Writing Assignment 1
EAPS 10000 Y01 Planet Earth
Online Course – Prof. L Braile
Summer 2016
June 8, 2016
June 8, 2016 – Writing Assignment 1: As discussed in the Syllabus, there are 3 writing
assignments during the course. WA 1 should include topics covered in Chapters I to 5 of the
textbook. See the Due Dates file (in the Course Content area of BB Learn) for due dates of
all assignments. Be sure to read all the instructions below. Please pay particular
attention to the plagiarism discussion (section 3, below)! In addition to
avoiding plagiarism, you must understand and use correct citation and
referencing in your paper (see more information and links to other citation
and referencing resources below). Also, be sure to read the information on
grading of the WAs that is included in the syllabus (page 6).
The writing assignments are short papers (short, informative research papers on a
geosciences topic) designed to allow you to explore (in greater depth) a topic of interest to
you that we have covered in about 5 chapters in the textbook.
1. Instructions (please read carefully): Write a 1½ to 2 page paper on a geosciences topic
of interest to you that is related to the material that we have covered in the textbook during
(approximately) the first one-third of the course (chapters I-5 or 6). Some suggested topics
are listed below, but you are free to choose other relevant topics for your paper. Your paper
must use 12 point, Times Roman font (or equivalent), be single spaced and utilize one
inch margins (sides, bottom and top). With these formatting choices, the 1½ to 2 page
paper (main body of paper, text only, not including references) should have 750 to 1000
words (750 words is the required minimum).
In addition, provide a references section at the bottom of your paper (or on a separate page)
listing your book, journal or internet (complete URL) references, and use citations in your
text to note quotations or specific information that you used from your references. In order
for a source to be included in your reference list, it needs to be cited in the text of your
paper. Also, be sure to use metric units (used almost universally in science) in your paper.
You can also add (optional) copies of a small number of figures, photos or tables to support
or illustrate the topics or concepts that you describe in your text. Figures, photos and tables
must include a caption and a citation showing the source.
2
It is not necessary to have a large number of references – two or three, or so, good
references are all that is necessary. You can use the textbook as a reference, but it
cannot be the only reference that you use.
The easiest (and recommended) way to handle references and citations is illustrated by the
examples below (the author's name(s); if more than 3, put first author's name "and others";
followed by the date of pub.
1. Writing Assignment 1
EAPS 10000 Y01 Planet Earth
Online Course – Prof. L Braile
Summer 2016
June 8, 2016
June 8, 2016 – Writing Assignment 1: As discussed in the
Syllabus, there are 3 writing
assignments during the course. WA 1 should include topics
covered in Chapters I to 5 of the
textbook. See the Due Dates file (in the Course Content area of
BB Learn) for due dates of
all assignments. Be sure to read all the instructions below.
Please pay particular
attention to the plagiarism discussion (section 3, below)! In
addition to
avoiding plagiarism, you must understand and use correct
2. citation and
referencing in your paper (see more information and links to
other citation
and referencing resources below). Also, be sure to read the
information on
grading of the WAs that is included in the syllabus (page 6).
The writing assignments are short papers (short, informative
research papers on a
geosciences topic) designed to allow you to explore (in greater
depth) a topic of interest to
you that we have covered in about 5 chapters in the textbook.
1. Instructions (please read carefully): Write a 1½ to 2 page
paper on a geosciences topic
of interest to you that is related to the material that we have
covered in the textbook during
(approximately) the first one-third of the course (chapters I-5 or
6). Some suggested topics
are listed below, but you are free to choose other relevant topics
for your paper. Your paper
must use 12 point, Times Roman font (or equivalent), be single
spaced and utilize one
inch margins (sides, bottom and top). With these formatting
3. choices, the 1½ to 2 page
paper (main body of paper, text only, not including references)
should have 750 to 1000
words (750 words is the required minimum).
In addition, provide a references section at the bottom of your
paper (or on a separate page)
listing your book, journal or internet (complete URL)
references, and use citations in your
text to note quotations or specific information that you used
from your references. In order
for a source to be included in your reference list, it needs to be
cited in the text of your
paper. Also, be sure to use metric units (used almost
universally in science) in your paper.
You can also add (optional) copies of a small number of figures,
photos or tables to support
or illustrate the topics or concepts that you describe in your
text. Figures, photos and tables
must include a caption and a citation showing the source.
2
It is not necessary to have a large number of references – two or
4. three, or so, good
references are all that is necessary. You can use the textbook as
a reference, but it
cannot be the only reference that you use.
