Final Week! (16 &17)
Costal erosion is very common in the UK. These coasts have be contributed by wide-tide conditions, sea-level rise and intensity of the wind. Being an island there is a dramatic increase in costal surface compared to other countries. With sea-level rise being an certain fate for our world it leaves England vulnerable and out of options. One example given by UK's National Oceanography Centre sited a coastal erosion at Happisburgh, Norfolk where more than 40 meters of land was lost between 1998 and 2007. The centre is dealing with this problems, "By observing sediment transport (concentration) throughout the water column using acoustic and optical instruments in different field and lab conditions, the NOC aim to develop further the capabilities of the coupled hydrodynamic-wave modeling system to incorporate both sediment transport and morphological evolution over coastal regions." This will hopefully help them understand and track sediment pathways and understand how certain coastline will be effected by future issues. I am addressing this as a priority because England is an island and the erosion is happening continuously with no prevail. The rate is extremely alarming and can have a huge effect on vital farmland. I would personally place my house in a non-costal major city. Now the majority of England's cities emerged as shipping ports so that really leaves inland cities such as Birmingham or London. With that being said, London has a certain non-geoleogical pulls I must pick it over the former!
http://noc.ac.uk/science-technology/marine-hazards/coastal-erosion
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Friday, May 6, 2016
Coastal hazards
Costal erosion is very common in the UK. These coasts have be contributed by wide-tide conditions, sea-level rise and intensity of the wind. Being an island there is a dramatic increase in costal surface compared to other countries. With sea-level rise being an certain fate for our world it leaves England vulnerable and out of options. One example given by UK's National Oceanography Centre sited a coastal erosion at Happisburgh, Norfolk where more than 40 meters of land was lost between 1998 and 2007. The centre is dealing with this problems, "By observing sediment transport (concentration) throughout the water column using acoustic and optical instruments in different field and lab conditions, the NOC aim to develop further the capabilities of the coupled hydrodynamic-wave modeling system to incorporate both sediment transport and morphological evolution over coastal regions." This will hopefully help them understand and track sediment pathways and understand how certain coastline will be effected by future issues.
http://noc.ac.uk/science-technology/marine-hazards/coastal-erosion
Costal erosion is very common in the UK. These coasts have be contributed by wide-tide conditions, sea-level rise and intensity of the wind. Being an island there is a dramatic increase in costal surface compared to other countries. With sea-level rise being an certain fate for our world it leaves England vulnerable and out of options. One example given by UK's National Oceanography Centre sited a coastal erosion at Happisburgh, Norfolk where more than 40 meters of land was lost between 1998 and 2007. The centre is dealing with this problems, "By observing sediment transport (concentration) throughout the water column using acoustic and optical instruments in different field and lab conditions, the NOC aim to develop further the capabilities of the coupled hydrodynamic-wave modeling system to incorporate both sediment transport and morphological evolution over coastal regions." This will hopefully help them understand and track sediment pathways and understand how certain coastline will be effected by future issues.
http://noc.ac.uk/science-technology/marine-hazards/coastal-erosion
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Chapter 9: Extreme weather
England is classified as having "temperate oceanic climate"with very few cases of extreme weather. However it is noted that in 1975 the country experienced high temperatures of roughly 95 degrees and suffered drought and fire danger (Peel). Also long hot summers in 1911, 1976, 2003 and 2006 and long cold winters where caused by anti-clones. In the 1950's there were reports of severe flash floods brought on by incredibility heavy rainy winters. England also experienced a storm serge brought upon by the North Sea that caused the death of over 300 people (UK Climate). Thunderstorms have also been common more in the south than the north averaging around 14-19 days a year to the laters 3 days a year (Days of Thunder).
Peel, M. C. and Finlayson, B. L. and McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633–1644.
"UK climate - Extremes - Met Office".
"Days of Thunder Annual Average". Met Office. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
England is classified as having "temperate oceanic climate"with very few cases of extreme weather. However it is noted that in 1975 the country experienced high temperatures of roughly 95 degrees and suffered drought and fire danger (Peel). Also long hot summers in 1911, 1976, 2003 and 2006 and long cold winters where caused by anti-clones. In the 1950's there were reports of severe flash floods brought on by incredibility heavy rainy winters. England also experienced a storm serge brought upon by the North Sea that caused the death of over 300 people (UK Climate). Thunderstorms have also been common more in the south than the north averaging around 14-19 days a year to the laters 3 days a year (Days of Thunder).
