The Environmental Tragedy of Coastal Erosion Essay -- Environment Ecol

The Environmental Tragedy of Coastal Erosion A very high percentage of the American population resides at or near one of the coasts. Preserving beaches is a very costly endeavor and there have been many debates over which way this country should go about doing so. On the east coast the current strategy is, â€Å"beach nourishment programs†, whereby sand is taken from available sources and put back onto the eroded beach (Michaels, 01). In 1999 the United States government spent about $150 million on beach nourishment programs, state and local governments along with those who own their own beach property spend even more on such projects (Michaels, 01). Recently, however, the amount reserved for these projects in the national budget has been decreasing. The problem with the beach nourishment programs is that they are very short term and too costly, resulting in beaches which are still being eroded and a what seems to many, as a waste of taxpayer dollars. So we have a high demand for beach use and a low will ing- ness to supply funds to preserve the same beach. The forces of man and nature have created a coastal erosion headache for millions of residents in the U.S. As is the case with many environmental problems, nature and man have combined forces to create a coastal erosion problem (Michaels, 01). Development along the coast line has contributed greatly to erosion and has done so in several different ways. Some property owners have totally demolished coastal dunes in an attempt to provide better views of the ocean for the properties they build, and along with that have also completely destroyed natural vegetation in order to construct jetties or other manmade devices to improve ocean access for the... ...rk, May 24, 1999. Vol. 246, issue 21, pp.55. Issacs, Lindsay. â€Å"Shoring up the nation’s coastline†. The American City & County. Pittsfield, September 2000. Vol. 115, issue 13, pp.56-61. Johnson, Dan. â€Å"Beaches vs. Buildings†. The Futurist. Washington, February 2000. Vol.34, issue 1, pp.8-9. Michaels, A. Patricia. â€Å"Beach Erosion†. http://envirionment.about.com Rinehart, R. James, Pompe, J. Jeffery. â€Å"Coastal development, environmental amenities, And market forces: An application of economic theory†. Southern Business Review. Statesboro, 2001. Vol.26, issue 2, pp.1-5. Ward, Christina. (Staff Writer) â€Å"Coastal Erosion Could Take 1500 Homes a Year, FEMA Says†. 2000. http://www.DisasterRelief.org. pp.1-5. Woodell, Gregory. Press Statement 2002. http://www.calcoast.org.

Yellowstone Volcano

Introduction: â€Å"I don’t think visitors appreciate that they’re standing directly on top of the largest, most dynamic magmatic system on the planet,† says geologist Daniel Dzurisin. Yellowstone is easily one of the biggest volcanoes in the world, and one of the few super volcanoes on continental crust. The extreme ways of this volcano, is what makes it unique. Because of its tectonic setting, there are many hazards involved, as well as potential for damage. The history of this volcano explains that, and other super volcanoes help explain what could potentially happen when Yellowstone finally does erupt.Tectonic Setting: To begin, the tectonic setting of north western Wyoming explains a lot about Yellowstone. The crust underneath Yellowstone is restless. There are some major faults along the Teton, Madison and Gallatin Ranges that pass through Yellowstone; these all existed before the volcano was there. The North American plate is the biggest plate that Yellows tone is interacting with. There is a divergent boundary along where Yellowstone and the North American plate meet.The most apparent faults in Yellowstone are as follows; the Minor Plateau Faults younger section, Post – Lava Creek faults in North Western Yellowstone, Mallard Lake resurgent dome faults, Elephant Back fault zone, and Sour Creek dome faults. Main Hazard: Equally important, Yellowstone has many main hazards. Yellowstone is a super volcano. The difference between a normal volcano and a super volcano is not very obvious until you look at the inside structure. A normal volcano typically