Where Is Environmental Sky

     Avalanche

     Avalanches kill an average of 200 people each year. The victims of avalanche incidents are mostly the snow-mobilers, snow-boarders and skiers. Avalanches are snowballs which roll down the mountainside and shatter like a glass. Avalanches mostly occur after a heavy snowfall. When the snow piles up quickly, it weakens the layer beneath the snow and causes a fracture. This loosens the snow on the top layer causing it to move down the mountain slope at a great speed. A victim caught in an avalanche seldom escapes. The factors that foster an avalanche include temperature, storminess, wind and also the steepness of the slope.

     Blizzard

     A severe winter storm is known as a blizzard. Strong winds, heavy snowfall and low temperatures characterize a blizzard. A blizzard that occurred in 1888 killed over 400 people in the northeastern United States. Two hundred ships were wrecked in this blizzard. This blizzard is known as the Great Blizzard of 1888.

     Drought

     Drought can be defined as a condition of unusually dry climate within a certain geographic region due to lack of annual rainfall. Drought is a natural disaster, which is hazardous to human beings because it results in water shortage, causes damages to crops, and an increased death rate of livestock and wild animals. Drought also results in shortage of electricity. Reports show, many people worldwide die during the time of drought. In drought-prone areas certain measures such as construction of reservoirs, rain-harvest system and stopping over-grazing could be taken. Drought causes increase in food prices and unemployment. The incidents of forest fires would be more at the time of drought. Drought affects the entire human and animal population of that geographical location.

     Earthquake continue reading…

     Calcium is an important mineral for the body that is crucial for proper development of bones and teeth. Besides this, it is required for healthy muscles and proper functioning of nerves. But what makes coral calcium score above other calcium supplements is the fact that it contains a wider array of the major and trace elements that are required for the body. These elements are present in the optimum ratios required for our health. Coral calcium is believed to cleanse the kidneys, liver and the intestines. Coral calcium health benefits include its ability to regulate blood pressure, blood sugar levels and ensures that our heartbeat does not fluctuate. It maintains optimum alkalinity for good health and ensures that the nervous system works efficiently. With as many benefits, coral calcium side effects do not seem to be a possibility. However, it is important to understand that the hype about this mineral is not substantiated with solid scientific evidence and there are certain side effects of coral calcium that we should be aware of.

     Coral Calcium Side Effects

     The most common coral calcium side effect (on health) are gastrointestinal problems like constipation, excess gas formation and intestinal bloating. This nutritional supplement may also cause kidney stones in individuals who have problem of forming calcium containing stones. Increased fluid intake and taking these supplements with meals can reduce the harmful effects of the mineral. The best way of avoiding coral calcium side effects is to take it within the recommended levels of dosages. One should take the supplement only after one has consulted his physician. continue reading…

     Oil spills effect all the organisms which have even a faint connect with water bodies. Effectively this would refer to almost every being on the planet, but there are some animal and plant species that are more badly effected as compared to others.

     Sea Otters
     The bodies of these otters are covered with oil, which leads to obstruction of air bubbles on the otter’s body or its fur, to be precise. These bubbles apparently help them survive the cold weather, acting like a protection and helping them keep afloat. Oil build up on their fur leads to death of the otters, because they are not able to adjust and protect themselves from the weather change. Sometimes sea otters are taken out and placed in observation and captivity to clean them off the oil after oil spills in the ocean. These are the oil spills effects on otters.

     Whales
     There is a possibility that the oil that has been spilled can be consumed by whales either directly or indirectly. Either ways, it is going to reach their blowhole, which helps them breathe. Consuming oil, blocks the blowhole and restricting the ability of whales to breathe, leading to their death. In many cases it also happens that whales gobble up small fish which swam through the oil before becoming fodder for whales. Thus, the oil reaches the whale’s system, poisoning it and it eventually leads to their death.

     Birds continue reading…

     Even though a glacier is solid ice, it is constantly moving, though very slowly. Glaciers could move from a few inches to a few feet a day.

