Earth Science

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-32397220 Comments?

Hello , first of all because i am not a scientist , therefore i don't have any related knowledge , i don't know if this thread is in the correct category. I live near a mountain where it has a lot of zeolite and there have been extractions of it and it has been suggested by a friend of mine to keep a small rock of zeolite near my computer/TV station because it absorbs radiation . Actually yesterday he brought me some more rocks as there are plenty of it and he visits the mountain quiet often for walks and he told me that someone took some zeolite samples for testings at a lab in Germany and they found out that it absorbs a lot of radiation. My question …

Once upon a time, the Earth was a molten, roiling blob of stuff. Then it cooled slowly, and I suppose gravity pooled iron toward its middle. But now we have similar metals within the planet that somehow coalesced into veins of gold, silver, areas of lithium, uranium, lead, etc. How did that happen? Why aren't ALL metallic elements equally dispersed throughout the planet, since these elements had no particular attraction to each other? (Note: all metallic elements do exist minutely everywhere, but why the pooling in many places?) What am I missing....?

I don't know if this has been asked before, but if the Earth didn't have an inclination of 23.5° would our day length be any longer?

Below is a link, the part Iam referring to is the section on possible side effects of geo-engineering. If I have read this correctly, as Ozone is reduced more UV Rays can penetrate into earths atmosphere creating new Ozone from our Breathable O2 making O3. How much Breathable Oxygen could Earth be losing each Year due to this process? ??? http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratospheric_sulfate_aerosols_(geoengineering)

Below are two links to the Gulf Oil Spill, the National Geographical Article describes How the Oil Spill and the dispersants used aftetwards have killed phytoplankton. The second link says it could be decades for the phytoplankton to recover. How much Oxygen being produced into the Earths' Atmosphere could have been lost due to this Incident? ??? http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_the_Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/100916-sea-snot-gulf-bp-oil-spill-marine-snow-science-environment/

BASICS: Convergent margins: where one plate goes under another and is "destroyed". Subduction zone is the three dimensional picture of a convergent margin. The plate goes down sinking into the mantle, it isn't destroyed, it just goes underground (deep). MAJOR IMPORTANCE: 1) Subduction is the primary mode of mantle convection. Plumes (if they exist) are of secondary importance. 2) Subduction drives plate tectonics. 3) Subduction controls the chemical and thermal evolution of the planet. -- positive spinoff: conditions for life, minerals for industry and our enjoyment -- negative spinoff: killer volcanoes and earthquakes. PROBLEM: Dynam…

I literally stumbled upon this object in my yard (central Jersey) a few weeks ago. Initially I thought that it was wood, but after picking it up realized that it was some sort of rock. It is not magnetic, but it appears to consist of several different substances (rock/stone?). The parts would seem to have been fused together as if under extreme heat. I, as a novice would base this upon tiny air bubble holes on two or three of the materials in it that give that appearance to have been in a liquid state at some point. My hope is that someone on this forum can identify it and solve the mystery. Thanks to all who offer a response.

Latest from BBC Fresh in Today 17th May LINK http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27441156 Boy is that some size . Equivalent to 14 African Elephants . mike

Is there any where in the world that has soil that is completely unpolluted from air pollution and heavy metals? A place where you could grow any kind of fruit you wanted

What is the state of the art (or science) today? Thanks in advance to all participants.

I am attempting to analyze interstitial water chemistry, and for that I'll be using sediment core sample with overlying water from the estuary. To ensure the water doesn't become unnaturally stratified, I want to gently perturb the water column. I was thinking of using a the engine and propeller from a toy boat, but I haven't come across anything that would work. Does anyone have any ideas? It shouldn't be much longer than four inches and should be able to be completely submerged in water while still being able to operate. I only want to make a small incision to the core top to run the electrical; I'd rather not have to make a hole so large for a driving axle. Any help…

ok this one might be out of the realm of reality, but its also consists of both earth sciences and physics. im kinda curious on how it would happen if it ever could happen, in other words to theorize the concept. keep in mind i know enough to get me in trouble and im by far not a science guru. so here is the question ok now imagine the earth with climate change happening at a greater rate. now here is where it gets odd but rather interesting, the planet somehow exhibits a peltier effect, and instead of heating the planet it absorbs the heat and basically turns the planet into a refrigerator. now if you would entertain this thought and theorize about this. …

I'm trying to summarise the difference between the Planetary Boundries by Stockholm Resilience Centre and the FSSD. Are these two guidelines trying to solve the same thing of defining a safe zone to be within sustainability? or are they not even the same thing. Just trying to figure out how these are different. The Planetary Boundary I get is trying to create a boundary for us not to go over, but a little lost about what the FSSD is trying to achieve, the same thing?

