Reflection on geography trip- 4 September 2010

The geography trip was fun for me, especially in the company of my classmates. Although it was a steep climb, Bukit Timah hill was an excellent exercise workout for me! We learnt about the three different layers of a tropical rainforest. Th emergent, canopy and sparse undergrowth. I also saw a few lianas that twisted around the branches of other trees. It was all pretty interesting. Before climbing up the steep slope, there were monkeys all around. On the pathway, trees and roofs. However, as we climbed up the slope, the monkeys were nowhere to be seen! I really, really wonder why. When we finally reached the top of the hill, we had to sketch three leaves. When nearing the end of the trip, we happened to come across a granite quarry and the reservoir, it was beautiful! All in all, the trip was thoroughly enjoyable especially the silly monkeys and the laughter and jokes from my friends.

Note: There are pictures above that I took during the trip as well as the pictures of my sketches.

Hi. As I did not really do my data table, it is inaccurate. Therefore, I did not put it up.
Reflection: I think that this exercise is not really easy. Especially since I have to do it everyday ( although I did not do it regularly). I am a forgetful person and thus i seldom remember to take down the temperate on the different days.


Tabitha Chiam:)

my data table

Day(degree Celsius)	Maximum temperature	Minimum temperature	Daily temperature difference
Saturday	29	27	2
Sunday	30	29	1
Monday	28	28	0
Tuesday	29	28	1
Wednesday	32	29	3
Thursday	28	25	3
Friday	29	28	1
Saturday	28	27	1
Sunday	32	30	2
Monday	29	26	3
Tuesday	27	27	0
Wednesday	32	31	1
Thursday	28	24	4
Friday	30	29	1

Mean average temperature: 1.97

Reflection: It was quite hard to remember to go and take down the temperatures and I usually remembered to do so only in the middle of the night. I think the reason for the pretty low difference in temperature was due to the fact that there was strong wind all day long.

viviana

Rocks

Below is my link for the rocks mind map.

http://mywebspiration.com/view/472288a21971

Viviana

http://www.mywebspiration.com/view/454628a1b1c5


Hi! This is the link for my 'rocks' mindmap.



Tabitha Chiam

The geology of Iceland is unique and of particular interest to geologists. Iceland lies on the geologic rift between the Eurasian plate and North American plates.--- The volcano erupts because of diverging plates of North American plates in the south and another in the east.

Monitoring the Volcano:
-what to monitor?
Volcanic temperature, water level, lakes, mass movements like rock falls, mud flow, seismicity.
-why must we monitor?
plot geology maps- show changes before volcano erupts.
Volcanoes have their benefits and down sides.
risks- health and death, tourism, flights, business, daily activity.

what materials spew out of a active material? ash, smoke, lava, liquid and solid and gases. For gases, there is mostly steam, and poisonous gases can escape too.

What is one symptom geologists can rely on in preparation for an eruption?

There will be massive earthquake before an eruption. The scientists will go an observe rocks near the volcano areas, to see if the rocks are “strained.”

I've done a bit more research on monitoring:
Another term to describe volano monitoring is observation. The observation mostly takes not of the systematic seismicity(movement of the globe) and other physical changes, earthquakes, volcanic gas and conditions of the water cycle during eruptions. When a volcano is observed erupting, geologists characterize the volcano's eruptive behaviour. They also try to identify the main reason why the volcano erupts. The main reasons are mostly because of the different kinds of materials that have been deposited at various places, which may be hazardous. Because geologists observe these moments, it is possible to anticipate eruptions.
An example of volcanoes that have been observed or are being observed are Mount Cayley, Silverthrone Caldera and Mount Hooloo.




Samantha Samuel.

(Continued from previous post...)

Personally, I think that Volcanoes are a part of nature. Even though it is dangerous, we cannot remove it. We can only accept its existence and make use of its benefits as much as we can.

Tabitha Chiam

Geological explanation of conditions of an erupting volcano

1. divergence plate( north american and european)

2. lies above a hotspot

Monitoring the volcanic activity

1. WHAT?? What about a volcano's activity do we monitor?

- volcanic temperature, water level, lakes, mass movement like rock falls, mud flow and seismicity

2. WHY?? Why do we monitor a volcano's activity?

-Plot geology maps- show changes before a volcano erupts

- Risks- health and death

- tourism, business, flights and daily activities

What materials spew out of the volcano?