     How is a Glacier Formed
     Glaciers are formed where it snows and the temperatures are low enough not to allow all the fallen snow to melt. When a fresh layer of snow falls, the previous layer gets compressed. This cycle continues until the lower layers of snow get compressed enough to turn into solid ice. Formation of glaciers is not possible in areas where it snows and a change in season rises the temperature enough to melt all the fallen snow. The amount of snow melting must be less than the amount of snow that has fallen — only then will it get converted into a glacier over a long period of time.

     Melting of Glaciers
     The melting of glaciers is a normal and natural process. Every glacier melts, the level of melting depending on the surrounding temperature. In most places containing glaciers across the globe, snow falls during the cold seasons and will get compressed into ice with further snowing. When the temperature does get a bit warmer the upper fresh layers of snow / partly formed ice begin melting and flowing down into streams and rivers. Many places on earth depend on this melted fresh water for survival. The melted snow provides fresh and pure drinking water, water for agriculture, and in many nations this flow of water is converted into electricity without polluting the atmosphere.

     Glaciers are Melting Faster Today
     It is normal for glaciers to melt and get replaced by more snow than the snow that has melted. In the past century this trend has changed world-over. Glaciers are melting faster than the snow replacing it, causing them to shrink in size year after year. There are many causes for this; but the main cause is said to be ‘global warming’.

     What is Global Warming continue reading…

     Greenhouse gases (GHG) are gaseous components in the atmosphere that contribute to the “greenhouse effect”, the heating of the Earth by means of a similar effect produced by the glass panes of a greenhouse. Greenhouse gases allow light from the sun to enter the atmosphere surrounding the Earth. When that sunlight strikes the planet, some of it is reflected back toward space as infrared radiation, or heat. The GHGs in the atmosphere trap the heat, but over time the amount of energy sent from the sun to the Earth’s surface should be about the same as the amount of energy radiated back into space, leaving the temperature of the planet’s surface pretty constant. However, it is a documented scientific fact that global temperatures have been steadily rising for decades.

     Some GHGs, such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and nitrous oxide, occur naturally to some extent in the atmosphere. Human activities add to the levels of these naturally occurring gases, and many of those activities are benign and don’t have significant effects on the environment. But the political debate over GHGs focuses on certain human activities that increase the concentrations of GHGs in ways that threaten the environment, and research has stepped up dramatically in recent years to determine whether or not humans should be trying to limit those activities.

     Although opinions are mixed about exactly how the Earth’s climate responds to GHGs, most researchers are in agreement that greenhouse gases from industry and agriculture have played a major role in global warming. Just the increase in the population of the planet has to have had some effect on the GHGs in the atmosphere, because more people are breathing out carbon dioxide, and deforestation to make room for those people has resulted in fewer trees producing oxygen. The burning of fossil fuels also leads to higher concentrations of carbon dioxide, which constitutes about 76% of all the greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. Most of the increase in carbon dioxide has occurred in the last 50 years. Measurements from Antarctic ice core samples have shown that carbon dioxide concentrations stayed pretty stable for about 10,000 years, but began rising in the mid-20th century.

     Methane gas accounts for about 13% of the GHGs in the atmosphere. Since 1750, the amount of methane gas in the atmosphere has doubled, and some scientists say that amount could double again by 2050. Each year nearly 500 tons of methane are added to the air by coal mining, drilling for oil and natural gas, landfill emissions, wetland changes, and pipeline losses. New style fully vented septic systems, Livestock and paddy rice farming, CFCs used in refrigeration systems, and halons in fire suppression systems are also sources of atmospheric methane. Most GHGs take a very long time to leave the atmosphere, but methane stays in the atmosphere for only 10 years. However, it traps 20 times more heat than carbon dioxide. continue reading…

     Raindrops bring something or the other for everybody- for some it brings the bubbling excitement of drenching themselves in the cool water while coming back from school, for some it brings the perception of warmth beside the fire in the cozy interior and a sip of the hot tea, for some it brings nostalgia of the lost beloved, for some it brings a new hope, for some it is a malicious way of God to add to their worries and for some special few it is time to measure the amount of “precipitation”. I am sure you must have guessed who these special few are - Yes they are the meteorologists and farmers who need to measure rainfall and to do that they use rain gauges. You might be wondering what these rain gauges are which determine the amount of rainfall of the entire season. Here we would discuss about the same.