The easiest (and recommended) way to handle references and
citations is illustrated by the
examples below (the author's name(s); if more than 3, put first
author's name "and others";
followed by the date of publication. If publication is a book,
also include the page number(s)
in the citation, such as “(Lutgens, Tarbuck and Tasa, 2014, p.
107)”):
Examples of citations (needed for referring to specific
information, or quotes, that you
obtained from your references) in your text:
Earthquakes which occur in stable continental crust are
commonly associated with ancient
rift zones (Johnston and Kanter, 1990). (Note: if the above
sentence is a direct quote, it
needs to be placed in quotation marks.)
.....
Johnston and Kanter (1990) show that although intraplate
earthquakes occur less
5. frequently than earthquakes at plate margins, their potential size
and efficient wave
propagation in stable continental crust results in significant
seismic risk. (Note: if the
above sentence is a direct quote, it needs to be placed in
quotation marks.)
.....
For an Internet source, the citations should be similar to the
following examples; and the
reference section should be similar to the example reference list
shown below. Note that
this is the full URL for this specific source – not a reference to
an extensive website, such
as www.epa.gov. If you are making multiple citations from a
site such as www.epa.gov,
you must cite multiple URLs unique to each citation. For
example, you could have a
citation in your text for acid rain such as (What is acid rain,
epa.gov, 2015) with the related
reference and full URL shown in the reference list below.
A summary of recent earthquake activity and possible causes of
earthquakes on the
6. Midwest is provided by Braile (2011).
.....
Example of reference format for separate reference section (all
sources cited in your text
must be listed in the reference list [if it is an Internet source,
the complete URL in
parentheses can serve as the citation and the reference], and all
entries in your reference
list need to be cited in your text):
Braile, L., 2011, Midwest Earthquakes,
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/news/midwest.htm.
Johnston, A.C., and L.R. Kanter, Earthquakes in stable
continental crust, Scientific
American, 262, 68-75, 1990.
What is acid rain, epa.gov, retrieved May 5, 2015,
http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what/index.html.
http://www.epa.gov/
http://www.epa.gov/
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/news/midwest.htm
http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what/index.html
3
7. Good references can be found in the Purdue libraries (the Earth,
Atmospheric, and Planetary
Sciences library is on the second floor of Hampton Hall/Civil
Engineering building), local
public libraries and on the Internet. For Internet sources, try to
find reliable sites such as
from government agencies (US Geological Survey, NOAA,
NASA, EPA, DOE, etc.), and
websites (search on a topic, but be selective in which website
you use) developed by
scientists or professional scientific societies. A wealth of
geosciences educational materials
can also be found at the following websites: www.geology.com
(some advertising is included
on this website), http://serc.carleton.edu/index.html,
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/index.html. A list of
useful references (books,
journal articles, periodicals) on many geosciences topics can
also be found at:
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/eas100/reflist.htm.
2. Review of geoscience video option: For at most one of the
three writing assignments this
8. semester, you can choose to do a review of a video (or two or
three videos if they are short);
an education video – from Discovery, History, Science,
National Geographic channels, etc.
(some geosciences video series: How the Earth was Made,
Planet Earth, The Universe, Blue
Planet, The Planets, etc.), or a movie that covers a geoscience
topic – Dante’s Peak,
Volcano, Earthquake, San Andreas, Twister, It Could Happen
Tomorrow (series, Weather
Channel), Secrets of Earth (series, Weather Channel), The
Core, etc.), on a geosciences
topic. Many videos (and animations and visualizations – see
Carleton sites above) on
geosciences topics that can be found on the Internet.
You can also search on ‘geology documentary’, ‘geophysics
documentary’, ‘ocean
documentary’, ‘atmosphere documentary’, or ‘astronomy
documentary’ on
www.youtube.com and you will find many full-length and
shorter geosciences videos.
If you choose to do a review of a geosciences video, provide a
9. description of the video, the
topic and the source. Be sure to check the scientific accuracy
(and use and cite a reference
that you checked) and comment on the accuracy and
effectiveness of the video. Also, if the
movie or video portrays inaccurate or exaggerated science
occurrences, provide some
description of the “real geosciences” that the video contains
(this could also require
consulting and citing additional sources). In other words,
provide some accurate background
information (and add citations and references to those sources
to your paper) of the science
that is related to the video. All other requirements of the
writing assignment are the same as
described above and below.
3. Information about plagiarism: IMPORTANT! – Do not be
tempted to use a
paper obtained from the Internet or some other source or to
copy sentences or paragraphs
(without citations and references) from the Internet or other
reference! A simple Internet
search can distinguish papers that are copied. When plagiarism
is suspected, we also
10. use an online tool that can detect plagiarism in submitted
papers.
