1. Backround: When was the situation first recognized,
what is history of the issue?
1.1: The plate tectonic revolution just started around in the 1960's and the 1970's(source 16)
1.2: First observed by James hall who observed that sediments accumulated in mountain belts are at leaset ten times thicker then those in continental interiors. (source 16)
1.3: German geologist Alfred Lothar Wegener proposed theories of continentl drift in 1908-1912 (source 16)
1.4: About 260 million years ago, all the continents collided and formed one big landmass called Pangea.(sources 2,15)
1.5: Plate tectonics is a description of the movements of the Earth's crust. (source 4)
2. Natural Processes/ Product: How the Earth produces the situation, how the processes function, how these natural events make the situation worse or better from a human viewpoint.
2.1: When one plate collides with another, one plate may be pushed under, subducted, the other. The plate that is subducted melts in the Earth's mantle and will usually rise to the surface (this process is known as a convection current). This rising of hot, liquid magma may result in the formation of an island or volcano. (sources 1-3,6-9,10,15)
2.2: Some plates have transform boundaries. This means that the two plates grind horizontally past each other. Sometimes, this grinding of plates can cause earthquakes. (source 15)
2.3: Mountains can form when a subducted plate pushes up the above layer. The Andes mountains in South America are a result of one such collision. (source 2)
2.4:
2.5:
3. Cultural Actions: How the situation affects people, how we make it worse or better from a societal point of view
3.1: The people of India have relied on the monsoons to bring water for their crops each year. Monsoons have also caused problems such as flooding in India. The Himilayas supposidly play an active role in the monsoons because of it's height. The Himilayas was said to be formed when the Indian-Australian plate collided with the Eurasian plate about 15 million years ago. (source 2)
3.2: Volcanoes that occur in oceanic-oceanic plate collisions might build up until it finally reaches the surface which forms then an island. The Hawaian islands were formed by this type of occurence. Many people now visit the Hawian islands despite it's many active volcanoes. (source 2,11,12,17)
3.3: Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions can injure or kill people and cause destruction to towns and buildings. Both of these occurences are aided by plate tectonics. (sources 3,15,
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3.5:
4. Future: What will happen if current situation unchanged, improves or worsens, or expected changes in situation.
4.1: The overall pattern of movemnet of the tectonics plates is a widening of the Atlantic Ocean and a shrinking of the Pacific Ocean. (source 15)
4.2: The plates will move about 4 inches per year which is about the speed of human hair growth (source 15)
4.3: The older Appalacian mountains will continue to decrease in size while the newer Himilayas will continue growing.
(source 2)
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4.5:
5.Management
5.1 Global actions on this issue- UN or international organizations or activities.
5.11: On the Indonesian island of Una Una, they had many earthquake that originated from a near by volcano. Their vocanoists evactuated the area because the volcano was about to errupt. (source 19)
5.12: There are plns also to drill into parts of the San Andreas Fault. Then the strain in its rock can be measured. From these studies scientists hope to learn where strain is building up. They hope to learn where a big earthquake is likely to take place. (source
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5.15:
5.2: National action- Federal government or national organization activities.
5.21: We use the Global Positioning system (GPS), using seismometers, to measure and detect any seismic activity on the earth. It's base of operations is located at the Schriever Air Force Base in Colorodo. (source 14)
5.22: FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has initiated Project Impact which helps the people and towns that have fallen victim to violent earthquakes. (source 12)
5.23: Along the San Andreas Fault, scientists look for a rapid build-up of strain. They look for rock that is being bent out of shape faster than before. Such a change, they think, must come before a big earthquake. (source 18)
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5.25:
5.3: State Action- State government or state organization activities.
5.31: The Green Cirle awards porgram of 1999 recognized people and groups for there involvement in project that were about management of the earth's resources. (source
5.32: The Tunxis Recycling Operating Committee has taken a big step to make recycling easier in the thirteen Connecticut communities it represents. By this they are cleaning up forest, farmland,and mountains. (which are formed by plate tectonics) (source 23)
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5.35:
5.4: Local Action- Harwington or Burlington government or local organization activities.
5.41: Sessions Woods WMA focuses on conservation education of areas of woodlands and mountains which are formed by plate tectonics (source 20)
5.42: The Burlington Land Trust seeks to preserveimportant natural features that help define and distinguish Burlington. Such features are forest, moutains, wetlands, farmland (source 21)
5.43: In their early history, Harwington and Burlington had remained undeveloped because of their rocky and hilly terrain. This may have been a result of plate tectonics. (source 24)
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5.45:
5.5: Individual Action- What can we do as individuals in our daily lives that can affect this situation? THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SECTION OF THE WHOLE PROJECT.
5.51: When there is evidence that a volcano will erupt, evacuate the area and get all people to a safe location
5.52: When building buildings in a area where earthquake usually occur, give the building extra support so the building doesn't get totaly destroyed. (source 13)
5.53: BEFORE Check for hazards in the home.
-Fasten shelves securely to walls.
-Place large or heavy objects on lower shelves.
-Store breakable items such as bottled foods, glass, and china in low, closed cabinets with latches.
-Hang heavy items such as pictures and mirrors away from beds, couches, and anywhere people sit.
-Brace overhead light fixtures.
-Repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. These are potential fire risks.
-Secure a water heater by strapping it to the wall studs and bolting it to the floor.
-Repair any deep cracks in ceilings or foundations. Get expert advice if there are signs of structural defects.
-Store weed killers, pesticides, and flammable products securely in closed cabinets with latches and on bottom shelves.
5.54:DURING If indoors:
Take cover under a piece of heavy furniture or against an inside wall and hold on.
Stay inside.
The most dangerous thing to do during the shaking of an earthquake is to try to leave the building because objects can fall on you.
If outdoors:
Move into the open, away from buildings, street lights, and utility wires.
Once in the open, stay there until the shaking stops.
If in a moving vehicle:
Stop quickly and stay in the vehicle.
Move to a clear area away from buildings, trees, overpasses, or utility wires.
Once the shaking has stopped, proceed with caution. Avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged by the quake.
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6. Conclusion: Personal opinion and viewpoint on this issue- What do you think about it and why do you feel that way- What you will do about it.
We conclude that the knowledge that we get from this topic and how it assists in many of the natural processes of the earth. It helps us to better understand the environment around us. We will learn more about our planet's processes and how it will affect our future.
Addenda: References, scources of additional information.
