Sinkholes

A sinkhole is an area of ground that has no natural external surface drainage. So, when it rains the water stays inside the sinkhole and typically drains into subsurface. Sinkholes can vary greatly in size. They can vary in size from a few feet to hundreds of acres and from less than 1 to more than 100 feet deep. Usually sinkholes from so slowly than little change is noticeable. Sometimes though they can form suddenly when a collapse can occur. These collapses can have dramatic effect if it occurs in an urban setting. Sinkholes are common where the rock below the land surface is limestone, carbonate rock, salt beds, or rocks that can naturally be dissolved by groundwater circulating through them. Sinkholes can seem so dramatic because the land usually stays intact while the underground spaces just get too big. Sometimes if there is not enough support for the land above the spaces, then a sudden collapse of the land surface can occur. Sinkholes can be human induced by groundwater pumping. They can also be caused from construction and development practices. Sinkholes can also form when natural water-drainage patters are changed and new water-diversion systems are developed. Some sinkholes form where the land surface is changed, such as when industrial and run0off storage ponds are created. The substantial weight of the new material can trigger an underground collapse of supporting material, which will eventually cause a sinkhole. Groundwater pumping for urban water supply and for irrigation can produce new sinkholes in sinkhole-prone areas. If pumping results in a lowering of groundwater levels, then underground structural failure can happens which then produces sinkholes. An example of this is when we do underground plumping. Many sinkholes can happen in people’s backyards or even in the middle of city streets.

Mass Wasting

Mass wasting or mass movement can have a very harmful impact on our Earth and on the people who live on it. Landslides and other things produced by mass wasting can be very destructive and do a lot of damage to roadways, houses, and towns. People can also lose their lives in these devastating occurrences. This happens when the bulk movements of soil and rock debris down slopes in response to the pull of gravity, or the rapid or gradual sinking of the Earth’s ground surface in a predominantly vertical direction. It is also the sinking of confined areas of the Earth’s ground surface. These movements are often aided by water and the significance of both types is the part each plays in the alteration of landforms. The variety of downslope mass movements reflect many factors that are responsible for them. These factors include weathering or erosional debris cover on slopes or the character and structure of rocks. There are many things that humans do that does contribute to mass wasting. One of these things is the deforestation on steep slopes. Cutting down forests can decrease a slopes stability. The trees help to stabilize the Earth by adding root strength to the soil and by putting out excess water. By cutting down the trees this encourages more surface runoff and soil erosion. Another example is the building of dams. The building of dams can lead to mass movements because the weight of the water depresses the rock strata under that lake. Filling a reservoir with water can also lead to bank saturation and land sliding. The next example is the construction of homes on a slope. There were so many pictures I saw where homes would literally fall of cliffs. This happens because the construction of homes on a slope adds more pressure and makes a slope unstable which increases the chance for a landslide. There are many things humans can do to that can contribute to mass wasting. There are also many precautions we can take, which I hope in the future we will take.

Meandering Rivers

Normally it is natural for rivers to run straight. However, there are rivers that flow over gentle sloping ground do begin to curve back and forth.  These rivers are called meandering rivers. Meandering rivers are caused by erosion and sediment deposit. In meandering rivers the speed of the flowing water between the two banks differ due to asymmetry or obstruction in the river bed such as rocks, weed growth, or fallen trees. On the faster side of the river less sediment is being deposited and moving water eats into the bank making a small curve.  With the water flowing faster more erosion is taking place. On the slower side of the river, more sediment from erosion is deposited. The slower moving water has more time for the soil particles to settle out. So, once the curve is established, the water on the outside must travel faster than on the inside. With this happening the curve becomes more eroded. This is why meandering rivers do not make good political boundaries, because the boundary would be constantly changing. Therefore, the territory would be shifting in the political boundaries. An example of this is the Rio Grande River. This river forms most of the boundary between the United States and Mexico. Flooding during the early 1860’s moved the Rio Grande channel south changing an area of about 2.6 square miles from Ciudad Juarez in Mexico to El Paso in The United States. Both countries then claimed the area which led to the international arbitration of the El Chamizal dispute. This dispute lasted from 1911 to 1963 and was finally put to an end when both countries agreed to sharing the costs of rechanneling the river in an effort to prevent further migrating of its meanders. Since a meandering river can constantly change and with a large flood can shift miles this is why they do not serve as good political boundaries. An area one day could be in your territory and the next not. This would lead to many disputes, frustrations, and high costs.

