Writing Assignment

     NASA's Dawn spacecraft have again ventured a look into the stars.  The spacecraft powered up its visible infrared spectrometer, that investigates surface mineralogy, and the gamma ray and neutron detector, which detects elemental composition.  Three of Dawn's science instruments spent their time sleeping during a three-and-a half-year journey to Vesta.  This was reported by Robert Mase on of Dawn project manager at  NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.  Dawn international scientists team and engineers in Germany and the United States spent three days interacting with the camera system, confirming excellent health of the electrical components and updating the software.  Within the next few months Dawn camera will provide images needed to navigate the spacecraft and the images of the asteroid's surface.  In addition the camera will search for the moons in Vesta's and for evidence of a past volcanic activity.  This mission to Vesta and Ceres will be managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

1. What kind of moons do you think Dawn will find on the asteroid Vesta?

2. Why did scientists say that Dawn was on track to a unexplored worlds?

NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2011, March 22).  Dawn open its eyes, check

     instruments.  ScienceDaily.

http://www.sciencedaily.com.

Writing Assignment

     The Earth Sciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) examine carbon dioxide underground, a study conducted by Ehling-Economides claimed that carbon dioxide cannot be stores underground.  With these findings Berkeley Lab researchers consider a closed system surface formations, a limited mechanisms to release the pressure build-up from the injection of carbon dioxide, the key to this is the amount of carbon dioxide can be safely stored underground.  Dr. Quanlin Zhou the lead researcher stated that "pressure build-up may have a limiting effect on storage capacity, it is not as significant as claimed previously by Ehlig-Economides and Economides" (Wiley-Blackwell). With three different types of storage reservoirs closed, partially closed and open, the carbon dioxide storage deep underground will be mainly partially closed or open formations to build-up pressure so it can be release by movement of native saline waters into regions far away from where carbon dioxide injection occurs.

1. With carbon dioxide being stored undergound is it safe for living creatures that lives there?

2. What effect do this have on our climate?  What kind of changes take place?

Wiley-Blackwell.  e! Science News.  Carbon capture and storage:
     Carbon dioxide pressure dissipates in underground reservoirs.  March 22, 2011.
http://www.esiencenews.com/

   
  

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Writing Assignment

     If your garden was threaten by bugs or other critters.  What would you do?  Chemicals are not always the answer.  Although pesticides, herbicides and fungicides may be designed to kill plant pests, they can be lethal to more than just plants.  It can harm butterflies, ladybugs and bees these insects help our gardens grow healthyand stay that way, harsh garden chemical can destroy chances for that. The trouble is that these chemicals have a toxic residue which can leak into groundwater, where as small plants, fish...........may be rural.  The Enviromental Protection Agency states that lawn pesticides contain carcinogens in large quantities, that causes birth defects, gene mutations, nervous system damage, liver and kidney damage.


1.What type of chemicals would be consider safe for the environment?
2.How often would can these  chemicals be used?

Zimmerman, Sacha.  2011,The Reader's Digest Association:  How to Grow 
     a Chemical-Free Garden.
www.rd.com/home/for-america-grow-a-chemical-free-garden.

  

Writing Assignment

     Volcanic explosive eruptions are follow by tremors that last hours or weeks.  Scientists has frequently observed these tremors before the volcanic eruption.  These explanations depends on the vent or pipe in which the lava passes, or before the gas erupt magma.  The charactersists varies from volcano to volcano but it is said that an active volcanic is impossible to determine.  Mark Jellinek an professor of UBC Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences said that "All volcanoes feature a viscous column of dense magma surrounded by a compressible and permeable sheath of magma, composed mostly of stretched gas bubbles."  Some forecasters see tremors as an important or somewhat mystery, that is observed in a important explosive eruption.  Although it has become tricky over the past decade, in understanding the process while underlying the origin evolution of eruption the predictive power is said to be danger to humans.

1. Tremors have been felt in different parts of the world, is this because of a volcano or could it be something else?
2.  What is the magma in a volcano?

Science Daily.  Oscillating "Plug" of Magma Causes Tremors That Forecast Volcanic Eruptions. 
     February 23, 2011. 
http://www.sciencedaily.com/.