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Essay

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  1. Learn about the ITCZ, the InterTropical Convergence Zone, and its influence on rainfall and the band of desert climates around 30 degrees latitude. The ITCZ was farthest south during the Little Ice Age, and it is now as far north as it was during the Medieval Warm Period. Will it continue moving northward as the globe continues to warm? The ITCZ largely determines at what latitude rains will fall, and where desert climates will trend, on a global scale; and explains Saudi Arabia & Iran. With a warmer planet, the atmosphere holds more water vapor; but the warmth prevents rain from forming as easily as it did in the past cooler climate. Now, wherever it is cooler (whether from large forests, mountains, or other local conditions) is where the rains will form to release that increased atmospheric water vapor. So in general, after accounting for latitudinal/ITCZ changes in rainfall, wet areas will get wetter and dry areas will get drier. But a warmer world creates lower soil moisture, so the rains don't soak in as well and leads to increased runoff and flooding--especially if rain events are less frequent and/or more intense. Move north 400-700 miles to find more rain and soil moisture in the future. ~ p.s. Forest effects (from moisture and albedo/temperature changes) affect the local climate much more than any O2/CO2 effects coming from a forest.
  2. So what don't you understand about that site? I was going to suggest it until I saw you'd already been. The key point is that the water molecules dissociate a bit more when the temperature rises, so you get a few more H+ ions floating around, which is expressed as more acidity (lower pH). That site draws very good pictures, although they expect you to realize that H3O is the same as H+ (they explain that about halfway through). === The inquiry about pH of 8.2 makes me think of sea water and the ocean acidification problem, in which case this site below might be helpful: http://www.ipcc.ch/p...h10s10-4-2.html Fig. 10.24: Changes in global average surface pH and saturation state with respect to aragonite in the Southern Ocean under various SRES scenarios. Time series of (a.) atmospheric CO2 for the six illustrative scenarios, (b.) projected global average surface pH and (c.) projected average saturation state in the Southern Ocean… ...from Orr et al., Nature, (2005). ~
  3. I'm gonna try to post some pics too. I made charcoal and got some pics of the multicolored, prismatic, glints of light coming from within that blackhole-like matrix. This is some pieces of charcoal sitting on damp dry ground [damp ground below, note tread of shoeprint]. Crushing those pieces. Note the brightly colored sparkles. I wish the rainbow of glints were in focus. More attempts to get the amazing colors and reflectances. If you can magnify.... Here is the batch after it cooled. Still see the knots in the woodchips used; the porous wood structure is retained in the char. ...and here is the pyrolyser used to make that charcoal. Here: Pyrolysis of wood pellets, which can be seen below the flame front. It's a carbon negative way of making energy. ~ p.s. Thanks for the tip on memory. BTW... The chemistry of charcoal and coal is about the same, so that's why I think these pictures are relevant. It's the formation of chromophoric carbon compounds and the parallel sheets of graphene (lots of conjugated double bonds) that is the key... to the colors ...and the high energy stored within.
  4. Fritjof Capra's "Web of Life" is a great book for understanding the complexity of emergence (as a phenomenon), and then ...the emergence of complexity (life). As a biochemist, I've been studying geochemistry to better understand the expression of climate within our biogeochemosphere. Introduction to Organic Geochemistry, Killops & Killops (2005) is a great resource for learning about all the complexity available, but doesn't address origins specifically. One of these books (if I can recall from last year) below, had a few introductory chapters on the physical chemistry and thermodynamics behind any origins of life and replication, with vivid geochemical scenarios related: Modern Biogeochemistry, Vladimir M. Bashkin, 2006 Biochemistry of Microbial Degredation, Colin Ratledge, 1994 Bacterial Growth and Form, Arthur L. Koch, 2001 Advances in Microbial Physiology v.54, Robert K. Poole, 2008 Modern Multidisciplinary Applied Microbiology, Antonio Mendez-Vilas, 2006 Predatory Prokaryotes, Edouard Jurkevitch, 2007 You could probably survey the table of contents online, for at least some of these, to see if one pops out. ~