Plagiarism is just wrong (because a writer who plagiarizes is
taking credit for someone
else’s work), and is educationally negative (because there is
usually very little learning if
material is just copied and pasted into your paper).
Plagiarism is copying or direct paraphrasing a sentence (or a
significant part of a
sentence) or more without citing the original source and placing
the copied material in
http://www.geology.com/
http://serc.carleton.edu/index.html
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/index.html
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~braile/eas100/reflist.htm
http://www.youtube.com/
4
quotes. (“Paraphrasing should not include the replication of
vivid phasing, chains of syntax
or sequences of ideas. Where those things are involved, direct
quotation marks should be
11. employed.” Thomas Mallon, author of Stolen Words, 1989, as
quoted in USA Today,
January 17, 2002.) Please note (in accordance with the previous
statement) that copying
a sentence or more from the Internet (or other source) and then
changing a word or
two, or leaving out a phrase, in that sentence is still “direct
paraphrasing” and is
considered plagiarism! You need to research your topic and
then write your report in
your own words.
Direct quotation (copying) is permissible but must be placed in
quotes in your text and
be cited (citations). Specific information that you obtain from a
reference must be
cited. You may copy a small number of specific sentences
(must be in quotes), and
Figures and Tables from an Internet, book or journal source to
include in your paper to
support your own writing and objective. However, the copied
material (quotes, figures,
photos, tables) must be cited (in the text, in the Figure caption,
or Table information)
12. and the source (Internet URL, book, periodical) must appear in
your reference list.
Direct quotes should not be a major part of your paper.
To avoid plagiarism or filling your paper with direct quotes, a
good method is to prepare
notes and outlines from your reference material, then use only
your notes and outlines (along
with citation and reference information) to write your paper
with your own organization and
in your own words. Also, see additional resources below.
Sources cited in your paper must be included in your reference
list. Also, in order for a
source to be included in your reference list, it needs to be cited
in the text of your paper.
Be sure that you understand the difference between references
and citations.
4. Grading: Each writing assignment is worth 40 points toward
the semester point total.
Grading of the paper will be on the following criteria: following
directions and format,
appropriate references and sources, organization of paper, clear
and concise writing, and
13. scientific content (explanations, scientific accuracy). Also,
please see the grading section in
the course syllabus.
5. Submitting your paper: The writing assignments must be
typed and can be submitted
electronically through the Blackboard Learn pages. To submit
your assignment (WA) on
Blackboard, open the Writing Assignment folder, then click on
the assignment name (such
as WA 1) next to the icon; a new window will open (such as
Upload Assignment: WA 1);
under item 2. (Assignment Materials, Submissions), you can
attach the file (.doc or .pdf
format) of your completed assignment by browsing to your
computer. Please be sure your
file has a name such as WA1.YourName.doc.
For Hw and WA assignments, you can submit more than once if
you make updates – for
example, if you submit an incorrect file the first time, or if you
have forgotten to add your
references sections, you can submit a second (or more) time.
14. For more information, see Directions for Submission on the
EAPS 10000 Y01 Course
Content page on Blackboard for instructions for submitting
homework and writing
assignments. Additional information on the assignments is also
included in the Syllabus.
5
6. Additional resources:
Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Sommers, Rules for Writers, 7
th
edition, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 672
pages, 2011.
Modern Language Association, MLA Handbook for Writers of
Research Papers, 7
th
edition,
Modern Language Association of America, 292, pages, 2009.
15. Scholastic Books, The Arrow Writer’s Handbook, Scholastic
Book Club, 32 pages, 2000. (A
very short but useful guide to writing.)
Here are some resources for writing a research paper from the
Purdue OWL.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ – Purdue Online Writing
Lab (OWL) home page
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/658/01/ – Writing a
research paper
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/02/ – Is it
Plagiarism Yet?
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/953/01/ – Writing
reports, proposals, technical
papers
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/03/ – In-text
citations
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/05/ –
References list basic rules
16. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/1/ – Avoiding
Plagiarism
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090212013008_560.
pdf – APA Sample paper
(with annotations)
7. Suggested topics for Writing Assignment 1:
The scientific method Earth’s spheres
Minerals Rocks
Uses of minerals Mineral identification
The rock cycle Metamorphism
Volcanic rocks Sedimentary rocks
Intrusive (plutonic) rocks The water cycle
The Mississippi delta Flooding
Groundwater resources Groundwater contamination
Effects of mining Glaciers
Causes of ice ages Future water resources
Alfred Wegener Continental drift
17. Evidence for plate tectonics What drives the plates?
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/658/01/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/02/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/953/01/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/03/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/05/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/1/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090212013008_560.