- ash, smoke, lava, poisonous gases like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride

One symptom geologists could rely on in preparation for an eruption- more powerful earthquakes, animals' strange behaviour, rumbling noise

The 2010 eruption of the Iceland volcano begin on 20 March, this caused many flights to and from Europe to be cancelled, creating the highest level of air travel disruption since World War 2. The second phase started on the 14 April, which resulted in an ash cloud which was estimated to be about 250 million cubic metres.




Tabitha Chiam

The ice-land volcano erruption

Geology of a volcano
The geology of Iceland is unique and of particular interest to geologists. Iceland lies on the geologic rift between the Eurasian and North American plate. It also lies above a hotspot, the Iceland plumes.
Signs of an erruption
Usually before an eruption, there will be an earthquake. There might also be some ash and fumes spewing out of a volcano. Animals, proven to be more sensitive than humans, often behave strangely, for example, chickens not laying.
Why it erupts
The volcano erupts because of the diversion plates diverging.
Monitering volcanic activity
What they look out for
Most geologists look out for volcanic temperature, water level, lakes, mass movement like rock falls, mud flow, seismicity
Why they do so
1)Plot geological maps- show changes before it erupts.
2)Risks-health and death
3)Tourism
4)flights
5)business
6)daily activities
Materials which spew out of a volcano
Ash, smoke, lava, and many other solid liquid and gases. In the gases bit, the spew out mostly steam, poisonous gases escape as well and can suffocate people even before the ash hits them. It depends on how built up the gas is as to how much it explodes. Obviously, molten lava is ejected and so are rocks.
Process of an erupting volcano
Despite the variances in the shape of volcanoes, they all erupt in relatively the same way. The process begins when the pressure on a magma chamber deep below the Earth's surface begins to build up. This building pressure causes the magma from the chamber to be forced upward through a series of tubes or conduits. As the magma reaches the surface, it is thrust through the vents on the volcano, resulting in an eruption.

viviana

Iceland Volcanic Eruption 2010 (En Qi)

Hello!

A volcano in Iceland (Eyjafjallajökull) erupted. (O.O) Seismic activity started at the end of 2009 and led to a volcanic eruption of Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) 1 on 20 March 2010. The plume of ash from a later ongoing eruption beginning on 14 April 2010 led to widespread disruption of air travel from 15 April, with much of the airspace in Europe closed until 20 April, causing cancellation of most flights within, to, and from Europe.

*WHAT KIND OF VOLCANO WAS EYJAFJALLAJöKULL?*

Eyjafjallajökull was a stratovolcano.
A stratovolcano, sometimes called a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano with many layers (strata) of hardened lava, tephra, and volcanic ash. Stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions. The lava that flows from stratovolcanoes tends to be viscous; it cools and hardens before spreading far. The magma forming this lava is often felsic, having high-to-intermediate levels of silica (as in rhyolite, dacite, or andesite), with lesser amounts of less-viscous mafic magma.
Stratovolcanoes are sometimes called "composite volcanoes" because of their composite layered structure built up from sequential outpourings of eruptive materials. They are among the most common types of volcanoes, in contrast to the less common shield volcanoes. A famous stratovolcano is Krakatoa, best known for the eruption in 1883.

*WHAT WERE RELEASED DURING THE ERUPTION?*

Usually lava, rock fragments (such as ash, cinders, etc.) are released. Gases such as water vapour, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide are most commonly released as well. Volcanoes also released small amounts of other gases, like hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride and helium.

ALSO:
(TAKEN FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_eruptions_of_Eyjafjallaj%C3%B6kull#Volume_of_erupted_material_and_magma_discharge)

"The Institute of Earth Sciences (IES) made a preliminary estimate of erupted material in the first three days of the eruption on 14 April 2010 at Eyjafjallajökull. The erupted products are fragmented material, the majority fine-grained airborne tephra. Eruptive products can be split into three categories along with preliminary estimated erupted volumes:

-Material (tephra) in the ice cauldrons around the volcanic vents: 30 million cubic metres (39,000,000 cu yd)
-Tephra filling the glacial lagoon of Gígjökulslón, carried by floods down the outlet glacier Gígjökull: 10 million cubic metres (13,000,000 cu yd)
-Airborne tephra that has been carried to the east and south of the volcano. Uncompacted tephra fallout from eruption plume: 100 million cubic metres (130,000,000 cu yd)
Total: 140 million cubic metres (180,000,000 cu yd) which corresponds to some 70–80 million cubic metres (92,000,000–100,000,000 cu yd) of magma. The magma discharge rate is about 300 cubic metres per second (11,000 cu ft/s) or 750 t/s. This is 10–20 times the average discharge rate in the preceding flank eruption at Fimmvörðuháls.(First Eruption on 20 March 2010).[85]