has a single column of magma that comes from within the earth.It breaks through the top of the mountain and spews out the entire column. A super volcano is quite a bit different though. A super volcano begins with a column of magma, but instead of breaking through the surface it stays underground. The magma then starts heating the crust and slowly begins to mix with it. This makes the magma really thick. Since the magma is trapped under the earth’s surface, the volcanic gases are also on lock. The pressure of the gasses and magma under the surface of the earth is colossal and continues to build over thousands of years.When the earth’s crust cannot take the pressure anymore, it breaks. The volcano erupts and the blast is hundreds of times more powerful than that of a normal volcano. Yellowstone happens to be really big too. It is 2,805m tall and rises at a rate of about 7cm/year. Risks Associated with Main Hazard: Fires: There are many risks associated with Yellowstone. To begin, fires are a pretty common thing in Yellowstone. The weather in Yellowstone is pretty interesting. There is lots of rain, and where there is rain there is lighting. The poor soil in Yellowstone results in the plants being pretty dry.When the rainstorms happen, the lighting usually hits something and causes fires. Earthquakes: Another example of a risk is earthquakes. Earthqu akes are a pretty regular thing in Yellowstone. Not all of the earthquakes are devastating but many happen all the time. In February 2012, the University of Utah Seismograph Stations, recorded 34 earthquakes. The largest of those earthquakes was a 1. 6 magnitude. The biggest recorded earthquake recorded in Yellowstone was a 7. 5 magnitude in 1959. Deadly Gasses: Equally important, deadly gasses are extremely hazardous in Yellowstone.Most of the gasses in Yellowstone are released in geysers. Two thirds of the world’s geysers are in Yellowstone national park (Secret). Because of the extreme climates in Yellowstone, animals typically seek warmth by the volcano. The volcanic gasses that come from Yellowstone are heavy and stay low to the ground. This usually results in animals seeking warmth followed by basically inhaling poison, which causes them to die. Ash Fall: To continue, ash fall is extremely dangerous in the case of Yellowstone. Yellowstone’s ash fall covers a huge radius.If Yellowstone were to erupt right now, the ash would shoot up into the atmosphere and travel around the earth in a cloud several times before settling. The eruption that occurred 650,000 years ago shot ash into the stratosphere (Secret). The Great Plains of the United States would also be covered almost immediately. Potential for Property Damage: In addition, potential for property damage is something incredibly difficult for some people to realize. Let us say, for example, that Yellowstone was to erupt today; who would be affected, and how badly would it affect them?Well, to begin, Wyoming and its surrounding states would be incinerated instantly (Yellowstone is a Super Volcano? ). After one gets past the fact that Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska will be gone, it is to wonder what will come next. Potential for Loss of Life: Following this, potential for loss of life is a very scary thing for some people. The Great Plains have been called â€Å"The Bread Basket of the World†. So without it, many people would go hungry. If Yellowstone was to erupt today, ash would cover the entire United States, including the Great Plains.The hard part is one cannot save the crops when they are covered in inches and feet of ash. A plentiful amount of people will go hungry. If this is not enough to realize the effects of Yellowstone, all the gasses that will be released with the eruption will help clear it up a little better. Yellowstone will release many harmful gasses into the stratosphere. The one of the more plentiful gasses is sulfur dioxide. When sulfur dioxide gets into the stratosphere it will turn into sulfuric acid aerosols. Basically, this means that earth’s climate will change drastically and will be affected for years.This could affect the farming season, which would make growing food nearly impossible. Not only that, but based on other volcanos and historical occurr ences, Yellowstone could easily wipe out the entire population of the world. Historical Occurrences: To continue, Yellowstone has had some cataclysmic eruptions in the past. These eruptions have occurred only three times; 2, 1. 