pdf
6
Paleomagnetism
Suggested topics and Example References (links) for WA 1
The scientific method
General overview of the scientific method:
http://teacher.nsrl.rochester.edu:8080/phy_labs/AppendixE/App
endixE.html
A GSA article detailing the scientific method with added
emphasis on application to the earth
sciences: http://www.geosociety.org/educate/NatureScience.pdf
18. Minerals
Mineralogy database with general and detailed info:
http://webmineral.com/
General overview of minerals:
http://hyperphysics.phy-
astr.gsu.edu/hbase/geophys/mineral.html
Detailed “notes” for mineralogy course at the University of
Colorado:
http://ruby.colorado.edu/~smyth/G30101.html
Uses of minerals
A comprehensive guide to mineral resources and related topics:
http://minerals.usgs.gov/
Common minerals and their uses:
http://www.mii.org/commonminerals.html
40 common minerals and their uses:
http://www.nma.org/publications/common_minerals.asp
19. The rock cycle
Geologic Society of London presents the rock cycle and all its
components in detail:
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/rockcycle
A brief overview of the rock cycle and its components:
http://www.geology.wisc.edu/courses/g112/rock_cycle.html
Volcanic rocks
USGS overview of igneous rocks (NOTE: igneous rocks include
volcanic and plutonic
rocks):
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/VolcanicPast/Notes/igneo
us_rocks.html
A brief overview of igneous rocks:
http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/geol111/igneous.htm
Lava flows and pyroclastic materials discussions:
http://facweb.bhc.edu/academics/science/harwoodr/GEOL101/L
abs/VolcanicMaterials/
http://teacher.nsrl.rochester.edu:8080/phy_labs/AppendixE/App
21. A brief overview of igneous rocks:
http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/geol111/igneous.htm
Intro to structures and textures of igneous rocks:
http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/geol212/intro&textures.htm
The Mississippi delta
General stats of the river:
http://www.nps.gov/miss/riverfacts.htm
Evolution of the Mississippi delta:
http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/projects/neworleans/report/Draft/C
H_3.pdf
Links to additional Mississippi River info:
http://www.tulane.edu/~mrbc/MRBClinks.htm
Groundwater resources
US groundwater resource info including studies,
availability/sources, and uses:
http://water.usgs.gov/ogw/gwrp/
22. US groundwater basics, data and info, selected topics,
publications, etc:
http://water.usgs.gov/ogw/
Effects of mining
Environmental impacts of mining with three additional
references at page bottom:
http://ecorestoration.montana.edu/mineland/guide/problem/impa
cts/default.htm
An essay on the effects of mining in the Scranton, PA region:
http://www.wilkes.edu/pages/2299.asp
Causes of ice ages
A general discussion of ice age triggers:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/cause-ice-age.html
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab presents a brief intro to ice
age theories:
http://muller.lbl.gov/pages/iceagebook/IceAgeTheories.html
24. Rocks
Rocks
basics:http://www.nature.nps.gov/Geology/usgsnps/rxmin/rock.
html
Additional info on rocks including properties, characteristics,
and case studies:
http://www.fi.edu/qa97/spotlight1/spotlight1.html
Mineral identification
Basics of mineral identification:
http://esa21.kennesaw.edu/activities/mineralid/mineralid.pdf
Additional general information on mineral identification:
http://faculty.chemeketa.edu/afrank1/rocks/minerals/minerals.ht
m
Metamorphism
Intro to metamorphism and metamorphic rocks:
http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/geol111/metamorphic.htm
25. Metamorphic rock classification:
http://geology.csupomona.edu/drjessey/class/gsc101/meta.html
Sedimentary rocks
Brief intro to sedimentary rocks:
http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/rxmin/rock2.html
Characteristics of sedimentary rocks:
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/10f.html
Classification of sedimentary rocks: http://www-
odp.tamu.edu/curation/gcr/geol106lab/classifications.htm
The water cycle
General info on the water cycle:
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html
Global water distribution and brief discussion:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Water/
27. Geology and geography of floods:
http://andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu/pubs/pdf/pub2812.pdf
Groundwater contamination
Summary of topic with specific examples of sources and types
of contamination:
http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/environment-
book/groundwatercontamination.html
Basics of groundwater:
http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module04/title.htm
Glaciers
General info on glaciers including formation, components,
effects, etc:
http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/glaciers/index.html
The Forest Service presents an overview of glaciers:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/forest_facts/resources/geology
/icefields.htm
Future water resources
28. Case study of issues surrounding future water resources for
Maryland:
http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/ResearchCenter/Reportsa
ndPublications/Pages/Resear
chCenter/publications/general/emde/vol3no7/wolfman_report.as
px
A paper discussing the many issues of water resources in the
US:
http://ag.arizona.edu/azwater/files/Water.People.and.the.Future.
