class intro: news stories
Post on 13-Jul-2015
37 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
1 Overview of planet2 Rocks and minerals3 Plate tectonics4 Earthquakes5 Volcanoes6 Streams7 Coastlines8 Landslides & mass movements9 Glaciers and deserts10 Climate
11 Water resources12 Soil resources13 Mineral resources14 Fossil energy resources15 Alternative energy resources16 Solid waste17 Water pollution18 Air pollution19 Law and policy20 Engineering geology
There‟s lots of current news among the diverse chapters …
Giant flash triggered by an extremely powerful star explosion:
supernova
At the end of its lifespan, a massive star collapsed on itself and
created a black hole at its center
By-product: heavy elements like iron [Fe]
Formation of the Earth Ch 1Rocks and Minerals Ch 2
Multiple eruptions since SeptemberLarge ash volume
Plate Tectonics Ch 3
Earthquakes Ch 4
Volcanoes Ch 5
Typhoon Haiyan: the “strongest storm in recorded history” [maybe]
5200+ dead
Is it part of a trend: debate rages!
Physics suggests that storms will get worse as the planet warms.
But it is too early to tell if it is actually happening
Climate Ch 10
Minnesota holds one of the world‟s largest unmined deposits of copper, nickel
Duluth Complex rocks border Iron Range & Boundary Waters Canoe
Wilderness Area
Very controversial plan because of acid mining waste and risk of pollution –
extraction ~20 year life, treatment maybe 200 years?
Out Friday: latest
Environmental Impact study
on how an open pit copper-
nickel mine could change
the landscape
Min resources Ch 12
Coal fired plants NW of Twin Cities“Closing units this big really takes years of planning.”Costs $33 million to fix upstate law sets a goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 30 percent by 2025
St Anthony plant planned for near downtown MplsPlan since 1990s for ~4000 homes worth of electricity
Commissioner: "very concerned about the flow over the falls…people come to the river because they enjoy seeing the river” – reduced flow at site would make a lousy view
MN Pollution Control Agency:
Lake Nokomis water samples
contained caffeine, a
component of plastic, an
antibacterial soap
ingredient, an antibiotic used
on swine, a breakdown product
of cocaine, an
antidepressant, a fungicide and
a drug used to treat
Parkinson‟s disease.
Water Pollution Ch 17
SE MN City & local governments ask for state help to study
/ regulate mining
“frac” = hydraulic fracturing, used in the drilling process for
natural gas and oil
MN and WI have ideal type of sand for this use, so mining is
booming
13
2
Rocks close to home
top related