Damage of Earthquakes

Earthquakes can be very harmful and destructive. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of violent ground energy caused by the shifting of the earth’s crust or volcanic/magmatic activity. Most earthquakes occur when two sides of a fault slide past each other. The crust may either be being compressed, pulled apart, moving sideways or a combination of these. The resulting seismic waves are felt as earthquakes. Major earthquakes can cause widespread destruction when they occur near towns and cities. For most part, an earthquake will be most intense at the epicenter, but that is not always the case. The intensity of an earthquake is defined as the amount of damage that is caused by the earthquake. This is different from the magnitude, which is simply how strong the quake was. The intensity of an earthquake can be affected by other things than the distance from the epicenter. One major factor is the local geology of the area of the quake. An example is when earthquake intensity is greatest in areas where the soil can liquify easily. When soil liquefies, it shakes more than other soils do and the impact on buildings is much greater. In most cases, the most damage is done to the area near and around the epicenter because that is where the fault rupture is. In earthquake events that are of really high intensity, the rupture faults can be spread out across a very large rupture zone and can have high impact on the areas far away from the epicenter. If the epicenter is located off shore the effects can ripple into the ocean and cause a tsunami!

Zebra Mussels

An exotic species that has disrupted a region’s natural ecosystem is also known as an invasive species. An invasive species can be any kind of living organism such as an amphibian, plant, insect, fish, fungus, bacteria, or even an organism’s seeds or eggs that is not native to an ecosystem that causes harm. These species can harm the environment, economy, or even human health. Species that grow and reproduce quickly, and spread aggressively, with potential to cause harm are given the label “invasive.”  Invasive species can cause harm to wildlife in many ways. When a new and aggressive species is introduced into an ecosystem, it may not have any natural predators or controls. It can bread and spread quickly, taking over an area. There are many invasive species right here in Texas. I choose to talk about the zebra mussels. The zebra mussels have basically become the poster child for invasive species in Texas. The zebra mussels were originally from the Black and Caspian Seas. They have invaded several Texas lakes such as Lake Texaoma and are threatening to take over the Trinity Basin River as well. They have caused alarming declines in fish, birds, and native mussels by over-absorbing phytoplankton, which is an essential food source for many aquatic species. They also raise water temperatures by their high rate of filtration that leads to increased sunlight penetration. Zebra mussels also negatively impact the aquatic industry. They are able to stick to almost any surface and once they do they are permanently secured. In some instances they have been reported to have sink entire buoys and destroy fishing equipment!

Ogallala Aquifer

The Ogallala Aquifer has long been an essential component of American agriculture and supports an astounding one-sixth of the world’s grain produce. This area is used mainly for agricultural irrigation, even though residential and industrial uses do rely on the aquifer. The agricultural demands for Ogallala water in the region are immense, with the water ultimately being responsible for thirty present of all irrigation in the United States. The Ogallala Aquifer has long been unable to keep up with these agricultural demands of irrigation since the aquifer recharges far slower than the water is withdrawn. The groundwater depletion has also had a severe effect on freshwater ecosystems in the region. Without Ogallala water there have been significant portions of the High Plain’s agriculture and related businesses that have become entirely unsustainable. The effects of these could threaten existence of entire towns whose economies are dependent on water drawn from the aquifer. The Ogallala Aquifer underlies eight different states and stretches across America’s High Plains from South Dakota down to northern Texas. It is an unconfined aquifer that is replenished almost exclusively by rainwater and snowmelt. With the climate of the High Plains recharge is minimal. In some areas, the water is dropping as much as two feet a year, but the aquifer only replenishes around three inches per year. Aside from the devastating effects on agriculture, the depletion is also leading to fish extinctions in the region. Streams and rivers that depend on the aquifer are drying out after decades of over-pumping. Each state has dealt with this crisis at different levels and even the federal government has become involved. Studies do show that if farmers cut their irrigation uses by twenty percent the aquifer could last longer. Hopefully something will be done to conserve the Ogallala Aquifer.

Advantages and Disadvantages of wind power

There are many advantages and disadvantages of using wind power. The biggest advantage I believe is that it conserves and cleans water clean and also cleans the air. Since other forms of electricity produce harmful emissions wind power is a great alternative. Wind power is pollution free and also conserves water resources. Most of the sources of our power produce large quantities of greenhouse gases and wind power produces none. Another advantage is that it provides free fuel. Unlike other forms of electrical generation where fuel is shipped to a processing plant, wind energy generates electricity at the source of fuel, which is free. The price of electricity from fossil fuels and nuclear power can fluctuate greatly due to highly variable mining and transportation costs. Wind power can help buffer these costs because the price of fuel is fixed and free. Another advantage is that it revitalizes rural economies. Wind energy can diversify the economies of rural communities, adding to the tax base and providing new types of income. I think wind power is a great advantage as an alternative to regular energy. Just the fact that it helps keep our planet cleaner and promotes clean air is enough for me. But, then when you think about how cheaper it is, it just makes sense. I think it is something that will expand more in the following years. I do remember years ago my dad invested in some thinking it was a good idea. I din’t think that it did so well and ended up losing him money. That was about 10-15 years ago so maybe it will do better now. While there are many advantages of wind power, there are also some disadvantages. One of the biggest disadvantage of having wind power is that it is not always reliable. It is a variable resource since turbines produce electricity only when the wind blows. This variability is monitored and compensated in the same way utilities monitor demand changes each day, so there are not any actual changes in power supply for the end users. Other disadvantages are the sound and the construction. Wind turbines are not silent and do produce large amounts of noise. Wind turbines also do involve the transportation of large and heavy equipment. Erosion is another potential environmental problem that can stem from construction projects.  As you can see there are many advantages and disadvantages to wind power. I do believe that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages though. Hopefully we can figure out more ways like this that will help reduce greenhouse and help with our pollution problem in general.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

