December 18, 2010
Huge volcano under Yellowstone Park rising
Is there activity under Yellowstone Park that may be concerning to seismologists?
Click onto the link below to visit SCRIBD to read an article on the subject.
December 16, 2010
Why is the Sky Blue?
For those of you who want to know why the sky is blue, click on the link below.
December 2, 2010
Mt St Helen's Eruption
Watch the video below to see the eruption of Mt St Helen's in Washington State which occurred in May 1980.
November 25, 2010
Erosion of Taughannock Falls
Go to the following website to read about the weathering and erosion of the Taughannock Falls in the Finger Lake Region of NYS. This particular area has ongoing weathering and erosion of the sedimentary rock that lines the sides of the falls. There have been several incidents over the past few years involving close calls with onlookers and even one fatality. Move your mouse over the photo of the picture of the falls to see the before and after photo of the actual event. The picture below shows a smaller view of the the before and after photos.
http://www.nyfalls.com/taughannock-rock-fall.html
http://www.nyfalls.com/taughannock-rock-fall.html
November 21, 2010
478 Carat Diamond Discovered in Africa in September 2008
A large diamond was discovered in Lethoso, Africa. Click on the link below to learn more about it and other diamonds discovered in Africa.
November 20, 2010
Top 10 Most Notorious Cursed Diamonds
The diamond has been called a girl’s best friend, but in many cases these diamonds were their worst enemy. Throughout the ages diamonds have symbolized beauty and the women who wore them were some of the most beautiful and powerful women to grace this earth. Unfortunately these diamonds also carry with them death, sorrow and misfortune. These diamonds are still around today - mostly in museums and with royalty. Click on the diamond picture to enlarge the text.
November 14, 2010
Autumn on Long Island
I took a drive up to Cold Spring Harbor on the North Shore of Long Island with my nieces and sister-in-law over the weekend. It is a quaint little town right on the bay. We were headed to the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery were they breed Rainbow and Brook Trout. It is an educational hatchery where you can see how they harvest eggs and then watch the fish through various stages of their life. They also have a nice little aquarium where you can see fish, snake, turtle, and toads that are native to the area. There is a stream and a small lake there where some of the fish live and breed naturally. You are allowed to fish there and take home what you catch for a small fee. The area is beautiful this time of year with the colored trees lining the hillsides. We stopped alongside a lake to admire some of the amazing views of autumn on the North Shore. Then, much to my surprise, we came across a flock of autumn fowl. There were 3 turkeys and quite a few pheasants just walking around a patch of grass alongside the road. I stopped to take a few pictures. It was wonderful - a little peek of how this area must have been rich with wildlife when the first settlers arrived here. If you get a chance to come out here, it is truly worth the trip.
I hope these little guys take care with Thanksgiving only 2 weeks away!
November 11, 2010
13 year Old Girl catches 58-pound bass
Wow - these Northeastern waters can hold amazing life. Check out this video from MSN:
November 2, 2010
Japanese Robot So True to Life It's a Little Creepy
I was very suspicious at first that this was actually a robot. If you watch the whole video, you will see very clearly that this is a robot. Do you think that robots should look so life like? Could you tell that this was a robot if you saw it on the street or in a store? This type of robot could be made useful in the space program. They could go to places that we as humans cannot. What other uses could we find for a robot like this?
October 30, 2010
Epic Conditions Due to Weather
Check out the page below on the Weather Channel page to see Epic Conditions around the world.
October 26, 2010
Anatomy of a Volcano
Click the link below to see an interactive page that shows the anatomy of a volcano.
October 25, 2010
A Fish With a See-Through Head?
The world is filled with wonderous variety. There must be a reason to have a see through head.
This fish was has never really been seen before. Scientists would find pieces of it floating on top of the water. It needs several layers of pressure to keep alive. It is only until scientists were able to put video cameras on the ocean floor that we were able to see one of these rare creatures alive in its natural habitat.
Watch the video below to see the first specimen found alive.
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/bizarre-fish-has-see-through-head/26rusc5z
This fish was has never really been seen before. Scientists would find pieces of it floating on top of the water. It needs several layers of pressure to keep alive. It is only until scientists were able to put video cameras on the ocean floor that we were able to see one of these rare creatures alive in its natural habitat.