     Rain gauge: Definition and Description

     As stated above amateur and professional meteorologists and hydrologists use a rain gauge to measure the amount to rainfall in a span of time. Rain gauge is also known as pluviometer or cup or udometer. Rain gauge measures rainfall in millimeters but represents it in inches at times. There are various kinds of rain gauges, which are as simple as a funnel and tube arrangement and as complex as a measuring cylinder attached to a computer gauge. So here we would also discuss the types of rain gauges that can be used and the limitations of a rain gauge.

     Rain Gauges: Types and Working continue reading…

     The Earth is made up of four layers. At the center, deep below the surface lies the inner core, over it the outer core, followed by the mantle and the outer most layer is called the crust. The crust and the top of the mantle aren’t one big sheet, but are many separate pieces placed together. These pieces called tectonic plates keep moving around, sliding past one another and sometimes bumping into each another. The edges of the plates (plate boundaries), are rough and get stuck together while the rest of the plate continues to move. The plate boundaries are made up of many faults, and most of the earthquakes around the world occur on these faults. The energy that makes the plates move gets stored up when the edges stick together. When the force of the moving blocks finally overcomes the friction of the jagged edges, the plate boundaries separate on one of the faults and all the stored up energy is released. The energy released moves outward from the fault in all directions in the form of seismic waves like ripples on a pond. The waves shake the Earth as they move through it, and when the waves reach the Earth’s surface, they cause the ground to shake.

     When two blocks of the Earth suddenly slip past one another, an earthquake takes place. The point below the surface of the Earth where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the location directly above it on the surface of the Earth is called the epicenter. The surface where the slip takes place is called the fault or fault plane.

     Very often, an earthquake starts with smaller tremors called foreshocks. These are followed by the bigger and main earthquake called the mainshock. The foreshock and mainshock is experienced in the same place. The mainshock is always followed by aftershocks, which are smaller earthquakes that can occur for weeks, months, and even years after the mainshock!

     Though earthquake forecasting is a science that is still at a developing stage, scientists have mastered it enough to make official earthquake warnings. This will go a long way in enabling people to prepare for a big earthquake and help the government and relevant organizations to conduct rescue and disaster recovery efforts. continue reading…

     Hurricanes are addressed by various names depending on their locations of occurrence, like storms that begin in the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico are called hurricanes. Those that occur in the Northwest Pacific Ocean are called typhoons and the ones in the Indian Ocean are called tropical cyclones. May 15 to November 30 is the time when a large number of hurricanes occur or when the hurricane season initiates. Read on to know about typhoon vs hurricane vs cyclone.

     When is the Hurricane Season?

     The hurricane season differs from the Atlantic to the East Pacific Basin. In the Atlantic Ocean, the hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30 and in the East Pacific Basin it is from May 15 to November 30. In the Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes occur from June to November and in the Caribbean the season is at a peak time in early September and also during summer and autumn.

     Usually, May to December is the time when hurricanes strike out of season causing a great loss of property and life, but August to October is considered as the peak time when such tropical cyclones occur. Mostly, when people get storm warnings they are prepared to face the consequences and evacuate their homes but nature knows no rules, these hurricanes strike out of season and without warning.

     97 to 98% of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic occur in normal hurricane season that is from June 1 to November 30. The Northeast Pacific season starts on May 14 and gets over on November 30 or sometimes in December. The Northwest Pacific season of typhoons goes all year long and has no specific time period. Also read about where do hurricanes occur. continue reading…

     Climate change refers to a long-term change in the average weather patterns over a specific region, over a significant period of time. The abnormal variations cause subsequent effects on the Earth’s atmosphere and significant regions like the polar ice caps and the natural habitat of different life forms. The various causes of climate change are identified and measured with the help of environmental policies that keep periodical track of environmental damage and the shift in any or all of the dynamic Earth processes. The triggers are all interrelated human activities as well as external factors, and collectively take a toll on ‘climate forcing’. In climate science, climate forcing relates to the change in net irradiance, calculated at tropopause.