I'm not a scientist but I've recently done some digging and it doesn't seem like the ozone is actualy depleting. Hear me out. These are facts I've gardnered: the ozone is thinning. the stratospheric ozone over the polar regions is decreasing. the emission of halo-carbon has increased. Here is my question. Is it possible that the halo-carbons are increasing the size of the atmospher causing the ozone to stretch making the thickness of the layers decrease as it tries to spread enough to cover the polar regions? I would appreciate any information you can provide that I am unaware of.

Hi there! My name is Robbie Ogrenix. I am an indie software developer working mainly with "Roguelike" RPGs. Many of these games feature randomly generated worlds using complex algorithms and rule sets. Needless to say, it's a complicated subject that is quite enough to keep someone busy without the help of all of the other parts of game design theory! So for this reason I have decided to undertake a new project: I want to make a detailed and variable world generator -- A program that creates a planetary map at random when given a set of rules. Of course, while I understand the typical methods used in similar programs, I am coming up with some complicated issues…

Ive seen a list of the the least polluted air In the USA and least ozone pollution. I want a place with low ozone pollution, low air particle pollution and good year round weather. If I was looking for a combination. Where would I be looking to?

A BBC news identifies a recent discovery in Hugh volumes of fresh water under the continental crust ! Courtesy of one of my colleagues in the U3A Geology group Exeter Devon .UK Link :- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-30527357 It is estimated as " Researchers estimate there is about 11m cubic kilometres (2.5m cu miles) of it - more water than all the world's rivers, swamps and lakes put together." Mike

If I could drill a hole through the diameter of the earth to the other side and dropped a ball into that hole, what would happen when the ball reached the dead center? Not a trick question, I have no idea.

If the Yellowstone supervolcano were to erupt, it would be the end of the USA, but it would also be the end of global warming. So what I propose is NOT to set off a supervolcano intentionally, but find a smaller, "safe" volcano (or volcanos), that are far from populated areas, that can be encouraged to erupt just enough to bring a halt to global warming. This can be done by excavating a tunnel down the cone, using conventional bombs. The ejecta will block out some sunlight and cool the climate. Why have I never heard this idea?

According to the BBC, (Iain Stewart The Power of the Planet) the rate of evaporation in the Med is greater than the replacement water supply from the incoming rivers. That the sea level in the Med is currently not changing is due to inflow of water from the Atlantic, through the Pillars of Hercules. They also state that this inflow is only just enough to accoplish this at present. So if there is a local average temperature rise due to global warming will the increased rate of evaporation raise or lower sea levels in the Med? I understand that the salt deposits and fossil remains show that the Med has dried, perhaps altogether out in not too distant previous t…

I have recently learned that its possible to take a dry land bearing hot weaher (assuming its summer) and transform it a green forest that reduces heat in the specified area and surrounding regions. The problem is obviously 'Water'. Some suggested dumping seawater over the land will drive nearby weather. So that got me thinking. I have learned that the atmosphere moves in a more predicable manner, so is it possible to predict that by dumping mass-scale sea water in Area (A) I would gain rain in Area (B)? (I'm assuming it will still require some conditions) So to clarify I get a 10 mile (24 square kms) land in one area for the forest/urban project (B), and the…

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28977773 Do the flights need to avoid iceland again?

Is the fertility if the earth less now then it was 300, 3000, or 30,000 years ago? If so are what will happen if the decline continues? And what can we do to stop to or reverse it? I was wondering if anyone knew of anything published about this or anything like it.

Okay, so this is my first time posting and I am not sure if I am in the right place, but I've tried to figure out what the heck I saw yesterday, and can't find any logical explanation, so I was wondering if anyone here could help me! So. I saw something very reflective and small really high up in the sky. At first, I thought maybe a plane, but then it realized there was no shape to it. Just a small dot. But then maybe thought that the sun was just hitting it weird, as it was quite sunny and clear. But then, after about 5 seconds of looking directly at it wondering what it was, right before my eyes it dimmed, and then disappeared all together. After looking in the sky …