pdf
Case study for Connecticut:
http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/air/climatechange/adaptation/090
313_water_resources.pdf
Alfred Wegener
Brief bio and description of Wegener’s contributions to science:
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/wegener.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bowege.html
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/wegener.html
29. Evidence for plate tectonics
http://www.montereyinstitute.org/noaa/lesson07.html
http://www.floodsafety.noaa.gov/
http://andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu/pubs/pdf/pub2812.pdf
http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/environment-
book/groundwatercontamination.html
http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module04/title.htm
http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/glaciers/index.html
http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/forest_facts/resources/geology
/icefields.htm
http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/ResearchCenter/Reportsa
ndPublications/Pages/ResearchCenter/publications/general/emde
/vol3no7/wolfman_report.aspx
http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/ResearchCenter/Reportsa
ndPublications/Pages/ResearchCenter/publications/general/emde
/vol3no7/wolfman_report.aspx
http://ag.arizona.edu/azwater/files/Water.People.and.the.Future.
pdf
http://www.ct.gov/dep/lib/dep/air/climatechange/adaptation/090
313_water_resources.pdf
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/wegener.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bowege.html
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/wegener.html
10
Brief history of the development of plate tectonic theory:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/historical.html
30. More detailed history of plate tectonic theory:
http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/drift/review.pdf
Paleomagnetism
Basics of paleomagnetism:
http://geology.cr.usgs.gov/capabilities/paleom.html
List of links to all things geo- and paleo-magnetism:
http://www.agu.org/sections/geomag/background.html
Continental drift
Development of the theory in brief:
http://www.oregon.gov/dsl/ssnerr/docs/efs/efs25contdrift.pdf?ga
=t
http://www.platetectonics.com/article.asp?a=18
What drives the plates?
Driving mechanisms of plate tectonics:
http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/tecpaper.htm
31. Brief intro:
http://www.geology.um.maine.edu/ges416/Lecture3/Lecture.htm
l
References:
Mallon, Thomas, Stolen Words – The Classic Book on
Plagiarism, Penguin Books, 312
pages, 1991.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/historical.html
http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/drift/review.pdf
http://geology.cr.usgs.gov/capabilities/paleom.html
http://www.agu.org/sections/geomag/background.html
http://www.oregon.gov/dsl/ssnerr/docs/efs/efs25contdrift.pdf?ga
=t
http://www.platetectonics.com/article.asp?a=18
http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/tecpaper.htm
http://www.geology.um.maine.edu/ges416/Lecture3/Lecture.htm
l
Writing Assignment 3
EAPS 10000 Y01 Planet Earth
Online Course – Prof. L Braile
32. Summer 2016
June 8, 2016
June 8, 2016 – Writing Assignment 3: Writing Assignment 3
should include topics in
Chapters 11 through 16 in the textbook. Except for the topics,
the instructions for
completing Writing Assignment 3 are the same as for Writing
Assignment 1. See the Due
Dates file (on the Course Content area of BB Learn) for due
dates of all assignments. Be
sure to read the instructions in the WA 1 assignment. Please
pay
particular attention to the plagiarism discussion!
Suggested topics for Writing Assignment 3:
Greenhouse gasses Ozone hole
Acid rain Global warning
33. Climate change Clouds
Droughts Floods
Blizzards Air pollution
Atmospheric circulation Coriolis effect
Thunderstorms Weather hazards
Lightning Tornadoes
Hurricanes Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Katrina The Tri-State hurricane
The solar system Earth’s tilt
Jupiter’s moons Galileo
Copernicus Keppler
Newton Planetary impacts
Asteroids Formation of the Moon
Olympus Mons Life on Mars?