Watch the video below to see the first specimen found alive.
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/bizarre-fish-has-see-through-head/26rusc5z
A tangle amid the cotton
Central Asia's most important cotton-growing region is concentrated in the floodplain of the Syr Darya. The river was one of the farthest points reached by Alexander the Great in ancient times. In this image from the International Space Station, acquired Sept 30 and released Nov 1, the floodplain can be seen as a tangle of twisting meanders and loops.
October 23, 2010
Moon Crater Contains Usable Water?
Read about new evidence that leads scientists to believe there may be water on the Moon.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/39959631/Moon-Crater-Contains-Usable-Water
http://www.scribd.com/doc/39959631/Moon-Crater-Contains-Usable-Water
Just For Fun - 5th Greatest Cartoon of All Time
There was a time when cartoons were well-crafted works of art. One Froggy Evening is an excellent example. Released in 1955, it ranks as the fifth greatest cartoon of all time. The Library of Congress calls the film culturally significant. And Steven Spielberg dubbed it "the Citizen Kane of animated film." Watch and enjoy this wonderful classic.
October 19, 2010
October 15, 2010
A City at Night
When you live in a city like New York City, it is difficult to see many stars in the night sky. This is because most cities experience what is called "Light Pollution". That means that the lights in your city are keeping you from seeing the stars in the sky. When you go out at night, it seems dark, but really there are street lights, traffic lights, car headlights, lights from apartments, sign lights, and so on all that make the city very bright. The photo below is Houston, TX at night. As you can see, there is a huge amount of light that eminates from the city even though the people on the ground believe they are in substantial darkness. As you move away from the city, you see the area becomes dark and more stars can be seen from this area simply because there is less light to interrupt vision. Look at next post for New York City and the USA.
This image, provided by NASA on March 18, shows the Houston metropolitan area at night as seen from the International Space Station. Texas' largest city is in the center, indicated by a "bull's-eye" of elliptical beltways and brightly lit freeways radiating outward from downtown.
October 14, 2010
NYC Lights at Night and the USA at Night
OK - you asked for it you got it. Below is a satellite picture of NYC at night. Just look at how bright it is. And you wonder why you can't see any stars.
A satellite image showing the most brightly lighted areas in the United States at night. New York City is second only to Las Vegas in measured nighttime brightness.
The picture below is a satellite photo of the United States at night. It is clear that the Eastern Seaboard is the biggest user of electricity and responsible for much of the light pollution. We must work harder to remember to shut off lights when not in use and to conserve energy wherever possible.
October 10, 2010
An ATOLL - what's an Atoll?
Blue Lagoon
Photograph courtesy NASA
The turquoise lagoon of French Polynesia's Mataiva atoll stands out against the dark blue of the surrounding Pacific Ocean in an image taken by an astronaut on August 13.
The atoll—a ring-shaped island enclosing a central lagoon—is part of the Tuamotu Archipelago, the largest chain of atolls on Earth. Mataiva is unique in that its central lagoon includes a network of ridges (white, center) and small basins formed by eroded coral reefs, according to NASA's Earth Observatory, which released the photo on August 30. (See more pictures of French Polynesia.)
Forest (greenish brown) covers much of the outside perimeter of the six-mile-long (ten-kilometer-long) atoll.
Crystal Caves - Mexico
These caves have temperatures of over 113 degrees Fahrenheit and 90% humidity - fatal to humans after 30 minutes but necessary to form these giant crystals.
Click below to read additional information and see more pictures on the crystal caves. There is a documentary on the Crystal Caves on Thursday at 9PM on the National Geographic channel.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/04/photogalleries/giant-crystals-cave/index.html
October 2, 2010
Fog in San Fransisco
Watch the time elapsed video of fog in San Fransisco. San Fransisco is known around the world for its magnificent fog. I have visited San Fransisco and have witnessed what is meant by the phrase "The fog rolled in..." It was thick and covered the Golden Gate Bridge. It was incredible.
September 30, 2010
September 28, 2010
10 Amazing Moon Facts
Read the following 10 Amazing Moon Facts to learn new things about the Moon. Click on each fact to enlarge the photo and the facts. Write a comment on what you never knew about the Moon.
