Well Crazy is what most of the scientific community said to Alfred Wegener as he gave his theory on continental shift. His theory was that about 200 million years ago the continents as we know them now were joined together and formed a super continent he called Pangaea. Take a journey back in time with me say 200 million years ago, you are standing in whats now known as South America and I am standing on what today would be the west coast of Africa but 200 million years ago it was the same land back then. He did not now exactly how the continents were shifted but he had plenty of evidence to back it up.
Like a puzzle he noted south America and Africa look liked they once were joined together. Geologist then went and found same rock types that were both in Africa and South America. The scientist then researched fossil records from both areas and found similarities. Though not very liked by the older scientists Alfred Wegener is a true revolutionary in the field of geology. As science progresses we find more evidence every day that Alfred was was the true pioneer in the development of plate tectonic theory. To learn more about plate tectonics check this out
Time to Teach Plate Tectonics
Many of the concepts and lessons taught in school can seem mundane because it is difficult to draw parallels in the “real world.” With all of the seismic activity that has been making headlines around the globe as of late, it is a perfect opportunity to teach your children about plate tectonics theory. There are obviously many facets and nuances to the theory, but here is a quick primer.
According to the theory, the lithosphere is composed of several plates that are constantly in motion. The reason that these plates are able to move is that the lithosphere has a higher strength and lower density than the strata that it is sitting on. When these plates move, they build up friction at the plate lines, and when this friction is released, we feel it in the form of an earthquake.
I am always fascinated by the atmosphere and how it works. A twister or tornadoes as they are also referred to are formed when hot air in the atmosphere rises and cold air from above descends. As these to forces of air fight against each other you create wind shear which creates an updraft causing a tornado.
There are many cool science fair projects that you can do which can really bring home and demonstrate how these tornadoes or twisters are formed. Science today is still working on learning more about these tornadoes and how and when they are formed so they can detect a better warning system. Thanks Moorescience
Today I decided to go to the beach in Morro Bay to get some ideas for my blogs, and to just clear my head. An interesting thing happened though when I sat down in the sand and took off my shoes, I started to play with it in my hand and thought where did all this sand come from?
I love the beach it gives me a great place to gain clarity of thought when I am searching for ideas. The sand at the beaches is made up of many different grains, what you hold in your hand is a conglomerate of the diverse ocean floor. Its time for your school science fair project and you love to study about the earth and how its made a kids geology science fair project is the way to go. Thanks Moorescience
While growing up I was always more of a hands on person who learned more from doing an experiment. This year we have decided to home school my two daughters and have been looking for ways to back up the learning she is getting with real life applications.
Science kits have a lot of activities you can do that will help teach why things work the way they do. There are plenty of activities in earth science, engineering, chemistry. If its science you can be sure there will be a science kit your home school science topic. Thanks Moorescience
Although my devotion to my studies wavered when I hit high school, throughout my early years of education I was an exemplary student. I admittedly had a good deal of help from my parents, but my projects and assignments were always sure to receive an A. One of my most memorable experiments was one of the science fair projects for kids that I conducted for my second grade class.
For the project, my mom and I endeavored to hatch our own chickens. For over a month, the eggs sat in an incubator in my bedroom, and during the day, I would rotate them to ensure that they were properly heated. At the end of the experiment, I was ecstatic when almost all of the eggs actually hatched and I was able to bring in baby chicks to my class.
Oh how much fun it is to go to the visitor center at your state or national park on your vacation. Before you plan your trip make sure to plan some time at the visitor center where there are plenty of kids science activities.
If your going hiking or have been hiking in the hot or cold weather come inside, and watch a movie about the area. If you have young kids ask if they have a junior rangers program and if they have ideas for kids science activities . Thanks Moorescience
One of the signs that geologists use to predict a volcanic eruption is when a dormant volcano begins to experience more earthquakes on a frequent basis. Before the quiet Mount Saint Hellens blew there was a significant increase is earthquakes from the previous years. This could be an indication that magma is rising to the surface causing shallow quakes just below the surface of the earth.
For me earthquakes and volcanoes are just another sign that this is a living breathing planet that is in a constant state of change. A volcano science kit is a great way to learn about these changes in the earth. Though it may seem like an eruption causes great devastation the fascinating tale of regrowth after an eruption is truly inspiring. Thanks Moorescience
Oh you say you did not know you have a seismograph near you, we all have seismographs near us. Most are not consider like your scientific model that measures the magnitude of a quake by how much the graph moves when the ground shakes. have you ever fixed your picture on the wall and then come back a few days or weeks later and noticed its crooked again. This is most likely caused by miner quakes that happen daily but you most likely would not feel them.
Just like your picture in the house a seismograph remains steady and does not move until the ground shakes. At that moment the needle attached like a pendulum swings and records the data in lines. The stronger the quake the bigger the lines. For more information on seismographs look for science books on earthquakes. Thanks Moorescience
The Richter scale is a mathematical formula that calculates and compares the size of an earthquake. It is measured using whole numbers and decimals. The size of the quake is measured using what is called a seismograph. For each whole number on the Richter scale the energy released is equal to about 31 times the previous number.
There are plenty of science 4 kids to do when it comes to earthquakes. Our world is an amazing planet and it breaths and lives as do all who live on this earth. Lets all take the time to learn more about our world on which we live. Thanks Moorescience