3, and . 6 million years ago. Each of these eruptions have altered the earth forever. When a super volcano erupts, a huge crater, or caldera, is formed. These can be many miles wide and hundreds of meters deep.To give you a better idea of how big this really is, the first eruption that occured about 2 million years ago, left a depression in the ground bigger than Rhode Island. The three eruptions that Yellowstone had, were more powerful than any other eruptions in recorded history (Yellowstone is a Super Volcano? ). The eruption that occured roughly 650,000 years ago was one of the biggest eruptions ever recorded in history. Ash, pumice, and gasses from the volcano basically swept across more than 3,000 square miles. The amount of ash that fell was enough to cover the entire United States with 5 inches, or all of Wyoming with 13 feet.Ash deposits from Yellowstone’s 650,000 year ago eruption are still being found in the Gulf of Mexico (Yellowstone is a Super Volcano? ). Similar Events in Other Locations Around The World: On the other hand, a similar, but different super volcano Yellowstone can be compared to, is Toba. Toba is located on the island of Sumeria in Indonesia. Toba is also on the same type of boundary that Yellowstone is on. The only difference is Toba is a way smaller super volcano, and it erupted about 70,000 years ago. When Toba erupted, only about 5 or 10 thousand people survived. (Yellowstone is a Super Volcano? . Another volcano Yellowstone can be compared to, is Mount. St. Helens. In 1980, Mt. St. Helens erupted. The explosion from Yellowstone 650,000 years ago was 1,000 times greater than that eruption in 1980. Potential for Occurrence in The Next 50 Years: However, there is a pretty good possibility Yellowston e will erupt in the next 50 years. Scientists have predicted that Yellowstone is subject to erupt every 600,000 years. The last eruption occurred about 650,000 years ago. This means Yellowstone is 50,000 years overdue. Not only that, but as of 2008, the magma was less 10km below the caldera.If Yellowstone is rising at a rate of 7 or more centimeters a year, Yellowstone will be erupting in no time at all (Thanks). Conclusion: Clearly, Yellowstone is extremely dangerous to the populace. The entire world will be affected if Yellowstone were to erupt today. Because of the tectonic, as well as the geological setting, each and every inch of the world will experience changes to the climate, food, and life as it is today. Yellowstone, being one of the few super volcanoes above sea level, is incredibly dangerous, and will be outrageously tragic. Work CitedMarshal, Jessica. â€Å"Pulse reveals breathing heart of a super volcano. † New Scientist 189. 2541 (2006): 11. Gale Student Resour ces In Context. Web. 3 Mar. 2012. . Moravianhawk. â€Å"What kind of fault does Yellowstone Caldera have?. † Yahoo Answers. Yahoo, 2012. Web. 3 Mar 2012. . Secret Yellowstone. Dir. Brian Armstrong. National Geographic. 2007. â€Å"Thanks for the lift. † American Scientist 96. 1 (2008): 27. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 3 Mar. 2012. . Topinka, Lyn. â€Å"CVO Website – Yellowstone Caldera, Wyoming. † USGS cascades Volcano Observitory (CVO). N. p. 25 June 2009. Web. 3 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"Wyoming Quaternary Faults. † USGS. U. S. Department of the Interior, 2012. Web. 3 Mar 2012. . â€Å"Yellowstone National Park Earthquakes. † Yellowstone Net – Yellowstone National Park Lodging, Hotel, Wildlife Information and More. Bruce Gourley, Russ Finley, & Tim Gourley, n. d. Web. 3 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"Yellowstone is a Supervolcano?. † Suburban Emergency Management Project. SEMP INC. 2007. Web. 3 Mar 2012. . â€Å"Yellowstone Volcano Observitory. † Volcano Hazards Program. U. S. Department of the Interior. 24 Jan. 2012. Web. 3 Mar 2012. .