Peel, M. C. and Finlayson, B. L. and McMahon, T. A. (2007). "Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification". Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 11: 1633–1644.
"UK climate - Extremes - Met Office".
"Days of Thunder Annual Average". Met Office. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Week 8: Mass Wasting
The term mass wasting may be daunting but it's just a fancy word for any, "downward slope movement of soil and rock under the direct influence of gravity" (Books). We can classify these slides by their type of material and how the rock moves whether it's sliding, flowing or falling. Also how fast it's moving by measuring it's velocity. The subcategories for flow is slump, block guide,
rock avalanche, creep and rockfall. These classifications help geologist determine the safety or danger a cliff might posses. England obviously have to deal with these effects just like any country with land must deal with. The Joint Nature Committee states, "Over 30 sites across Great Britain showing important features of scientific interest associated with mass movements are described, representing relict and active types of slope- and rock-failure such as debris avalanches, mudflows, rockfalls, rockslides, and planar and rotational slides." It's worker are developing landscapes that severely cut down this risk of mass wasting. They are currently in the works of identifying and creating a safer environment for those at-risk areas (JNCC). The Environmental Protection Act of 1990 has the special functions to be undertaken through JNCC is the 'establishment of common standards throughout Great Britain for the monitoring of nature conservation...' (JNCC) This informs and protects British citizens from the dangers of major land shifts.
Citation:
https://books.google.com/books?id=ECfTCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT240&lpg=PT240&dq=england's+mass+wasting+problem&source=bl&ots=FPKpKMSGOR&sig=EbVqrW5Tf-eInTO4SwoKiwL8jIE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjE1sTy-NDLAhVL6WMKHYGTCsUQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=england's%20mass%20wasting%20problem&f=false
http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-3015
The term mass wasting may be daunting but it's just a fancy word for any, "downward slope movement of soil and rock under the direct influence of gravity" (Books). We can classify these slides by their type of material and how the rock moves whether it's sliding, flowing or falling. Also how fast it's moving by measuring it's velocity. The subcategories for flow is slump, block guide,
rock avalanche, creep and rockfall. These classifications help geologist determine the safety or danger a cliff might posses. England obviously have to deal with these effects just like any country with land must deal with. The Joint Nature Committee states, "Over 30 sites across Great Britain showing important features of scientific interest associated with mass movements are described, representing relict and active types of slope- and rock-failure such as debris avalanches, mudflows, rockfalls, rockslides, and planar and rotational slides." It's worker are developing landscapes that severely cut down this risk of mass wasting. They are currently in the works of identifying and creating a safer environment for those at-risk areas (JNCC). The Environmental Protection Act of 1990 has the special functions to be undertaken through JNCC is the 'establishment of common standards throughout Great Britain for the monitoring of nature conservation...' (JNCC) This informs and protects British citizens from the dangers of major land shifts.
Citation:
https://books.google.com/books?id=ECfTCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT240&lpg=PT240&dq=england's+mass+wasting+problem&source=bl&ots=FPKpKMSGOR&sig=EbVqrW5Tf-eInTO4SwoKiwL8jIE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjE1sTy-NDLAhVL6WMKHYGTCsUQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=england's%20mass%20wasting%20problem&f=false
http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-3015
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Week 4 Volcanic Activity
England has many volcanos both benign and active. The different rocks type spill and spew into each other creating even more corrosion. Intrusive rocks found in the UK are Gabbro, Diorite, Granodiorite, Granite. While the extrusive types are Basalt, Andesite, Dacite, Rhyolite. The intrusive rocks tend to be, "coarser grained than the extrusive rocks as they cool at a slower rate, giving the minerals a longer time period grow larger in size" (Ukvolc). The extrusive rock types found with thin intrusive bodies can be found in Scotland and are called dykes or sills.
