Blog

[Ocean and Coastal Processes ] Beach erosion from storm surges and daily wave activity is a serious problem in many coastal communities. In an effort to stabilize coastlines, engineers design and install hardened structures such as the ones shown in the animation below. Select “Topics” and watch each animation. Living with the Coast Now, label the three images shown below.

[Earthquakes] When an earthquake occurs, energy is released in various types of seismic waves. Geologists separate these seismic waves into two categories: body waves and surface waves. The classification depends on whether the wave travels through the Earth’s interior (body) or only along the surface. Place each of the four main types of seismic waves into the appropriate category based on where it travels.  

[Earth’s Atmosphere]  The following video shows how aerosols moved across the globe over a three-month period in 2017. Honestly, it is spectacular to watch. Watch the video, maybe twice, and then answer the following question. Click here to open the video with closed captions in a new window.  

[Winds, Fronts, and Cyclones] Winds also influence weather patterns. They drive the formation of fronts and the genesis of storms. Which of the following forces control the direction and speed at which winds blow as the primary forces controlling wind?  

[Ocean and Coastal Processes ] The product of longshore drift along a sandy coast is the creation of a spit, a narrow bar of sand reaching out into a bay or channel. This is a picture of a recently formed sand spit. Which direction was longshore drift moving to create the spit?

[Volcanic Hazards] Yellowstone Caldera is a large volcanic system located in northwest Wyoming. It has erupted catastrophically several times in the last 18 million years with the most recent eruption, called the Lava Creek eruption, occurring approximately 630,000 years ago (0.6 Ma).Watch the video on this most recent eruption, and answer the question that follows. Yellowstone Caldera Ash from the Yellowstone eruption was dispersed as far south as the Gulf of Mexico and as far north as Canada. Use the choices below to characterize the eruption.

[Relative and Numerical Dating] In this part, you will take on the role of a scientist in which you will have to decide which techniques to employ to determine the ages of different strata. For each of the following scenarios, select the best dating technique to use.

[Earth’s Atmosphere]  Atmospheric properties, such as temperature, pressure, and relative humidity, are reported in different units. Match the unit with the atmospheric property it measures.

[Earth’s Atmosphere]  Relative humidity is an indication of how much water vapor is present in relation to the overall storage capacity of the air. For example, warm days have much higher capacity for holding water vapor than cool days. On the following image, the relative humidity levels are given for four different weather conditions. Match the weather condition with the correct beaker.

[Volcanic Hazards] Which of the following substances has higher viscosity?