Water on Mars? Comets
Atmosphere of Venus Terrestrial and gaseous planets
Volcanoes of Io Saturn’s rings
Asteroid belt Jupiter’s great red spot
34. Measuring astronomical distances Galaxies
Hertzsprung-Russell diagram Life of a star
2
The big bang Hubble red shift
Suggested Topics and Example References (links) for WA 3:
Air pollution
Intro to six common air pollutants:
http://www.epa.gov/air/urbanair/
List of topic resources on specific
issues:http://www.nrdc.org/air/
Greenhouse gasses
Intro to greenhouse gases:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/gases.html
Intro to the greenhouse
effect:http://www.ucar.edu/learn/1_3_1.htm
35. Ozone hole
Intro to the ozone hole: http://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Process of ozone depletion:
http://www.epa.gov/ozone/science/process.html
Acid rain
Basics of acid rain: http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/acidrain.html
Global warming
Brief intro to causes of global warming:
http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/
Frequently asked questions surrounding a changing climate:
http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wg1/ar4-wg1-
faqs.pdf
Climate change
37. http://www.atmosphere.mpg.de/enid/1__Clouds/-
_Formation_of_clouds_t9.html
3
NOAA drought info center: http://www.drought.noaa.gov/
NASA articles:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/DroughtFacts/
Floods
Intro to floods: http://www.ready.gov/floods
Emergency
preparedness:http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/
Blizzards
Basics:http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/fgz/science/blizzard.php?wfo=
fgz
http://www.weather.com/encyclopedia/winter/blizzard.html
Atmospheric circulation
38. Basics: http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfjps/1400/circulation.html
Three cell circulation:
http://sparce.evac.ou.edu/q_and_a/air_circulation.htm
Coriolis effect
Brief description:
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/currents/05currents
1.html
More technical and historical description:
http://www.aos.princeton.edu/WWWPUBLIC/gkv/history/Persso
n98.pdf
Thunderstorms
Basic in question and answer format:
http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/primer/tstorm/tst_basics.html
http://weather.cod.edu/sirvatka/ts.html
Weather hazards
39. Stats (see menu for more info):
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hazstats.shtml
An intro to high impact meteorology:
http://severewx.atmos.uiuc.edu/
Lightning
Basics: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/how-lightning-
works.html
List of resources: http://thunder.msfc.nasa.gov/
http://www.drought.noaa.gov/
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/DroughtFacts/
http://www.ready.gov/floods
http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/fgz/science/blizzard.php?wfo=fgz
http://www.weather.com/encyclopedia/winter/blizzard.html
http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfjps/1400/circulation.html
http://sparce.evac.ou.edu/q_and_a/air_circulation.htm
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/currents/05currents
1.html
http://www.aos.princeton.edu/WWWPUBLIC/gkv/history/Persso
n98.pdf
http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/primer/tstorm/tst_basics.html
http://weather.cod.edu/sirvatka/ts.html
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hazstats.shtml
http://severewx.atmos.uiuc.edu/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/how-lightning-works.html
http://thunder.msfc.nasa.gov/
41. Hurricane Katrina
Detailed report: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/special-
reports/katrina.html
Survivors’ stories:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5704652
US Air Force response:
http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070912-
046.pdf
The Tri-State hurricane
Intro (see links on left menu):
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/timeline/
hurricane-timeline/
Brief report:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/hurricane/hurricane1938.shtml
The solar system
Variety of resources on the solar system:
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/index.cfm
42. Some solar system basics including theories of formation:
http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/ast121/lectures/lec24.html
Earth’s tilt
Effect of earth’s tilt on seasons:
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/980211f.ht
ml
http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu/safety/tornadoguide.html
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/
http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/hurricane2.html
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/outreach/
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/1992andrew.html
http://water.usgs.gov/nwsum/WSP2425/andrew.html
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/special-reports/katrina.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5704652
http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070912-
046.pdf
http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070912-
046.pdf
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/timeline/
hurricane-timeline/
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/hurricane/hurricane1938.shtml
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/index.cfm
http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/ast121/lectures/lec24.html
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/answers/980211f.ht
ml
44. http://physics.gmu.edu/~jevans/astr103/CourseNotes/ECText/Bi
os/copernic.htm
Account with more detail:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/copernicus/
Kepler
Several resources:
http://kepler.nasa.gov/Mission/JohannesKepler/
Detailed bio: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kepler/
Newton
Timeline of Isaac Newton:
http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/ufhatch/pages/13-
NDFE/newton/05-
newton-timeline-m.htm
Detailed bio: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/newton/
Planetary impacts
Basics: http://www.psi.edu/explorecraters/background.htm
45. More detail:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/explore/shaping_the_planets/
impact_cratering.shtml
Comets, meteorites, asteroids, and impacts:
http://www.uni.edu/morgans/astro/course/Notes/section4/new22
.html
Asteroids
List/links of resources:
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Asteroid
s
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planets/asteroidpage.html
http://astronomy.nmsu.edu/nicole/teaching/astr110/lectures/lect
ure07/slide04.html
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Jupiter
&Display=Sats
http://galileo.rice.edu/sci/observations/jupiter_satellites.html
http://math.berkeley.edu/~robin/Galileo/life.html
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/galileo/
http://physics.gmu.edu/~jevans/astr103/CourseNotes/ECText/Bi
os/copernic.htm
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/copernicus/
http://kepler.nasa.gov/Mission/JohannesKepler/
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kepler/
http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/ufhatch/pages/13-
53. The cosmic distance scale: http://heasarc.nasa.gov/docs/cosmic/
Galaxies
Intro: http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-are-
galaxies/
Types:
http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/research/gr/public/gal_home.html
Images: http://www.noao.edu/image_gallery/galaxies.html
Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
Intro: http://zebu.uoregon.edu/~soper/Stars/hrdiagram.html
http://casswww.ucsd.edu/archive/public/tutorial/HR.html
Life of a star
Basics: http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/rel_stars.html
Stella evolution intro:
http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-
form-
54. and-evolve/
News and images:
http://hubblesite.org/search/?query=star+life&x=0&y=0
The big bang
Brief intro:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/cern/ideas/bang.html
Intro: http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/bigbang.htm
Basics: http://cmb.physics.wisc.edu/tutorial/bigbang.html
Hubble red shift
Brief intro:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/hubble/tools/doppler.html
Basics to calculation details:
ftp://io.cc.gettysburg.edu/pub/clea_products/manuals/Hubbl_sm.
