...Fracking is a growing contentious, political issue in the United States, but what is fracking? Hydraulic fracturing, or more commonly know by it’s infamous nickname fracking, is a process used for finding oil and natural gases. While advocates of this technique find it to be beneficial to society; however, many critics believe there are many repercussions because of this issue. Fracking has numerous causes, and if it is not solved, the effects could be drastic. Fracking starts by a well being drilled, vertically and horizontally, into the ground around one to two miles or more in order to obtain natural gases and oil (Lallanilla). Then, the well is drilled and is covered in steel or cement. After being drilled and covered, a water mixture is...
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...techniques are needed. One such technique is the parallax method which involves triangulation. By looking at a star and record its location and then looking at it again six months later, astronomers can measure the distance of the angle of viewing. Combining this information with the orbital diameter of Earth to the sun and a little bit of geometry, astronomers can see that the different angles produce different distances (How are astronomers, 2000). Objects in space aren’t the only challenges scientists face when trying to obtain measurement data. Earthquakes are a dangerous phenomenon caused by the shifting of Earth’s tectonic plates along its fault lines. Fault lines are many kilometers below the surface of the earth making any direct measurement methods extremely difficult. When the tectonic plates shift to cause an earthquake, energy is released and radiates out from the fault line similar to ripples in a pond. These energy...
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... Danger Below: Earthquake Sheleana Hornback August 26, 2012 Kaplan University SC300 Danger Below 2 One of the most frightening and dangerous natural disasters known to man are earthquakes. Why is the threat of an earthquake so frightening? When dealing with other natural disasters like tornados, hurricanes, and flooding man is able to predict and track them: therefore, providing ample warning to people in the affected area. Earthquakes on the other hand are nearly impossible to predict because of how they occur. To understand how an earthquake occurs we must first look at how the earth is made. The earth is composed of four major layers: the inner core, outer core, mantle, and crust. The crust and the top of the mantle make a thin skin covering the surface of the earth. This skin is multiple pieces and is constantly moving, sliding past each other, and bumping into each other. These pieces are called tectonic plates and the edges of these plates are called the plate boundaries. Most earthquakes occur on these faults. The edges of the tectonic plates are rough and they become stuck on the one another while the rest of the plate keeps moving. When the tectonic plate moves far enough the edges unstick and the stored energy is released. The energy radiates outward from the fault in all directions in the form of seismic waves. The seismic waves shake the earth as they move through it causing an earthquake. (Wald, nd) During researching earthquake patterns across the...
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...and components important to safety be designed to withstand the effects of natural phenomena such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, tsunami, and seiches without loss of capability to perform their safety functions. Required Investigation for Vibratory Ground Motion. The purpose of the investigations required by this paragraph is to obtain information needed to describe the vibratory ground motion produced by the Safe Shutdown Earthquake. All of the steps in paragraphs (a)(5) through (a)(8) of this section need not be carried out if the Safe Shutdown Earthquake can be clearly established by investigations and determinations of a lesser scope. The investigations required by this paragraph provide an adequate basis for selection of an Operating Basis Earthquake (a) Determination of Design Basis for Vibratory Ground Motion. The design of each nuclear power plant shall take into account the potential effects of vibratory ground motion caused by earthquakes. The design basis for the maximum vibratory ground motion and the expected vibratory ground motion should be determined through evaluation of the seismology, geology, and the seismic and geologic history of the site and the surrounding region. The most severe earthquakes associated with tectonic structures or tectonic provinces in the region surrounding the site should be identified, considering those historically reported earthquakes that can be associated with these structures or provinces and other relevant...
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...81/ 1999 04/17/2012 What Causes Earthquakes It takes an earthquake to remind us that we walk on the crust of an unfinished planet. “Charles Kuralt” Earthquakes as the name implies are among the earth’s natural disasters. Earthquakes are mother nature. Earthquakes are the trembling or shaking caused by sudden release of energy which usually associated with faulting or breaking on rocks. The tectonic plates are always moving. The moving causes the earthquakes and the earthquakes causes disasters. According to my research, l discovered that there are four types of earthquakes and their causes. First, the explosion earthquakes are man-made earthquakes and occur due to nuclear or chemical explosions. Collapse earthquakes are minor earthquakes that are caused by the collapse of undermined areas like caves and mines. Also, the sudden eruption of volcanoes can cause earthquakes. These occur when lava under the earth’s crust is under pressure and as a result of the pressure the lava is thrown out causing earthquakes. Furthermore, the most common causes of earthquakes are the tectonic plates. These plates are always moving, but they get stuck at their edges due to friction. When these plates move, they grind against each other. The motion of these tectonic plates is what causes earthquakes. Examples would be the earthquakes that happened in Haiti in 2010 and in Japan in 2011. The consequences of earthquakes are many. Earthquakes destroy buildings, roads and other structures...