Analysis of an Antacid

Analysis of an Antacid In this lab report we will discuss the results of the ‘Determining the Most Effective Antacids’ lab. In this lab we tested different brands of antacids to find out which will be the most effective at neutralizing acids. We will test this by seeing how much drops of hydrochloric acid (HCl) are required to neutralize a certain amount of the antacid. Antacids are used to resist heartburn. We sometimes use them to treat this because antacids are a mild base that can neutralize acids in our stomachs, such as HCl.The purpose of this lab is to see how well each antacid neutralize hydrochloric acid. Procedure: 1. Obtain two burets, one for use with the HCl and others for use with the NaOH. 2. Record the exact molarity as they appear on the stock bottles. 3. Determine the mass of each of you antacid tablets. 4. Dispense 25 mL of HCl solution into the Erlenmeyer flask, and then add one of the antacid tablets to the flask. 5. Bring the solution to a boil to d ispel any undissolved CO2. 6. Add two or three drops of an indicator to our antacid mixture. 7.Titrate antacid mixture with the NaOH solution until we have reached the end point of the indicator used. Mass tablet| VHCl| Vinitial NaOH| Vfinal NaOH| #moles HCl neutralized By antacid/ g tablet| x? – x| ( x? – x )2| 1. 29 g| 25 mL| 0 mL| 18 mL| 0. 0055961 mol/g| 0. 0024959| 6. 22952*10-6| 1. 221 g| 25 mL| 0 mL| 17 mL| 0. 0067452907 mol/g| 0. 00134671| 1. 8136*10-6| 1. 24 g| 25 mL| 0 mL| 18. 9 mL| 0. 005083629 mol/g| 0. 003| 9. 050296*10-6| 1. 273 g| 25 mL| 0 mL| 16. 2 mL| 0. 00714 mol/g| 9. 52*10-4| 9. 063*10-7| 1. 289 g| 25 mL| 0 mL| 15. 2 mL| 0. 0078 mol/g| 2. 2*10-4| 8. 5264*10-8| 1. 248 g| 25 mL| 0 mL| 10. 6 mL| 0. 01185 mol/g| -0. 003758| 1. 412*10-5| 1. 29 g| 25 mL| 0 mL| 9. 3 mL| 0. 01243 mol/g| -0. 00434| 1. 8818*10| Average x? = 0. 008092 mol/g ? (x? – x) 2 = 5. 102298*10-5 Standard Division = SD = Â ± ? x- x 2n-1 = Â ±0. 0029161 A brand name| Tums| Safew ay| Safeway| Phillips| Tums| Safeway| ActiveIngredient| CaCO3| CaCO3| CaCO3| Mg(OH)2| CaCO3| CaCO3| G active ingredient from battle| 0. 5 g| 0. 5 g| 0. 5 g| 0. 311 g| 0. 5 g| 0. 5 g| Calculated gActive ingredient| 0. 911 g| 0. 3718 g| 0. 3548 g| 0. 392 g| 0. 285 g| 0. 15 g| #moles HCl neutralized by active ingredient/g tablet| 0. 00587 mol| 0. 0060 mol/g| 0. 00709 mol/g| 0. 01345 mol/g| 0. 00648 mol/g| 0. 0081 mol/g| Cost / g| 4. 3835 ? /g| 7. 35 ? /g| 7. 50 ? /g| 17. 83 ? /g| 14. 011 ? /g| 5. 16 ? /g| Brand = Safeway regular strength Cost = $ 3. 99 #tablets = 150 g active ingredient = 500 mg each tablet Ingredient = (active) calcium carbonate, (inactive) corn starch, crospovidone, dextrose, flavor, magnesium stearate, maltodextrin, sucrose, talc. CaCO3 (s) + 2HCl (aq) > CaCl2 (aq) + H2O (l) + CO2 (g) Calculation: 1.Calculate moles HCl neutralized by antacid per gram tablet: (Total moles HCl – moles HCl neutralized by NaOH) / mass of tablet Total moles HCl = Moles HCl neutral ized by NaOH = 2. Calculate grams active ingredient: 3. Calculate cost/gram: Based on the results, although Phillips brand was expensive, it was the most effective antacid. This is because it neutralized the most moles of HCl per gram of antacid. The active ingredient in this antacid is Magnesium Hydroxide. As the result, I prefer to buy Phillips antacid to resist heartburn. Chemical Equation: Mg (OH) 2 + HCl Cl (OH) 2 + MgH