     Causes of Climate Change

     The effect of climate change on the planet and various life forms that inhabit it manifests over an extended period of time. The internal variability is recognized in the form of hysteresis. In this measure, the climate change recorded does not correlate or correspond to planned input. However, climate change is not only the cause of rapid deterioration of our environment, but is also irreversible. Some of the major causes of climate change are:

     Solar variation

     There are a number of variations in solar activity that have been observed through the study of sunspots and beryllium isotopes. The sun provides the Earth with heat energy, an integral part of our climate. Solar variation has triggered a phenomenon called global warming.

     Orbital variation

     The elliptical path taken by the Earth around the sun plays a significant role in the distribution and amount of sunlight that reaches the Earth’s surface. These Milankovitch cycles have a direct impact on glacial activity. The eccentricity, precession and axial tilt of the Earth, along the elliptical path, creates changes in seasons.

     Plate tectonics

     The landmass on the planet is made up of plate tectonics that shift, rub against one another and even drift apart. This results in the repositioning of continents, wear and tear of the mountains, large-scale carbon storage and increased glaciation.

     Volcanic action

     In the course of volcanism, material from the Earth’s core and mantle is brought to the surface, as a result of the heat and pressure generated within. Phenomenon like volcanic eruptions and geysers release particulates into the Earth’s atmosphere, that affect climate.

     Thermohaline circulation

      Climate changes also result from the atmosphere-ocean relationship. Climate fluctuations such as the El Niño Southern oscillation and the Arctic oscillation act as heat reservoirs within the oceans. Thermohaline circulation refers to the redistribution of heat via slow and deep oceanic currents.

     Human influences

     There are a number of anthropogenic factors that are responsible for change in the Earth’s environment. The result of human influence on the climate is not only direct, but also unambiguous. Increase in carbon dioxide levels arising from fossil fuel combustion, release of aerosols or particulate matter, extensive land use and deforestation have resulted in severe climatic change.

     Factors known as ‘feedbacks’ either amplify or reduce the effect of climate change on human life. These feedbacks comprise a number of interconnected processes that trigger a shift in related or subsequent changes in the Earth’s climate. Among the most significant indicators of climate change on the planet are glaciers, vegetation, permafrost regions, fossil palynomorphs and global average sea levels.

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     Air pollutants are classified into two categories viz. primary and secondary. The former refers to air pollutants that are directly emitted from the source, for example, carbon monoxide gas from automobile exhaust. The secondary air pollutants, on the other hand, are the result of interaction of primary pollutants, for example, the ground level ozone, which is formed when sunlight hits fuel exhaust in the atmosphere. It is to be noted that some forms of air pollutants are both primary and secondary. Let’s discuss in brief about the causes, effects and ways to prevent air pollution.

     Causes and Effects of Air Pollution

     The major air pollutants are sulfur dioxides, carbon monoxides, carbon dioxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matters. Among several different causes of air pollution, burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, petroleum and gasoline is the main source. Fossil fuels are used in all major industries, including the automobiles, jet planes, manufacturing industries, power plants, petroleum refineries etc.

     In the United States, automobile exhaust and power plants are responsible for more than 90 percent of air pollution. Carbon dioxide gas, which is used by the plants for photosynthesis, is identified as the major cause of global warming. Nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide, when dissolved in water, can cause acid rain, which in turn, leads to water pollution and and affects the aquatic life.

     Air pollutants, either present inside the house (indoor pollutants) or outside (outdoor pollutants), are hazardous to humans. The effects of air pollution on the human health are many; to mention a few, air pollution can cause respiratory diseases and irritation of eyes and throat. The common symptoms observed after exposure to a high level air pollution are chest tightness, burning eyes and cough. Those with certain medical conditions like heart disease and asthma are more susceptible to the hazards of air pollution than others. The effect of air pollution is more serious in case of children; prolonged exposure to air pollution can lead to earache, bronchitis and asthma in children.

     Ways To Prevent Air Pollution continue reading…