Porosity

1) Write down a definition for porosity.

2) Write down a definition of permeability.

3) Consider the top two rock samples. Assume the grey rock is very difficult to flow water

through. Which one has higher porosity?

4) Which one has higher permeability?

You collected some rocks. You put them in a special porosity and permability reader. First the

rock is filled with water from a source, and you can measure the volume of the pores by how

much water has been removed from the source. Once all the air is removed the “after loading”

measurement was taken as pictured below. Then the bottom of the tank was opened up and water

was drained out using air pressure. The drained water reading was taken after 15 minutes.

In the rock samples

5) Which of the above rock samples has the highest porosity?

6) Which of the above samples has the highest permeability?

7) In this set up, in order to take a permeability reading what must the rock have?

8) In order to take a porosity reading, what must the rock have?

9) Might any of the 4 rock samples be inaccurately measured using this technique?

10) Oil is much more viscus (honey like) than water. Assuming the same conditions in the 4

rocks above with the exception that oil was used instead of water, how might we expect

the readings to have changed?

Now let’s head to the Santa Susana Field Laboratory

11) The half-life of Sr-90 is 28.8 years. The sodium reactor meltdown happened in 1959, so

today, what percentage of Sr-90 would be left isotopically?

12) What is the half-life of Americium 241?

13) Based on half-lives alone, why is Americium 241 less of a threat to humans than

Strontium

14) What other elements are in the same column as Sr? Are any of them common in human

bodies?

15) Why is Sr 90 especially dangerous for humans (please give 2 reasons)

16) If Strontium 90 was released into the groundwater at the radioactive symbols, which way

would it flow on the surface of Earth? Shade in the region on your map.

17) Notice the strike and dip symbols. Interbedded shales make the sandstone highly

permeable. How would this influence the direction of the ground water flow

18) Rainfall on Simi Hills is 15 inches per year. Only 58% of the rain infiltrates. What is a

good guess for the local baselvel?

19) At well 14 you determine that the water table is 490 m high. If the water table is at a

steady state, how much water must move each year?

20) Remember how water flows underground. Draw a quick sketch in your notes of where

you expect groundwater to move the fastest, and where you expect it to move the

slowest?

21) Draw a cross section and shade in an area of the plume of Sr-90 in 1980, and below it

draw in the plume of today (2017). For the plume, lets assume that the groundwater

surface flow moves about 100 m per year horizontally. Take your best guess for water

movement vertically.

Temperature Data

Some scientists produced the following graph on temperature change, however they forgot that

some countries don’t use Celsius. (Oh how stupid of them to think that the whole world thinks

exactly like they do!)

1) What is the conversion from C to F? (Write down the formula)

2) Relabel their map with units like we use in America on the graph below:

3) No number 3.

4) On both graphs indicate when Orange County was formed.

5) When did mammoths roam the earth? Mark the range on the timeline.

6) When did cacti appear? (Also Mark the range on the timeline)

7) When was the hottest temperature relative to now?

8) Who/what was alive then? (Just a few examples)

9) At what relative temperature are there glaciers on Antarctica or not glaciers on

Antarctica?

10) How did you determine your number?

11) The top graph starts at 1880. When did the industrial revolution start?

12) What is the total span of temperature we see since the 1880s?

13) What is the total span of temperature we see since the start of the Paleocene?

JUST FOR FUN: Earthquakes (no lab points)

How head to the following website and work your way through the online seismology tutorial.

http://www.sciencecourseware.com/VirtualEarthquake/

14) Which location did you pick for your earthquake?

15) How can you tell apart the P and S waves?

16) What times between the P and S waves did you get?

17) How many kilometers away are each of these? (The number form the next fill in box)

18) Save the photo it made of your epicenter so you can include it here in the report.

19) Click the “View true epicenter” How close were you?

20) Now estimate the Richter scale, what are the three amplitudes you see?

21) Which magnitude number do you calculate?

There is no need to e-mail your professor your certificate… but if you do I will cherish it forever.

Probabilities of a mass wasting event estimated for earthquake magnitude

Magnitude Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4

8 52 87 92 72.27.8 48.8 81.8 88.8 697.6 45.6 76.6 85.6 65.87.4 42.4 71.4 82.4 62.67.2 39.2 66.2 79.2 59.4

7 36 61 76 526.8 32.8 55.8 72.8 44.66.6 29.6 50.6 69.6 37.26.4 26.4 45.4 61.4 29.86.2 23.2 40.2 53.2 22.4

6 20 35 45 15

22) In a nearby town there are 4 sites of potential slumping. What is the probability for each

site individually that a landslide happened given your earthquake magnitude?

23) Which one has the highest risk for your magnitude?

24) What is the probability that any one of these landslides happened after your earthquake?