pdf
56. June 8, 2016 – Writing Assignment 2 (WA 2): Writing
Assignment 2 should include topics
in Chapters 6 through 10 in the textbook. Except for the topics,
the instructions for
completing Writing Assignment 2 are the same as for Writing
Assignment 1. See the Due
Dates file (on the Course Content area of BB Learn) for due
dates of all assignments. Be
sure to read the instructions in the WA 1 assignment. Please
pay
particular attention to the plagiarism discussion!
Suggested topics for Writing Assignment 2:
Statistics of earthquakes Earth’s magnetic field
Paleomagnetism Elastic rebound theory
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake The Mar. 11, 2011 Japan
earthquake
Seismographs Locating an earthquake
Earthquake magnitude scale Largest historical earthquakes
Tsunami Earth’s interior structure
57. Rock deformation Faults
N. Anatolian fault (Turkey) Volcanoes
Intrusions (batholiths) Hawaii volcanism
The eruption of Mt. St. Helens Calderas
Crater Lake volcano Yellowstone volcano
Super volcanoes Plateau basalts (flood basalts)
Fossils Radiometric dating
The geologic time scale Tides
Ocean currents Ocean pollution
Deep ocean circulation Shoreline processes
Black smokers Deep sea trenches
The Trieste (Mariana trench, 1960) Marine biology
Deep sea drilling Oil spills
Suggested topics and Example References (links) for WA 2:
Statistics of earthquakes
2
58. Brief intro to EQ statistics:
http://www.stat.berkeley.edu/~brill/Papers/quakestat.pdf
EQ facts and stats in brief:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/eqstats.
php
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/faq/?categoryID=11
Paleomagnetism
Basics of paleomagnetism:
http://geology.cr.usgs.gov/capabilities/paleom.html
List of links to all things geo- and paleo-magnetism:
http://www.agu.org/sections/geomag/background.html
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake
In depth look at the 1906 SF EQ:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/nca/1906/18april/index.php
59. Another view of the EQ:
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/collections/earthquakeandfire/index
2.html
Seismographs
Basics of seismographs:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/faq/?categoryID=7
More basic seismographs:
http://www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/info-gen/smeters-
smetres/seismograph-eng.php
Earthquake magnitude scale
Intro to EQ magnitude scales:
http://eqseis.geosc.psu.edu/~cammon/HTML/Classes/IntroQuak
es/Notes/earthquake_size.ht
ml
Links to EQ magnitude scale topics at USGS:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/search/?q=scale&x=0&y=0&cx=0128
56435542074762574%3A4
62. ns.html
Basics of plutons and batholiths:
http://www.pitt.edu/~cejones/GeoImages/3IntrusiveBodies/1Plut
ons.html
Case study:
http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/geo/bathlith/bathdex.htm
http://abacus.bates.edu/acad/depts/geology/jcreasy.WM.html
The eruption of Mt. St. Helens
Intro to Mt. St. Helens eruptions:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2000/fs036-00/
Eruption history pre-1980: http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3045/
Brief info and stats:
http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1201-05-
Crater Lake volcano
Basic info:
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/CraterLake/description_cra
65. http://www.uky.edu/KGS/education/geologictimescale.pdf
Earth’s magnetic field
Brief intro: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-
nasa/2003/29dec_magneticfield/
Discussion on effects of magnetic field:
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMXWW7YBZG_index_0.html
Elastic rebound theory
Brief intro to Reid’s ERT:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/nca/1906/18april/reid.php
http://peer.berkeley.edu/course_modules/eqrd/EQDef/eqdef2.ht
m
ER on a strike-slip fault:
http://www.iris.edu/hq/files/programs/education_and_outreach/a
otm/4/StrikeSlipRebound_B
ACKGROUND.pdf
The Mar. 11, 2011 Japan earthquake
66. Basics:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc
0001xgp.php
Brief details of EQ:
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazard/tsunami/pdf/2011_0311.pdf
Locating an earthquake
How EQs are located:
http://www.mgs.md.gov/seismics/edu/no6.pdf
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/faq/index.php?categoryID=2&f
aqID=118/index.html
Largest historical earthquakes
USGS lists (select location for more detail):
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/10_largest_world.