Being informed and informing the public is the work of The London VAAC. It is an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) designated centre, responsible for issuing advisories for volcanic eruptions originating in Iceland and the north-eastern corner of the North Atlantic. Keeping the public safe is their priority.
http://www.geologyshop.co.uk/ukvolc.htm
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/vaac/
England has many volcanos both benign and active. The different rocks type spill and spew into each other creating even more corrosion. Intrusive rocks found in the UK are Gabbro, Diorite, Granodiorite, Granite. While the extrusive types are Basalt, Andesite, Dacite, Rhyolite. The intrusive rocks tend to be, "coarser grained than the extrusive rocks as they cool at a slower rate, giving the minerals a longer time period grow larger in size" (Ukvolc). The extrusive rock types found with thin intrusive bodies can be found in Scotland and are called dykes or sills.
Being informed and informing the public is the work of The London VAAC. It is an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) designated centre, responsible for issuing advisories for volcanic eruptions originating in Iceland and the north-eastern corner of the North Atlantic. Keeping the public safe is their priority.
http://www.geologyshop.co.uk/ukvolc.htm
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/aviation/vaac/
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Week 3: Earthquakes!
Being on the California coast I always would here about the San Andreas fault line and the danger of an Earthquake at any time. But what really causes the shakes? It's when two plate boundaries undergo strain or deformation the longer the strain builds up the greater the chance of those fault lines losing grip of each other thus cause a ripple of shaking to spread through to area. My country is England and while it doesn't sit on a fault line it does have a seismicity of a moderate rate.
Links:
British Geology Survey, "Seismicity and Earthquake Hazard in the UK." SEISMICITY AND EARTHQUAKE HAZARD IN THE UK. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
Keller, Edward A., and Robert H. Blodgett. Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006. Print.
Being on the California coast I always would here about the San Andreas fault line and the danger of an Earthquake at any time. But what really causes the shakes? It's when two plate boundaries undergo strain or deformation the longer the strain builds up the greater the chance of those fault lines losing grip of each other thus cause a ripple of shaking to spread through to area. My country is England and while it doesn't sit on a fault line it does have a seismicity of a moderate rate.
This map includes every earthquake since the 1980's due to, "the expansion of the nuclear power program in the UK led to increased activity in revaluating historical seismicity" (British Geological Survey). This should be taken into context because Britain has never had an earthquake reaching more than 6.5 on the Richter scale. The British government has taken steps to reinforce building with earthquake safe technology and to keep educating the public about what to do in case of an emergency. However, I must say this a pretty low agenda item on the British citizens' to-do list. Other pressing matters take president over this geological phenomenon.
Links:
British Geology Survey, "Seismicity and Earthquake Hazard in the UK." SEISMICITY AND EARTHQUAKE HAZARD IN THE UK. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
Keller, Edward A., and Robert H. Blodgett. Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006. Print.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Week Two: Tectonics!
This week we learned about the different plate tectonics that make the Earth's crust move. As you know my country of choice is England. It sits right in the middle of the Eurasian Plate and not on a tectonic border. There are a wide range of plate boundaries that form in relation to one other. The divergent boundary are usually ocean plates that causes when the spreading of two plates move away from each other (Keller). The closest boundary to my humble country is the Mid-Atlantic ridge. It sits, quite appropriately named, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. As the borders start to spread apart new lithosphere is added creating new sea floor (Keller). Pretty cool right? It does come with a price however. Side effects of this movement can be recorded as light to moderate earthquakes and nonexplosive eruptions (Keller). These might sound like scary events but they are perfectly normal and are the natural progression of the Earth's movement. Thank you and until next time, take care.
Keller, Edward A., and Robert H. Blodgett. Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006. Print.
This week we learned about the different plate tectonics that make the Earth's crust move. As you know my country of choice is England. It sits right in the middle of the Eurasian Plate and not on a tectonic border. There are a wide range of plate boundaries that form in relation to one other. The divergent boundary are usually ocean plates that causes when the spreading of two plates move away from each other (Keller). The closest boundary to my humble country is the Mid-Atlantic ridge. It sits, quite appropriately named, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. As the borders start to spread apart new lithosphere is added creating new sea floor (Keller). Pretty cool right? It does come with a price however. Side effects of this movement can be recorded as light to moderate earthquakes and nonexplosive eruptions (Keller). These might sound like scary events but they are perfectly normal and are the natural progression of the Earth's movement. Thank you and until next time, take care.
Keller, Edward A., and Robert H. Blodgett. Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006. Print.
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