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...From Methods to Mutation Unit 4 Assignment Professor Joshua Ford May 22, 2012 Unit 4 Assignment: Dangerous and Natural Energy 1) What patterns do you see in the distribution of earthquakes across the continental United States? The west coast of the US consists of the highest levels of risk by a wide margin, particularly in the south-west (on the pacific tectonic plate fault line). Central Eastern regions bear areas of moderate risk. Northern and South/south-easterly regions bear no significant risk. 2) Locate your home on this map and make a note of the relative risk to you by indicating the color where you live. The USGS also reports on earthquakes around the world. Visit this interactive map to find the latest global earthquake data from the past seven days: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/ Bridgeport Connecticut - very low probability of occurrence here. This region bears no significant risk to such an event over the next 50 years. 3) What patterns do you see in the distribution of earthquakes around the world? The majority of earthquakes occur on the left hand side of the pacific plate (the fault line between the pacific/Eurasian and pacific/Australasian plates) the right hand side of this plate relates to the fault line where the majority of earthquakes in the US occur. The westerly coast of the South America also has an abundance of earthquakes on the right hand side of the Nazca tectonic plate. There are other fault lines where a number occur,...
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...Physics of Natural Disasters: Tsunamis Abstract This paper will be focusing on the physics generated from natural disasters. The specific natural disaster that will be focused on in this essay is tsunami waves. The paper will explain various ways that tsunamis may be generated which can even happen from the results of another natural disaster, the damage that tsunamis can cause as it hits land, and of course the physics in the tsunami’s waves relative to the damages. Most of the information for this paper will be taken from a study of the physics of tsunamis by the University of Washington, an explanation of the equations for tsunami waves and a few other sites mainly as visionary evidence. Formulas to better help understand the tsunamis and damage capabilities will be provided as well as photographic imagery so the formulas and information can be better related by actual visionary evidence of the tsunami and the destructive force that comes from the tsunami as contact is made with land. Photos will be numbered for reference through the essay and will appear in the end for reference. Tsunamis are one of the world’s most dangerous and a commonly formed natural disaster needing only a build up into a wall of water forced by other natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. These cause the waves to become vertically displaced and they begin to form into much larger waves due to gravitational influence as the water attempts to find its equilibrium...
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...Awareness for Natural Disasters Disaster may happen any time in any place that is why we should be prepared for these scenarios. They are destructive and deadly if we aren’t ready for them. The school held an earthquake preparedness headed by Mr. Renato U. Solidum Jr., director of PHIVOLCS- an institute of the government assigned to regulate and monitor volcanic activities as well as earthquake predictions, effects and sources. The aim of this symposium was to inform the students, faculty members, administrators and those of general services of the necessary precautions to prevent further damage that may happen during earthquakes. Information, preparedness and understanding of these natural hazards are needed to reduce the loss of life and limb. An earthquake is the sudden, rapid shaking or rolling of the Earth. In the Philippines, about 20 earthquakes are recorded per day and 200 per year. For the past 400 years, the Philippines had experienced about 90 destructive earthquakes one for every five years. Earthquakes happen because of volcanic activity and tectonic movements. It results to fault rupture, tsunami, ground shaking, liquefaction, landslide and fire. Faults- fractures where earthquake originates, there are different types of fault: strike slip, normal and thrust. Active faults move up & down while trenches move toward each other. The Valley Fault System has two segments, the East Valley Fault the West Valley Fault which covers Quezon, Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Pateros...
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...by the unknown, and this is why we still have people going to outer space to discover new things. The use of the research for studying outer space is known as Astronomy. According to the web dictionary Astronomy is the scientific study of the matter in outer space, especially the positions, dimensions, distribution, energy, and evolution of celestial bodies and phenomena (http://www.thefreedictionary.com). Early scientist could not just look up in the sky to measure how far away a star actually is and to see what else is up in space. There is other techniques and equipment is needed. Early scientist use a technique called triangulation. This was done by looking at a star and record its location. Then six months later scientist would look at the star again and measure the distance and record any changes (How are astronomers, 2000). The strength of an earthquake by measure the level of shaking on the earth’s surface with a seismogram which records the shaking in wiggly lines. The length of the lines plus the amount of wiggling illustrates the strength of the event, larger lines with a plenty of wiggles indicate a stronger earthquake and vice versa (Wald, 2012). Science allows for the understanding of the world around us however, it can also help us to find needed resources that...
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...University Abstract This paper is being submitted in details the effect that natural disaster has on the planet Earth. Analyzing the impact of potential natural disasters on: geography, resources, politics, economics, and disaster preparedness and how to monitor the future natural disasters. Monitoring Our Home Planet Natural Disaster has a major impact on the inhabitants that live on the planet Earth. A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth; examples include floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other geologic processes ( Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_disaster). That impact in an isolated area can causes the inhabitants of this planet to come together and help provide resources to help the recovery process. That is just a small effect that a natural disaster has on the inhabitants of Earth. There are natural disasters that have warning signs before the will occur. Then there are natural disasters that will occur with no warning signs. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis are just three natural disasters that will strike will no warning. The prevention of natural disaster is impossible since we really don’t know when one might occur. Potential disasters can be 'managed' to minimize loss of life. Remote sensing like satellites are the most accurate in monitoring potential natural disasters. Satellites offer accurate, frequent and almost instantaneous data...