September 26, 2010
Just for Fun - World Records
Farthest Eyeball Popper - Avoid Kim Goodman popping her eyeballs if you are squimish. "I sort of squint," the Chicagoan says, "pull my eyelid back and out it comes."
Most Spoons Balanced on Face - "They just stick on," says English 9-year-old Joe Allison about the number of spoons his face can hold. Credit his young skin.
September 25, 2010
Recycling Paper into Pencils?
Recycling is the key to saving our Earth. There is a company that makes pencils out of paper. Now that is a worthwhile idea! Watch the video below to see how.
Harvest Moon 2010
Read the in the link article below to understand to meaning of the word "Harvest Moon".
September 18, 2010
Your computer as an earthquake sensor?
Read the article below to determine if your computer could someday be used to record earthquakes in your area.
The Science Behind Tornadoes
NY1 meteorologist John Davitt looks at how tornadoes form, and why they're so destructive.
September 14, 2010
Bay of Fundy
Watch the videos below to really understand the extreme difference in the tides in the Bay of Fundy.
September 13, 2010
Road Crumbles in Thailand
What caused the roadway to crumble and vanish down the side of the mountain?
Watch the video below to see what caused the trouble.
September 10, 2010
Just for Fun - Dueling Banjos
This is one of the most recognizable banjo duels. It is played all over the world. This performance is John O'Connell and James Meall.
September 3, 2010
Just for Fun - Accidental Inventions and Discoveries
Read the articles below to learn how everyday items were discovered accidentally.
Massive Rockslide
A rock slide is a type of mass movement. There are 3 basic types of mass movements: a creep, a flow, and a slide. This rockslide is one of the fastest movements called a slide. Other types of slides are avalanches or landslides.
Formation of a Hurricane
It is hurricane season and you can watch a link below created by NASA that explains how a hurricane is formed.
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003700/a003750/hottowers_1280x720_30_ipad.m4v
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003700/a003750/hottowers_1280x720_30_ipad.m4v
Volcano, dormant 400 years, spews new ash
Mt Sinabung in Sumatra was quiet for over 400 years. So quiet, in fact, that scientists weren't even keeping records or watching the volcano for activity. On August 30, 2010, the volcano started spewing ash into the atmosphere. Read the article below for more details.
September 2, 2010
Flash Flooding in Australia
The video below shows flash flooding in Australia. What are 5 reasons for rain not to be absorbed into the ground and flow like this?
Mt St Helen's Eruption
Watch the video below to see a segment of a NOVA program on the eruption of Mt St Helen's. You are welcome to watch the entire episode or other segments of the episode which shows the eruption and then there is a discussion of what happened before the eruption and the aftermath for the area around the volcano
Watch the full episode. See more NOVA.
Hurricane Earl
This is a satellite photo of Hurricane Earl taken on Wednesday 9/1/10. The eye of the storm is well formed which means that this is a strong and cohesive storm. The path of the storm has been forcasted for a Northeast path just missing the New York City area.
August 30, 2010
Evolution DISCOVERY Simulation
You may have seen this on Leslie's Blog last year but may have a better time of putting the layers in order after we cover the Earth History section.
Give it another try!
DISCOVERY SIM
August 29, 2010
Eratosthenes Calculates the Earth's Circumference
Years ago when man first began to wonder about this amazing Earth of ours, they did not have computers or satellites to help them determine the size of the Earth. Eratosthenes was able to calculate the circumference of the Earth using shadows. Watch the video below.
Hubble's 20th Anniversary
This Hubble Space Telescope image, released April 22, captures the chaotic activity atop a three-light-year-tall pillar of gas and dust that is being eaten away by the brilliant light from nearby bright stars. The turbulent cosmic pinnacle lies within a tempestuous stellar nursery called the Carina Nebula, located 7,500 light-years away in the southern constellation Carina. The image was released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hubble's launch.
New Guinea Volcano
How are islands formed? Islands seemingly pop up out of the ocean. New land is created through magma/lava oozing out of the ocean crust and forming seamounts (large amounts of magma/lava piled on top of each other) When the pile gets tall enough so that it is taller than the water - an island is born. As the magma/lava continues to flow, the island continues to get taller and wider. You can see streams of hardened lava down the sides of the volcano where the vegetation has been destroyed by the lava.
