background preloader

This Dynamic Earth

This Dynamic Earth
View of the planet Earth from the Apollo spacecraft. The Red Sea, which separates Saudi Arabia from the continent of Africa, is clearly visible at the top. (Photograph courtesy of NASA.) Ordering Instructions This book was originally published in paper form in February 1996 (design and coordination by Martha Kiger; illustrations and production by Jane Russell). U.S. or it can be ordered directly from the U.S. Call toll-free 1-888-ASK-USGS Or write to USGS Information Services Box 25286, Building 810 Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 303-202-4700; Fax 303-202-4693 Version History Version 1.20 The online edition contains all text from the original book in its entirety. Linked Websites Please visit the Smithsonian Institution This Dynamic Planet website. See also This Dynamic Planet, the map showing the Earth's physiographic features, current plate movements, and locations of volcanoes, earthquakes, and impact craters. Related:  Geography

#GeoEdChat | #Geography #Education #GeoEd #Geo #GIS #Teaching #Learning #OutdoorEd #Fieldwork #GuerrillaGeography #GAWeek Historic Earthquakes One person injured and extensive damage to roads and bridges. Structural damage occurred in the villages of Slana and Mentasta Lake, minor structural damage occurred at Fairbanks and items were knocked from shelves at Cantwell, Denali National Park, Glenallen, Paxson and Tok. Damage estimated at 20 million U.S. dollars. San Andreas Fault Homepage: Information, photos, maps, fault location and more! Geo-Primary Assessing Primary Geography Teacher assessment is a complex matter, but here are a few tools to help you with part of the process. Principles and purposes of assessment These are some special assessment tasks devised by teachers in Staffordshire and Derby. They are designed to be completed by pupils, generally towards the end of a unit, to help teachers judge what pupils know, understand and can do, in order to help teachers assess pupils' progress. Recording pupils' progress These examples of recording grids are useful to help you devise your own. Working on your own moderating pupils' attainment can be very difficult.

Make a Seismograph Science Project You may have heard of the Richter scale used to study earthquakes. In 1935 Charles Richter developed a system to measure the magnitude --or amount of energy released--of an earthquake. Each whole number on the Richter scale indicates a tenfold increase in amplitude (greatness in size). Thus, a 7.5 earthquake on the Richter scale actually has ten times the amplitude of a 6.5 earthquake. Scientists also measure seismic waves, or movements in the earth's crust. Fill a 2-liter soda bottle with water and use wire to suspend it about 1' above the surface of a table, using a sturdy stick or ruler set across stacks of heavy books. There's another measurement used for earthquakes: the Modified Mercalli Scale is used to measure intensity, or how strong the effects of the quake are. If it isn't confusing enough with so many things to measure, there's one more method for determining magnitude.

Volcano Hazards Program Geography Champions - Primary Geography Champions Network Sun-Earth Misconceptions A list of common and uncommon, famous and infamous misconceptions about solar-terrestrial physics... + Earth is closest to the Sun is the summertime or, it is warmer in summer because Earth is closer to the Sun False. This is by far the most common misconception about the relationship between Sun and Earth, one that is unfortunately perpetuated by lousy diagrams in most school textbooks. Despite what you learned in school about Earth's "elliptical" orbit around the Sun, that elliptical orbit is pretty close to being circular (not the extended oval you see in most books). + The Sun does not rotate False. + The Sun has a solid surface False. + Space is empty, a complete vacuum False. + The solar wind and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can exert enough pressure to push a satellite out of its orbit False. Satellites do sometimes fall out of orbit due to space weather events. + Auroras are caused by solar wind particles hitting Earth's atmosphere Not really. + The Sun is an average star...

Thuban is a former Pole Star | Brightest Stars Thuban is not a particularly bright star, but it holds a special place in the hearts of stargazers. That’s because Thuban was the Pole Star some 5,000 years ago, when the Egyptians were building the pyramids. Among the many mysteries surrounding Egypt’s pyramids are the so-called “air shafts” in the Great Pyramid of Giza. These narrow passageways were once thought to serve for ventilation as the pyramids were being built. In the 1960s, though, the air shafts were recognized as being aligned with stars or areas of sky as the sky appeared for the pyramids’ builders 5,000 years ago. The Great Pyramid of Giza, an enduring monument of ancient Egypt. This diagram shows the so-called air shafts in the Great Pyramid. One of the “air shafts” follows a crooked course through the Great Pyramid, so you couldn’t have sighted stars through it. The 26,000-year precession cycle causes the north celestial pole to move counter-clockwise relative to the backdrop stars. How to see Thuban.

ProjectBritain.com - A resource of British Life and Culture in the UK by Woodlands Junior

Related: