Class Links

Activity: Nature of Science

The (2007) class has agreed upon the following statements that we believe describe the nature of science:

1. There is a generally accepted process to doing science, but not a single scientific method.

2. Although science is based on evidence (and theories and laws), it cannot be used to answer every question.

3. Imagination and creativity play a significant role in the work of a scientist.

4. Scientific laws and theories are open to debate and can be changed.

5. Cultural, historical, and social bias can play a significant role in scientific activities.

6. Scientific knowledge is a product of both observation and inference.

 

Activity: Impact Scenarios

Use the Earth Impacts Effect Program to investigate what would happen if a comet or asteroid struck the earth.

Supplemental Information

Three major government agencies monitor natural hazards in the US:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
United States Geological Survey (USGS)

International hazard monitoring and mitigation information and links:
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)

Links to recent disasters:

ReliefWeb  http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/dbc.nsf/doc100?OpenForm Click on the 'Latest Natural Disasters' for a year-to-date list of events this group has responded to.

Lusi, Indonesia, mud volcano 'caused by drilling' (2006-2008, ongoing): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7699672.stm

Oct 7, 2008 - For the first time, scientists predict an asteroid's impact.

NASA Near Earth Object Program - News item with images: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news159.html

ABC News story: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=5972440&page=1 

 

Links to earth hazards by topic:

General US and International Hazard Information and Programs:
http://www.usgs.gov/hazards/ USGS Natural Hazards Gateway: general information about natural hazards (earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, landslides, tsunami, volcanoes, and wildfires), specific to the US and world-wide.

http://www.noaawatch.gov/ NOAA All-Hazards Monitoring webpage: links to information and recent activity for a variety of hazards in the US and world (earthquake, volcano, space weather, weather, tsunami, drought, flooding, etc.).

http://www.unisdr.org/ UNISDR: information about world-wide natural hazard occurrence, monitoring, and mitigation.

http://www.unesco.org/science/disaster/index_disaster.shtml UNESCO natural hazard reduction programs and information about global hazards and disasters.

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/  MODIS satellite monitoring.

http://www.scier.eu/Default.asp?Static=69 SCIER: The EU's monitoring network.

More links at: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/resources/web/space.html

Impacts and Space Weather:
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/neo/pha.html NASA Near Earth Object Program: comprehensive information about the search program for near-earth objects, including lists of NEO's and possibility of impacts

http://impact.arc.nasa.gov/ NASA Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards website with information and links to near-earth orbiting bodies. Current Events: http://impact.arc.nasa.gov/news_archive.cfm?year=now

http://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/space.php NOAA space weather site with links to monitoring and forecasting of space phenomena that affect earth.

Volcanoes:
http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ USGS Volcano Hazards Program: comprehensive information about volcanic hazards, monitoring, and mitigation. Links to active US and world-wide volcanic activity.

http://www.volcano.si.edu/ Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program: database of world-wide volcanoes currently active, dormant, or active in the last 12,000 years.

http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/visualization/collections/sedmod.html Volcanic Ash modeling & monitoring.

Earthquakes:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/ USGS Earthquake Hazard Program: comprehensive information about earthquake hazards, monitoring, and mitigation. Links to recent US and world-wide earthquakes.

http://www.nehrp.gov/ National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program: focus on monitoring and mitigation of earthquake hazards.

A news story of  a recently discovered fault (separate from New Madrid) near a gas pipeline that could trigger a magnitude 7 earthquake: 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090122/ap_on_re_us/arkansas_earthquakes

 

Tsunami:
http://nthmp.tsunami.gov/ NOAA National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program: comprehensive information about tsunami hazards, monitoring, and mitigation in the US.

http://www.tsunami.noaa.gov/ NOAA's tsunami information page.

http://www.usgs.gov/hazards/tsunamis/ USGS links to tsunami hazard information.

http://www.tsunamiwave.info/ UNESCO International Tsunami Information Centre: world-wide tsunami monitoring and mitigation information. Links to tsunami warning centers (Pacific, Indian, Hawai'i, Caribbean).

Landslides:
http://landslides.usgs.gov/ USGS National Landslide Hazard Program: comprehensive information about landslide hazards in the US, and links to world-wide landslide hazards.

http://www.landslidecentre.org/response.htm International Landslide Centre has information about large landslide events

Floods:
http://www.noaawatch.gov/floods.php NOAA flood monitoring and warning programs for the US

http://www.usgs.gov/hazards/floods/ USGS links to flood hazard information.

http://www.internationalfloodnetwork.org/index.html International Flood Network gives information about world-wide recent flood events.