Clouds pass over Papua New Guinea's Manam Volcano on June 16, just as a thin, blue-gray volcanic plume issues from the summit. The bright white clouds may result from water vapor from the volcano, or they may be unrelated to the volcanic activity. This picture was captured by an imager aboard NASA's Earth Observing-1 satellte, also known as EO-1.
Elevation on the Far Side of the Moon
Elevation of the Far Side of the Moon is shown below. Why do you suppose that most of the lower elevations are found on the southern pole of the Moon?
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter's LOLA laser altimeter produced this color-coded image of elevations on the far side of the moon, which cannot be seen from Earth. The highest elevations, above 20,000 feet, are shown in red. The lowest elevations are shown in blue. The image was listed as one of the "10 cool things" to come from the space probe, which finished its first year in lunar orbit on June 23.
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reefs, which is made up of approximately 900 islands and 3000 coral reefs!
Experts opine the Great Barrier Reef was formed around 18 million years ago. Due to various climatic and environmental changes, the reefs, which we see today, are those that have grown over the earlier reefs since the last Ice Age.
Among the species that are supported by the reef - around 30 species of whales, 215 species of beautiful birds, 6 species of sea turtles, 125 species of sharks and stingrays, 49 species of pipefish, 17 species of sea snakes and around 1,500 types of fish!
Every cubic meter of the reef has many different species of animals and plants! This itself explains the wide diversity of life!
One of the oldest species of fish that can be found at the Great Barrier Reef is the Red Bass. This fish can live for more than 50 years as compared to other species.
In the year 1981, the Great Barrier Reef was selected as a World Heritage Site.
The Great Barrier Reef stretches out over 344,400 square kilometers.
Experts opine the Great Barrier Reef was formed around 18 million years ago. Due to various climatic and environmental changes, the reefs, which we see today, are those that have grown over the earlier reefs since the last Ice Age.
Among the species that are supported by the reef - around 30 species of whales, 215 species of beautiful birds, 6 species of sea turtles, 125 species of sharks and stingrays, 49 species of pipefish, 17 species of sea snakes and around 1,500 types of fish!
Every cubic meter of the reef has many different species of animals and plants! This itself explains the wide diversity of life!
One of the oldest species of fish that can be found at the Great Barrier Reef is the Red Bass. This fish can live for more than 50 years as compared to other species.
In the year 1981, the Great Barrier Reef was selected as a World Heritage Site.
The Great Barrier Reef stretches out over 344,400 square kilometers.
Astronaut Doug Wheelock sent this picture of a section of Australia's Great Barrier Reef down to Earth from the International Space Station on Aug. 22. "I think even the great Impressionists would be awestruck with this natural display," Wheelock said.
Flooding in Pakistan in August 2010
You cannot stop the flow of water. The photos shown here are the before and after a series of rain storms.
Two pictures from the Landsat 5 satellite illustrate the effects of flooding in Pakistan: The top image, captured Aug. 9, shows the region around the city of Khewali before the flood hit. The bottom image shows the same region on Aug. 12, after the flooding began.
Piece of Greenland Glacier Breaks Off
What would make a large piece of ice break off this glacier in Greenland?
The ice island that calved off Petermann Glacier in northwestern Greenland on Aug. 5 continues its slow migration down the fjord 11 days later. An imager on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 satellite captured this natural-color image on Aug. 16.
August 25, 2010
Just for Fun - Walking with Dinosaurs
I went to see Walking With Dinosaurs over the summer at Madison Square Garden. It was fantastic! This is a clip of the smallest dinosaurs that were in the ring. The Tyranasaurus Rex was the highlight of the show.
Magnets and how they work
Watch the video below to get a better understanding of magnets and what makes them do what they do.
Fire Tornado in Sao Paulo, Brazil
What is a tornado? It is warm air that rises up very quickly. Even though there is fire eating the air at that time, it is still a tornado.
August 24, 2010
Passage of Time on Earth
Watch the video below which illustrates the passage of time here on Earth. The clip is from the movie "The Time Machine" (2002) staring Guy Pearce.