There are many causes for the rising of greenhouse emissions. Some of these causes are the burning of coal, oil, and gas that produce carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide.  With the cutting down of forests which is called deforestation this leads to there being less trees to regulate the climate by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  When these trees are cut down, that beneficial effect is lost and the carbon stored in the trees is released into the atmosphere which adds to the greenhouse effect. Also, increasing livestock farming leads to the cows and sheep producing large amounts of methane when they digest their food. Many fertilizers are used that contain nitrogen that produce nitrous oxide emissions. Also, fluorinated gases produce a very strong warming effect. The current global average temperature is .85 degrees C higher than it was in the late 19^th century.  These gases in the Earth’s atmosphere act a bit like the glass in a greenhouse, trapping the sun’s heat and stopping it from leaking back into space. The concentration of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is 40% higher than it was when industrialization began.  With all of these things humans are increasingly influencing the climate and the earth’s temperature.  Some of the things that are being done is the Clean Air Act.  This is a United Stated federal law designed to control air pollution on a national level.  Other things people are doing is using hybrid cars and driving smart and less.  Many people are buying energy efficient products. Also people are reducing, reusing, and recycling products. Many people are replacing there lightbulbs with more energy efficient ones. There are also many organizations that have been started such as the Environmental Defense Fund and Greenpeace USA that help fight climate change.  When you think about it each one of us can contribute to the decrease of greenhouse gases and make changes that are helpful for our climate and out planet.

Global Temperature

Most people would think that if the concentration of greenhouse gases were to decrease, then the global temperatures would also decrease.  We all know that by the use of greenhouse gases it has had a warming effect on our temperature. The greenhouse effect is the warming of climate that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space.  Certain gases in the atmosphere resemble glass in a greenhouse.  These gases allow sunlight to pass into the greenhouse, but they block the Earth’s heat from escaping into space.  These gases vary from water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, and chlorofluorocarbons.  Human activities are responsible for a lot of the change in the natural greenhouse.  Some of these activities are the burning of fossil fuel such as coal and oil.  If we didn’t have all these greenhouse gases, I believe this would allow the heat to escape Earth and it would definitely lead to our global temperatures decreasing.  The consequences of changing the natural greenhouse are difficult to predict.  These are some of the effects that we have seen over time and are likely to continue if human activity keeps at this pace.  On average, the Earth will become warmer.  Some areas may welcome this heat, but others most certainly will not.  Warmer conditions could lead to more evaporation and precipitation, which will lead to some places becoming wetter and other places becoming dryer.  The sea level could rise more since the greenhouse gases will likely warm the ocean and begin melting glaciers and other ice.

Seasons of Hawaii

I choose to do this blog on the seasons and weather of Hawaii. It seems like Hawaii seriously almost has perfect weather all year round. There are really only 2 seasons in Hawaii. Summer which runs from May to October and winter which runs from November to April. There is no need for air conditioning or heating in Hawaii, because the air and temperature is almost always perfect. You just open a window and let a breeze come there and it usually is just the right temperature. The average summertime temperature is 85 degrees and the average wintertime temperature is 78 degrees. My mom used to live there and I was fortunate enough to be able to go and visit her. There was a sun shower everyday, a rainbow in the sky and just perfect weather that wasn’t too cold or too hot. The reason the climate in these islands is like that is due to several different factors. The first factor is the island’s location in the tropics. The Hawaiian Islands are located 2400 miles southwest of the continental United States which is surrounded in the warm tropical waters if the Pacific Ocean. The Bering Sea plays a big role in Hawaii’s temperatures. The Bering Sea has cool waters that reach the islands. The ocean temperatures there measure 10 degrees cooler than other Pacific regions located at the same latitude. Another factor in the climate is the trade winds. These winds in Hawaii are known as the “Kona” winds. These steady trade winds blow across thousands of miles of the cool and open ocean. These winds are filled with moisture when they reach the northeastern sides of the islands. The winds then rise due to the mountain peaks. This can cause a reduction in temperature and pressure, which can cause the winds to drop their moisture. These winds can bring rain in, especially to the parts of the island that are dryer than other parts. If the winds do stop blowing the weather can get hot and humid. If you have ever been to Hawaii you will realize just how perfect the weather is! The temperature of the weather and the amount of rain they get is why growing anything in Hawaii is the ideal place. The fruit there is amazing!! It is the ideal place for anything to grow and flourish!