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...(National Geographic). Tidal energy is a renewable source of energy, meaning it comes from a natural source that replenishes itself. There are three different ways that tidal energy can be produced. Placing turbines in tidal streams is the first way. It is more difficult because the machines are enormous and they can disrupt the tide that they are trying to harness energy from. Also, depending on the size of the turbine and where it is located it could have negative effects on the environment such as the sea life that surrounds the turbine. Because the blades of the turbine turn slowly it reduces the risk of marine life being caught in the system (National Geographic).For the turbine to produce more energy and for the safety of ships, they should be placed in shallow water. The second way tidal energy can be produced is through a barrage. A barrage produces energy in much of the same way that a river dam would. This could also have an impact on the surrounding environment. The animal life is either blocked in or out of the lagoon and it also changes the salinity of the water (National Geographic). The final way to produce tidal energy is through the construction of tidal lagoons. Although this works much like the barrage, it can be built on the natural coastlines. This is the most environmentally friendly construction...
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...1. Define a problem. (maximum 40 pts) Yucca Mountain is located in southern Nevada and is the site chosen for the permanent nuclear waste repository. There are several unresolved issues involving this location for such a dangerous and crucial facility. One significant issue with Yucca Mountain, Nevada being the site for the country’s permanent nuclear waste repository is seismic activity. “Nevada ranks third in the nation for current seismic activity” (State.nv.us). Seismic activity is a problem we cannot change or manage and it makes this location wrong for something as important as a repository for nuclear waste. 2. Collect information (maximum 40 pts) Nevada hosted numerous nuclear weapons tests during the Cold War not far from...
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...It’s Shifting Plates & the Consequences The Earth is a combination of sand, rocks, molten lava; this definition would force one to conclude that our world is a contradiction in terms. This is not the case, we dwell on solid rock that is the surface of the Earth; the overwhelming facets of the Earth exist below the surface. It is here that we will find the tectonic plates of the Earth and cause for Earthquakes. An earthquake occurs as the two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another (usgs.gov). Generally a quake will occur without warning, although many times there may be a foreshock (smaller earthquake near epicenter, similar to an aftershock), which is usually mistaken for the Earthquake until the actual higher magnitude quake occurs. These shifts seem to happen without warning, however, upon observation and tracking of geological survey, structures, and pattern, it is possible to decipher the probable location of an earthquake. The United States Geological Survey map is a valuable tool when attempting to decipher whether a particular state is an Earthquake hotspot. Upon review of the Geological survey, one will notice that Pacific coast and the islands in the Pacific Ocean are furthermost susceptible to the quakes. Hazard levels range the low teens to over fifty percent. Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri rest on the New Madrid Fault line; subsequently these are states that share the red zone symbolizing the greatest risk for activity. We will notice that...
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...Natural Gas Pros: * Widely used, contributes 21% of the world’s energy production today * Delivery infrastructure already exists * End use appliances already widespread * Used extensively for power generation as well as heat * Cleanest of all the fossil fuels * Burns quite efficiently * Emits 45% less CO2 than coal * Emits 30% less CO2 than oil * Abundant supply in the US. DOE estimates 1.8 trillion barrels * Low levels of criteria pollutants, (e.g. SOx, NOx) or soot when burned * Can be used as an automotive fuel * Burns cleaner than gasoline or diesel * No waste (e.g. ash ) or residue to deal with * Lighter than air, safer than propane which is heavier than air * Can be used to makes plastics, chemicals, fertilizers and hydrogen * Natural gas industry employs 1.2 million people Cons: * Emits carbon dioxide when burned * Non-renewable fuel, supply cannot be replaced for millennia * Contains 80-95% methane, a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) * Explosive, potentially dangerous * Concentrated sources require long distance transmission and transportation * Energy penalties at every stage of production and distribution * Requires extensive pipelines to transport over land * Stored and distributed under high pressure * Requires turbine-generators to produce electricity * Liquefied form (LNG) used to transport over water, in tanker ships is potentially very dangerous * Energy...
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...with it." The damage to Cassie’s property had all happened before the gas wells were even fracked, a process involving pumping water, dangerous chemicals, and sand into the gas well to recover gas. (Fracking explained: opportunity or danger by Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell) Fracking might be even more dangerous to the people around the wells, as in the future there might be more leaks of the fracking chemicals, not just methane gas. In the United States, fracking has become very common. Some countries don’t have as much commercial fracking, but many are starting to participate. For instance, according to BBC News, the United Kingdom’s government believes fracking may be beneficial, “The [United Kingdom’s] government believes shale gas has the potential to provide the UK with greater energy security, growth and jobs.” Though the United Kingdom is starting to use commercial fracking, currently it is much more commonly used in the United States. Diagram of the fracking process. By Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit Fracking In the United States Fracking in the United States is becoming increasingly common, as much of other gas and oil resources have been exhausted causing a “fracking boom.” (Fracking explained: opportunity or danger by Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell) This proves that fracking may be difficult to replace with other energy sources, and the United States should move away from fossil fuels. In the past, it was difficult to mine into these shale formations. Today...
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