Restless+Earth

= media type="custom" key="5899377" Restless Earth =

Whats happening to our world?
Sometimes, when you watch the NEWS, you could be forgiven for thinking that the world is full of disasters. NEWS show catastrophes because they catch our attention. This improves their ratings. It does not give us a balanced view... but it does provide an opportunity to see what amazing things are happening in our planet. The truth is that our planet is always changing. It is not just some big static rock... but it is moving, sighing, shuddering and sometimes even exploding under our very feet. Usually this seems only to be happening in far away places... but it wasn't always the case. This unit exposes the secret knowledge.. the amazing stuff that is really happening to our planet.

It is almost as though it is alive.

Research Task:

 * Find a newspaper article of a geological event, such as an earthquake, tsunami, landslide, or volcanic eruption which explains the event and describes the effect of the event on our environment and our society.
 * Some good work is exhibited below.
 * [[image:Tsunami_article.png align="center"]]

Volcanic eruption in Iceland

 * ABC photos -
 * media type="custom" key="5897843"
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Igneous Metamorphic and Sedimentary Rocks

 * Exploring Earth
 * What kind of rock is this?
 * What stories do rocks tell?
 * The fossil record
 * What caused the mass extinction 65 million years ago?

Structure of the Earth:
> > > > > >
 * [[image:Inside_Earth.png width="800" height="432" align="center"]]
 * What is the Earth's crust like
 * How do we know about the layers deep inside the Earth?



Animation task
Make an animation in keynote which illustrates the different layers of the Earth You must include in your animation
 * scientifically correct information
 * a labelled accurate diagram showing the layers of the Earth
 * how thick each layer is
 * whether it is solid or liquid
 * what temperature each layer is
 * bonus points if you can...
 * show how the convection currents in the magma move.
 * do some cool animations :-)
 * interesting facts
 * [[image:convection_currents.jpg]]
 * Some great work
 * [[file:Restless Earth slide show.key]]
 * [[file:TAMARA WOOSMAN the earth.key]]

= Volcanoes =
 * How can one volcano change the world?
 * Volcano Activity

A sample of good work will be chosen from work submitted.



You may find these google links useful in your search


 * Volcanoes in Victoria (Google Wheel)
 * Volcanoes (Google timeline)
 * Volcanology (Google Wheel)
 * Volcano (Google Wheel)
 * Volcano News, images, videos (Google related search)
 * Ultimate volcano page

=** Plate Techtonics **=

__Interesting Fact__ :While many people throughout history have reflected on the mobile nature of the earth's surface, one of the first scientists to put forward a well-documented proposal for the large-scale motion of continents was a German meteorologist named Alfred Wegener. He compiled various lines of evidence supporting the hypothesis that all of earth's continents had been assembled as a single "supercontinent" approximately 250 million years ago. > >
 * How fast do the Earth's plates move ?
 * How are Earthquakes related to Plate Techtonics ?
 * How are mountains related to plate techtonic s?
 * Continental drift
 * [|Plate Tectonics basics]
 * Can you reconstruct Pangea?

= Earthquakes = I felt the Earth move under my feet... I felt the sky come tumbling down... were the words to a popular song from Carol King in the 1980's. What are they and how are they related to volcanoes? mmmm?

= Tsunamis = Flowchart Activity Look at the pictures below. Use your textbook and the links on this page to make a flow chart in KeyNote showing the what happens at each step from the building up in tension in the Earth's plates, till when a tsunami suddenly comes ashore.
 * Include pictures and graphics
 * Bonus points if you can describe
 * an actual location where this occurred... and
 * eyewitness accounts
 * at which stages tsunami warning systems work and what they do

Your flowchart might include these steps...
 * 1) movement in the Earth's continental plates
 * 2) build up of tension along a fault
 * 3) earthquake causes sudden movement of continental plate (or sea floor). (S or P waves)?
 * 4) small tsunami wave in deep ocean moving fast. (How fast)?
 * 5) tsunami wave slows down and increases in height near shore.
 * 6) waters recede on coast
 * 7) rush of water inland as tsunami strikes


 * [[image:tsunami_japan.jpg caption="Tsunamis are part of Japanese culture. Why?"]]





Tsunami warning systems

Stream / Water Flow

 * How does stream flow change over time?
 * How does water flow underground?
 * What are the costs and benefits of damming a river?

Atmosphere

 * How does the ozone layer change over time?
 * What can you learn from a thermometer on a rising balloon?

Climate

 * What factors influence your local climate?
 * How might climate change affect life on Earth?
 * Predicting the Weather
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The Oceans

 * How do temperature and salinity affect mixing in the oceans?
 * What does the ocean floor look like?
 * How do tides work?


 * What if the Earth and Moon were hit by twin asteroids?
 * Why does the size of the sun appear to change?
 * How does sunspot activity affect the Earth?
 * What does the spectrum of a star tell us about its temperature?

NEW Assignment