the weather of a particular region of the world. This means that these phenomena occurs in any part of the world. Natural disasters related with external process in the Earth’s atmosphere are cyclonic storms like tropical storms and hurricanes, winter storms like blizzards, droughts, heat waves, floods by heavy rains, electrical storms, hailstorms and tornadoes. Some major meteorological disasters can generate others, for example, hurricanes (systems that forms over the ocean), produce floods by heavy rains (overflow of water that submerges land), electrical storms (lightning and thunderstorms), hailstorms (drops that arrive as ice) and tornadoes (a violent rotating column of air that is in contact with surface and a cloud) inland. Heat waves (a period of excessively hot weather) and drought (unusual dryness of soil and water reservoirs) are associated together with the lack of rain in a large period of time. Also winter storms generate blizzards (heavy snow and strong cold wind) and others extreme events related with lower temperatures.

Also, natural disasters can be classified by geological disasters, these that happen by internal processes of Earth. Tectonic forces generated inside the Earth created the mountains, produced volcanoes, generated earthquakes, and deformed rocks. The tectonic plates are pieces of the lithosphere (external layer of the Earth) that slide over the asthenosphere (part of the outermost portion of the Earth’s mantle that is below the lithosphere) being less dense. These process produces the geological disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, avalanches and mudslides and the opening of sinkholes. Earthquakes are originated by sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust that creates seismic waves, tectonic plates generate this colliding with each other, separating from one another and rubbing each other. Tsunamis are a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of large volume of water that arrive to coastal areas, they can be caused by undersea earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. Volcanoes can generate destruction in many ways: the explosion can produce fall of rocks, lava can destroy everything in its path, including also the volcanic ash. Avalanches and mudslide can bury entire villages and can be produced by internal and external processes.

There are other natural disasters such as wildfires (large fires which starting wildland area and are caused by lightning, drought or human negligence), health disasters and space disasters. Health disasters are related with epidemics, outbreak of a contractible diseases that spreads through a human population, also it can be pandemic (spread globally). Space disasters are less common, an example of this are asteroid or meteorite impacts associated with major extinction events, and solar storms, events where the sun releases a great amount of radiation, although they are unlikely to cause direct injury, but can affect electric equipment.

All these natural disasters generate many human and materials losses. Around the planet there had been different natural disasters. In 2005 hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast of United States, being one of the most powerful hurricane of the world. As recently as in 2011 happened in Japan one of the most powerful earthquake followed by a devastating tsunami that produced thousands of human and material losses, including geological deformation. Other disasters related with diseases and natural events generate devastation in entire world. The majority of these disasters cannot be controlled by humans, some can only be forecasted, for these reasons all we can do is prepare as much as possible to face these natural processes and change of the planet on which we live.

 

References:

Information:

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0775896.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_disaster

Alonso J., Serie Naturales. (1998). Descubrimiento 9 Ciencia Integrada.         

            Puerto Rico: Ediciones Santillana, Inc.