php
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/byyear.
php
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/history/fossils.shtml
http://www.paleoportal.org/
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/timeform.php
69. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, a database of volcanism info:
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/
Kilauea status reports, updates, and info releases:
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php
General info about Hawaiian shield volcanoes:
http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/HCV/haw_volc.html
Calderas
Intro to calderas:
http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Calderas.ht
ml
Basics on caldera formation and caldera examples:
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/Caldera/description_caldera.
html
Yellowstone volcano
National Parks Service FAQ:
http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/volcanoqa.htm
71. Basics of flood basalts:
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/education/flood_basalts_1
More basics with info on specific examples:
http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/flood-basalts
Siberian Flood Basalts: http://siberia.mit.edu/
Radiometric dating
Intro to radiometric time scale:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/radiometric.html
Principles of radiometric dating:
http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/eens211/radiometric_dating.ht
m
Ocean currents
Ocean currents and climate—types, forces, and paleocurrents:
http://earth.usc.edu/~stott/Catalina/Oceans.html
Basics of currents—types, measurement, and affects on humans
(menu options at right):
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_currents/
72. Ocean pollution
Intro to ocean pollution types:
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/peril_pol
lution1.html
Basics of ocean pollution (see menu left for more):
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/pol
lution/
Deep ocean circulation
Intro to thermohaline circulation:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/ctl/thc.html
Thermohaline circ, global conveyor belt, and affects of climate
change:
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_currents/05conv
eyor1.html
A paper describing deep ocean circ in more detail:
http://cdiac.ornl.gov/oceans/glodap/glodap_pdfs/Thermohaline.
web.pdf
73. Shoreline processes
Intro to coastal geology (see link to coast processes):
http://www.nature.nps.gov/views/kcs/coastalg/html/ET_Intro.ht
m
Shoreline processes and evolution of coastal landscape:
http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/education/flood_basalts_1
http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/flood-basalts
http://siberia.mit.edu/
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/radiometric.html
http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/eens211/radiometric_dating.ht
m
http://earth.usc.edu/~stott/Catalina/Oceans.html
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_currents/
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/peril_pol
lution1.html
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/pol
lution/
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/ctl/thc.html
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_currents/05conv
eyor1.html
http://cdiac.ornl.gov/oceans/glodap/glodap_pdfs/Thermohaline.
web.pdf
http://www.nature.nps.gov/views/kcs/coastalg/html/ET_Intro.ht
m
7
74. http://www.tulane.edu/~geol113/COASTAL-PROCESSES-
1a.htm
Black smokers
Intro to black smokers:
http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/kiosk/blacksmoker.html
Mid-ocean ridge setting of hydrothermal vents:
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/05galapagos/backgro
und/mid_ocean_ridge/mid_o
cean_ridge.html
More detail on black smokers:
http://www.mbari.org/volcanism/Ridge/R-Hydrothermal.htm
Deep sea trenches
Basic info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceanic_trench
Mariana Trench:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariana_Trench
The Trieste (Mariana trench, 1960)
Brief history/account of the Trieste:
75. http://www.expeditions.udel.edu/extreme08/tools/trieste.html
Don Walsh describes the trip to the Mariana Trench:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-
life/profiles/don-walsh-describes-the-trip-to-the-bottom-of-the-
mariana-trench
Marine biology
List of marine biology resources by type:
http://www.mbari.org/topics/biology/bio-main.htm
List of facts about marine biology:
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/educatio
n_marine_life_factsheet.htm
l
Student resources for marine bio info (click links):
http://biology.jbpub.com/marine10e/
Deep sea drilling
Website of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (see menu
links):http://www.iodp-
usio.org/About/default.html