  5. I've been trying to learn as much as possible about coalification (from a soil-science perspective) over the past year.... It sounds as if you have a very hard coal, and so it's not just graphite but graphene, which is even more lustrous. And even the hardest coals still contain at least 40% to 50% humic substances in addition to the more transformed, coalified, organic matter called macerals. They describe the macerals (most fully mineralized, or petrified carbon), which form the foundation of the bulk mineral forms called anthracites (& the other coals such as bitumins), in terms of transmittance/ reflectance/ fluorescence, and that shiney lustrousness is probably what you're seeing.... Especially if the pieces were heated, which would release fresh humics into/onto the macerals; but I'm just speculating on that heating scenario.... But as for metals, they should be dispersed as single, fairly reduced, atoms throughout the matrix (imho), so I don't think you're seeing metallic layers. Seriously though, I've been experimenting with making charcoal (via pyrolysis) and have been amazed by the brilliantly coloured reflectances from within the finished product. It's like those sparkling little prismatic points you can see on cold dry fresh snow, on a sunny day. In the plane of the graphenic layers of true (highly-compressed) coal , which usually has its sedimentary structure intact {as opposed to charcoals which retain the biological structures}, you get what looks like the sheen of oil on water. ... Probably the color of the Gulf oil spill...? ...and maybe also with some copper and ruby highlights, with hints of green...? Different source materials for the coal leave their fingerprints in the macerals and the intercalated humic substances. In Earth's past, pollens (from bamboos? and other dominant species) covered vast regions in banks of yellow. Coals (well, the macerals of the coal) that were formed from these deposits are termed sporinites. There are also cutinites, alginites, resinites... and even more interesting sources... all of which impart unique spectral properties to the macerals--and the bulk coal pieces. As a biochemist, I was amazed at the familiarity of these petrochemical processes (there's basically no difference!) and also at the "biodiversity" of coals and kerogens and oils. There are even pockets of less degraded organic matter (more humic substances) within younger coals, and maybe that's what you have... so sort of like the popping sound from wood with beetle grubs in it, or other uncured woods that pop. ~
  6. That might work for light, but for matter you'd have to know the destination beforehand; and while I don't know why, we don't seem to be able to predict things in macrospacetime. The perspective you describe seems as if it would require that you account for the gravity of the destination as a part of the initial conditions... or words to that effect. I try to avoid thinking about physics too much; it takes up too much processing time and space (capacity)... hmmmmm: equating space and capacity.... See! Too much! So now I must go and think about the more comforting biochemistry of metabolic processes. But yea, I'm convinced we do need a different perspective on spacetime; you are on to something here I think. Cheers! ~
  7. I could go along --in a way-- with all of that except the above.... Wasteful? (or are we overly efficient?)... "Hinderance?" (or is technology a distraction from quality/purpose?)... But I know what you mean, I think. But hey, without all of that technology --however unplanned, unpremeditated, unintentionally complex, and full of unforseen consequences it always was-- without it we'd all be sitting around in the middle of another long glacial-advance cycle in the nutrient-poor tropics. I don't think any of today's potential for advancing toward a Type I civilization would exist. ...or is that your point? I'm still hopeful that we will finally learn to learn from history. There's no do-overs, but we can choose to move forward with a different focus.... ~ p.s. It's just a small percentage of the population (~10-15%) that needs to cut down on their excessive waste (or learn better waste management techniques).
  8. Oh, okay... I should read the mail before looking around, eh? Sorry for repeating this: Hola, I'm addicted to science and have learned obscure stuff in many fields from both physical and social sciences. I have a full profile if you google Mitchessay, at myspace [hey, you don't have to log in to read it!]. Boy that place has changed since last Fall. I can't even find the forums, from my login, anymore. I was cursing last night! But back on topic.... I've gotten a bit jaded on cosmology over the years [sorry] and of course, most everyone else is tired of climate dynamics.... So I only occasionally get motivated to write something. But this looks like an open, fun place and I'd like to try. "Underwater suspension tunnels" has been a fun and interesting read, and there is some climate discussion --so that is encouraging. Hope to see you around.... ~SA
  9. Am I overlooking an introduction forum? Well, maybe this'll work. Hola, I'm addicted to science and have learned obscure stuff in many fields from both physical and social sciences. I have a full profile if you google Mitchessay, at myspace [hey, you don't have to log in to read it!]. Boy that place has changed since last Fall. I can't even find the forums, from my login, anymore. I was cursing last night! But back on topic.... I've gotten a bit jaded on cosmology over the years [sorry] and of course, most everyone else is tired of climate dynamics.... So I only occasionally get motivated to write something. But this looks like an open, fun place and I'd like to try. "Underwater suspension tunnels" has been a fun and interesting read, and there is some climate discussion --so that is encouraging. Hope to see you around.... ~SA
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