The IES updated the eruption flow rate on 21 April 2010 to estimation of less than 30 cubic metres per second (1,100 cu ft/s) of magma, or 75 tonnes/s, with a large uncertainty. IES also noted that the eruption continue with less explosive activity"

*WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF THE ERUPTION?*

1. VOLCANIC ASH
Samples of volcanic ash collected near the eruption showed a silica concentration of 58%—much higher than in the lava flows. The concentration of water-soluble fluoride is one third of the concentration typical in Hekla eruptions, with a mean value of 104 milligrams of fluoride per kilogram of ash. Agriculture is important in this region of Iceland, and farmers near the volcano have been warned not to let their livestock drink from contaminated streams and water sources, as high concentrations of fluoride can have deadly renal and hepatic effects, particularly in sheep.

2. RIVER WATER
On 22 March, a flow meter device situated in the Krossá glacial river (which drains Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers) in the Þórsmörk area (a few kilometres north-west of the erupting location) started to record a sudden rise in water level and in water temperature – the total water temperature rose by 6 °C over a two-hour period, which had never occurred so quickly in the Krossá river since measurements began. Shortly afterward, the water level returned to normal and water temperature decreased as well. It is thought that this rise in water temperature is related to the eruption nearby and is affecting part of the Krossá drainage basin. The temperature of Hruná river, which flows through the narrow Hrunárgil canyon, into which part of the lava stream has been flowing, was recently recorded by geologists to be between 50 °C and 60 °C, indicating that the river has been cooling the lava in that canyon.

3. FARMING
The thick layer of ash that has fallen on some Icelandic farms and pastures at Raufarfell has become wet and compact, making it very difficult to continue farming, harvesting or grazing livestock.

4. EVACUATIONS
About 500 farmers and their families from the areas of Fljótshlíð, Eyjafjöll, and Landeyjar were evacuated overnight, and flights to and from Reykjavík and Keflavík International Airport were postponed, but on the evening of 21 March, domestic and international air traffic was allowed again. Inhabitants of the risk zone of Fljótshlíð, Eyjafjöll, and Landeyjar area were allowed to return to their farms and homes after an evening meeting with the Civil Protection Department on 22 March and the evacuation plan was temporarily dismissed. Instead, the police closed the road to Þórsmörk, and the four-wheel-drive trail from Skógar village to the Fimmvörðuháls mountain pass, but these roads and trails were reopened on 29 March, though only for suitable four-wheel drives. When the second fissure appeared, the road was closed again because of the danger of flash floods, which could have developed if the fissure had opened near big ice caps or other snow reservoirs, but the road was again opened at around noon on 1 April.

~Some positive impacts of volcanic eruptions~
- The created scenery created attracts tourism, which means extra income to an area. (mostly shield volcanoes)
- The lava and ash deposited provides valuable nutrients for the soil, making it very fertile and great for agriculture.
- The high level of heat and activity inside the earth can provide opportunities for generating geothermal energy.
- Volcanoes also provide valuable resources, such as zinc, copper, sulfur, arsenic, and lead.

Done by:
En Qi (30), 1.1

SOURCES:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_eruptions_of_Eyjafjallajökull
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_gases_are_released_from_volcanoes
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_positive_impacts_of_volcanoes

River Features [En Qi]

Hi! =D

Here's a diagram I found that shows the features of rivers.

If it's a bit small you can open it in a new window and enlarge it.

A river can create a lot of features through erosion and deposition along its course. Here are some of the river features...

1) Valley

Valleys created by rivers can be in different shapes, depending on the force of the running water.

-Narrow, deep v-shaped valley

The river flows down a steep slope, and there is a rapid downward erosion. The force of the water then cuts into land and forms a narrow, deep v-shaped valley.

-Broad, v-shaped valley

The river flows down a gentler slope, with less rapids in large bends, and erodes sideways, creating a broad, v-shaped valley.

-Wide valley

The river flows in larger bends on a flat land.

2) Rapids

A series of short and fast falls which are known as rapids are formed sometimes along the course of the river, when the river flows over bands of hard and soft rocks.

3) Waterfalls

A waterfall is a vertical flow of water flowing from a great height, usually found in the upper course of the river.

4) Meanders

Meanders are large bends where the river flows in the middle and lower course.

