Geology BRCC Work This Week

Hello BRCC'ers!  I have posted this week's notes on Running Water, Chapter 16 in your text, in the links section on this page.  On Wednesday, we will explore the work and behavior of rivers and streams as they sculpt the landscape!

On Friday, we will be in the computer lab exploring fluvial dynamics and flooding by using Virtual River, an online interactive exploration that I think you will find challenging and interesting.  There are two certificates to print at the end of each activity, one for River Discharge, the other for River Flooding.

Enjoy!  Have fun at the FFA conference!

Remote Sensing of Groundwater -- Wow!!

The NASA-led team used the 40-megahertz airborne sounding radar prototype to probe the desert subsurface above the Umm-El-Aish aquifer in northern Kuwait, creating this high-resolution cross section of the aquifer. The radargram shows variations in the depth of the water table from 161 to 171 feet (49 to 52 meters). Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. (Geology.com) 

Wow! NASA, ESA, and Italian space agency scientists have developed a low frequency radar technology that can penetrate a planet's crust in order to map aquifers of liquid water. Currently, this technology is being used to map the Martian subsurface to a depth approaching 2km. So far, only water ice has been detected. However, the same technology has been used to map fossil, or ancient, aquifers in the Kuwaiti desert. The societal implications of this technology are far-reaching, as groundwater prospecting promises to become much more lucrative as global population increases, especially in those arid areas bordered, or contained, within deserts.

Whether or not this technology gains widespread use here on earth, the results from the Kuwaiti aquifer survey will help scientists enhance their interpretation of Martian subsurface data. Great stuff!

A Planet Made of Diamond? And Orbiting a Pulsar!!!

Credit: Reuters



Wow! Be sure to read this captivating story about a planet in our galactic backyard that appears to be made of densely packed carbon. Certainly, some of this planet consists of diamond.

What's more, this planet is orbiting a pulsar. Go PSC (see below). So, scientists have been able to learn some interesting things from it.

Welcome Back!!!!!!

I hope that you have had a great summer full of fun and I hope that you may have learned something new as well!

This is a year of regeneration for astronomy, geology, and geology BRCC. Read here for some upcoming highlights for the 2010-2011 school year:

Geology -- We will be integrating some use of ArcView GIS when possible into classroom instruction. This is really great because GIS is used in industry and science a great deal and is also a promising, high-paying career path for those with an interest in computers, science, and geography. Otherwise, we will continue exploring the basics of traditional physical geology in both the classroom and through a variety of short and long field trips.

Geology BRCC -- You will be heavily introduced to GIS this year in the context of physical geology. Read above for more information on that, but we will be conducting a study to see if we can identify good sites to drill a large production groundwater well in the Broadway area. Last year, we focused on hydrofracking in Bergton, VA and that study is still available for viewing online.

Astronomy -- See the logo below? Broadway High School is now a member school in the Pulsar Search Collaboratory, a collaboration between the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and West Virginia University -- and now BHS! Several BHS students traveled to Green Bank, WV this summer to learn how to analyze and search for new, unknown pulsars using drift scan Green Bank Telescope data. All of you will receive the training and take the first test to do this also. However, you can then choose whether or not to take the second test and become a member of the PSC as well. It's not only a great resume builder for college apps, but has also scored at least one high school student a full ride to a university, so it can certainly be an awesome opportunity!

Textbook Information for Geology BRCC 2011-2012

Welcome! Geology DE for 2011-2012 is going to be great!

Buy your textbooks early. I'll provide a short list of good places to purchase, but feel free to research them yourselves. You will need the following texts:

Busch, Richard M. (2010). Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology (8th
Edition). AGI/NAGT American Geological Institute. Prentice Hall:
New Jersey. ISBN #: 0136007716

Tarbuck, Edward J. and Frederick K. Lutgens (2005). Earth: An Introduction
to Physical Geology. (9th ed.), Pearson Prentice-Hall: New Jersey.
Geode CD-Rom included. ISBN #: 0131566849

Buy Tarbuck used (with CD), but purchase the Busch lab manual new (or you might be missing something important)...

Good places to look:

www.amazon.com
www.textbooks.com
www.half.com
www.bigwords.com (great place for comparison shopping!)

Have a great summer! I'll post something ocassionally. You have NO summer assignment. Just have your books ready by the first day of school so that we can get a solid start!

The Bergton Project is Complete! Check it out! (You'll need Google Earth, though!)

The Geology BRCC students at Broadway have worked hard, but their effort has paid off. Check out their work by downloading the .kmz file here (It should open automatically in Google Earth, if you already have it installed. If you don't, you can download and install it for free, here.

Enjoy!

Today's Activity

In class today, Geology BRCC folks, we will be using an online activity through the Earth Exploration Toolbox. Our purpose is to analyze plate motion using GPS data that has been collected via GPS monuments in northwestern Washington State. The directions are straightforward and easy to follow.

You may not be able to download the data directly for the SEAT site. If not, then use the already prepared data file provided by the activity.

You can access the lab here.

I will need to take some screen shots of your work during the period. I will either save them on my flash drive or on public files. In either case, I'll be walking around looking for good stuff...so be on task! :):)