August 20, 2010
See a meteor shower in a minute
Time elapsed photography of the Perseids Meteor Shower in August 2010
August 18, 2010
Northern Lights
What is it exactly that makes those beautiful lights dance in the sky? It is the Earth's electromagnetic field. The field is in place to protect the Earth from the Sun's radiation. When the Sun's electromagnetic energy comes in contact with Earth's magnetic field, visible light is scattered into the atmosphere and the result is what we call the Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights. Click on the link below to view a compilation of photos from space of the Northern Lights. Then read the article to understand how the visual display actually occurs.
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/08/03/4808408-can-you-see-the-northern-lights
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38559204/displaymode/1247/?beginSlide=1
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/08/03/4808408-can-you-see-the-northern-lights
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38559204/displaymode/1247/?beginSlide=1
August 12, 2010
Eclipse Shadow on Earth Seen From Space July 2009
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth. When all 3 astronomical bodies are perfectly aligned, a solar eclipse will occur. This is not a common event. Depending on the distance of the Moon from the Earth, a total or a partial eclipse can occur. In July, the Moon was closer to the Earth and created a total solar eclipse. The photo below shows what the Moon and Sun look like during the eclipse from Earth. The second photo is how the Earth looks from space during this eclipse. The area on Earth that was affected at the time the photo was taken is shown by the dark spot in the top left corner.
This is an excerpt from CosmicLog at msnbc,.com
A total solar eclipse cast a huge shadow on Earth Wednesday, captured by a Japanese satellite.
Shown here covering Taiwan on July 21, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. local time at nearly the height of the eclipse, the shadow covered some locations as long as six minutes, making it the longest solar eclipse of the century. The next one this impressive will not occur until 2132.
This image combines data from the MTSAT stationary satellite of the daytime portion of the globe with previous data from NASA of the nighttime portion.
Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/07/eclipseshadow/#ixzz0x0id2ODsMassive Change to Water Systems on Earth
Over time, we are able to see that water is drying up in certain hot areas. Most notable is the Aral Sea, which is shown in photos in the article below. When viewing the photos, the most recent is at the top while earlier photos from the 1970's are at the bottom.
The videos below show time elapsed photography of several areas on Earth including a river in Utah.
Enormous Ice Block Breaks Off Greenland Glacier
The animation shows a glacier in Greenland on July 31, 2010 and August 7, 2010. What are some of the factors that could have caused this to occur? Think of some of the events that have occurred over the past couple of months that may have effected this glacier.
Moon Phases and Eclipses
The attached video explains how the phases of the moon are created and how an eclipse occurs.
Extreme Weather in Australia
On March 6, 2010, Melbourne, Australia had some extreme weather - there was a Hail storm and flash flooding. What would make this severe weather occur?
http://www.wimp.com/flashflooding/
http://www.wimp.com/flashflooding/
Earth Images
There are some pretty good images of different areas on the planet in this video.
http://www.wimp.com/amazingsights/
http://www.wimp.com/amazingsights/
Warmer Waters Bring Sharks to Northeastern State Beaches
People often wonder what kind of effects global warming will have in their own cities. One of the problems of warmer waters are predators that feed on fish that like warm waters. As summer continues and water continues to warm, there will be increased occurrences of shark sitings.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
See (and hear) the Perseids Meteor Show
Read the article below to learn about the meteor showers that are visible in the NYC area during August.
Underwater Volcano
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency had been sponsoring submarine volcano research for more than two decades without ever observing lava on the seafloor. “This is historic,” Resing said.
Continue Reading “First Ever Video of Deep-Sea Volcanic Eruption
Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/category/earth-science/page/8/#ixzz0wRosOHVgJuly 23, 2010
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
What have we been doing to our planet? Watch the video in the link below:
Disposable Island - ABC News
The image below shows where the Great Pacific Garbage Patch being researched is located. Click on the image to make it larger so that you can see where the patch is in the ocean.
Disposable Island - ABC News
The image below shows where the Great Pacific Garbage Patch being researched is located. Click on the image to make it larger so that you can see where the patch is in the ocean.
You can review as much as you want about the Garbage Patch on this website which provides a timeline of our understanding of the Garbage Patch:
MOST OF THE WORKERS OF THE GARBAGE PATCH ARE VOLUNTEERS - WOULD YOU VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME TO HELP CLEAN UP THE EARTH? IS IT WORTH IT? WHAT WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DO TO HELP FIX WHAT HUMANS HAVE DONE TO THE EARTH?
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