5) Deltas

Deltas are flat pieces of land formed by layers of sediments deposited over time, and are developed at the river mouth.

There are actually a lot more features formed by rivers, but you can go explore them on your own! :) River features can be very fascinating and beautiful, such as waterfalls. Isn't Niagara Falls amazing?

Some websites you can visit:

1. http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/geography/rivers/river-features.html

2. http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/rivers/features.html

3. http://library.thinkquest.org/C004240/

Books to check out:

1. Raging Rivers by Anita Ganeri

2. Rivers by Nicola Edwards

3. Earth's Changing Rivers by Neil Morris

<3 qi ="D

Rivers (features)

Valleys- formed by rivers in different shapes and forms. Eg. steep valleys, broad-shaped valleys, etc.

Rapids- A series of short and fast falls along the course the of a river. They are formed when a river flows over bands of hard and soft rocks.

Waterfalls- A vertical flow of water falling from a great height. It is formed when a river flows over a band of hard rocks overlying softer rocks.

Plunge pools- At the foot of the waterfall, the great force of falling water and the rocks carried by the river cut into the land. A depression at the foot of the waterfall is known as a plunge pool.


Tabitha Chiam

okay, what i'm posting about today is like to "save the earth". the video below basically explains everything i wanted to explain. it's a lot of pictures, but it means a thousand words. (: go green! (:

credits to youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBUk6RtVqIA press the link to watch.

En Qi: Physical Vs Human Environment-Which is more important?

En Qi here! :)

Personally, I think that the physical environment is more important than the human environment, because without even the physical environment in the first place, how can human environment be here? Basically the physical environment consists of physical features that occur naturally on the Earth hence are not created by people (such as rivers and mountains) while the human environment occurs when a physical environment is changed due to human activities (such as fields for crops that used to be a forest). The physical environment is something we all need, and is very important, although there may be natural disasters and such, it is still more important than the human environment. If we compare how the Earth is a thousand years ago (not even a thousand, a few hundred!) with the Earth is now, we can see a tremendous difference as a result of human activities. For example, the sea is rising at a very fast rate. Global warming is becoming a huge issue now. All of these has do to with the human environment. A long time ago the Earth was a very beautiful place, no pollution, not many extinct/endangered animals, etc. So who is to blame? Definitely not the Earth.

Of course, we cannot entirely blame us humans. The human environment is very important as well, because it improves our standard of living too. Now in the modern age, we have advanced technology and medical sciences. Singapore is a largely human environment, and we can see how much that has impacted us positively. Once a largely physical environment, we have transformed an island once covered with forests into a bustling city.

I feel that the physical environment is more important than the human environment. As we are dependent on the environment for survival, we should do our best to take care of it and respect it. :)

(Sorry if this post doesn't make sense a bit but I did this in a rush!)

En Qi~

What's geography?

What is Geography??

(: Geography is the study of the earth's changes and development, lands, features, inhabitants and phenomena of both man and nature(something about things that happen like at occurrences or facts that are observable.). in geography, we study the physical environment which includes features and occurrences like weather, natural vegetation, rivers and mountains. geography also includes the man-land relationship (e.g. global warming), area studies, human phenomena.. now, modern geography studies include all-encompassing discipline that seeks to understand all of its human and natural complexities(problems or situations we may face). this not just includes where the objects are or where they can be found, but how they have evolved, changed and developed to become what they are today. you get what i mean. i think. okay, basically, geography is divided into two main branches : physical geography and human geography.

(: samantha samuel

What's geography?

Geography is the study of the Earth and it's structures. Geography is also the study of the Earth's changes and development. Physical vs Human features- which is more important? In my opinion, both the physical and human features are equally important.

Physical features refer to things that are natural such as rivers, volcanoes and natural disasters. Human features refer to things that are created by humans such the light bulb, clothes and solar panels. Physical and human features can be dangerous as well as useful therefore I think that both features are equally important.


Tabitha Chiam

What is geography ? Viviana

What is geography ?

To my understanding, geography is the study of earth and its structures . It is also the study of the Earth's changes over the years . However , when i interviewed my best friend ,she told me to her, geography is not only the study of Earth and its structures, it also encompasses the study of the entire universe . As our views were diffenert, i surfed the net. I found that geography was the study of Earth and its structures . It also is the study of changes and development, lands, features, inhabitants and phenomena of both man and nature .I only realised the importance of geography when my previous geography teacher , Miss Tessa Tan , showed us a video on how ignorant americans were on the countries on Earth .