Geography project: Spheres Chapter

Topic: SpheresChapter: 1Page: 7Date: Nov 16, 2010location: Woodbridge lake.Description: Biosphere, Atmosphere, Lithosphere and Hydrosphere:Analysis:
The earth surface is divided into four parts, the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere respectively. They relie on each other for their functioning.
The lithosphere consists of the rocky surfaces on earth and the minerals present in them. It is rigid and 50-100km thick. It is made of individual segments called plates that are of variable sizes. These plates exhibit movement either towards each other, away from each other or slide past each other.
The hydrosphere consists of all the water bodies on or near the earth surface and occupies 70% of the earth`s surface. It may be saline water in the oceans or the fresh water bodies like rivers, streams, lakes etc.
The biosphere is the portion of the earth that supports life. It is a combination of different ecosystems. It consists of different regions separated by latitudes and containing similar types of plants and animals. It extends from the equatorial region to the poles and life is more concentrated in the equator.
The atmosphere is the air blanket covering the earth. Most of it is situated near the earth surface. It includes a variety of gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases. The most common gas is nitrogen forming about 80 % of the atmospheric gases followed by oxygen and the rest are in trace amounts. Analysis:
Topic: Wind power.Chapter: 5Page: 104Date: Nov 16, 2010location: Woodbury, IrvineDescription: Wind power is the energy generated from wind by use of turbines.This energy can be also used to operate mills and pump water.The wind energy is clean and does not cause environmental pollution. It is an alternative to fossil fuels as source of energy.It is readilly available and evenly distributed. The wind speed is the main determinant of the amount of energy generated. This varies in different locations. After the generation of energy from wind through turbines, it is then converted into electric power.
The wind power generation has certain disadvantages. It is only available when the wind speed is high. In low altitudes the the generated capacity is lower than in high altitudes. Not all the wind that blows is converted into power,only part of it.The energy generated has to be converted into electricity and this requires high technological equipments.
Topic: Reflection.Chapter: 4Page: 73Date: 16 Nov, 2010location: Woodbridge lakeDescription: Water reflecting the sun light
Analysis:
Reflection refers to sending back the sunrays to their source. The amount of the sun rays reflected back depends on the cloud cover and particles present in the environment. It occurs via electromagnetic waves and also visible light. It occurs in water due to the difference in refractive index. The angle of incidence greatly determines how much light is reflected. The water reflect sunlight in different directions
Topic: Clouds.Chapter: 6Page: 140Date: Nov 22, 2010location: Irvine skyDescription: Type of cloud is cumulus formAnalysis:
Clouds are made up of tiny water droplets or ice crystals. The water from the earth surface evaporates and cools to form water droplets and under low temperatures the droplets become ice crystals. The accumulated water droplets and ice crystals form the clouds. There are four major types of clouds i.e. cumulus, cumulonimbus, cirrus and stratus. They are classified depending on their appearance and their height from the base.
The stratus are the lowest clouds, they appear grey in color and are in layers. They rarely cause rain but drizzling may be experienced. They are usually made up of water droplets. They resemble fog.
The cumulus is another low altitude cloud. They have the appearance of cotton bundles. They usually develop vertically and seen either in singles or groups. Their edges are clearly visible. They are made up of water droplets but ice crystals may be seen in winters.
Cirrus is a high altitude cloud. They are usually made up of ice crystals and are thin like hair. They are seen during clear weather.
Cumulonimbuses are clouds that traverse different altitudes. They are associated with heavy rain, thunder storm and lightning. They are so tall and dark grey in color.
Topic: FogChapter: 6Page: 142Date: Nov 22, 2010location: University drive, UCIDescription: A radiation fogAnalysis: Fog is made up of water droplets collected from the air or nearby surfaces. It is found near the ground and the source of the water droplets is nearby water bodies. It reduces the ability to see things at a distance. The water vapor in the atmosphere usually obtained from plants, evaporation or convergence of dry and warm air usually cool to form droplets that constitutes fog. Fog formation depends on the air humidity and temperature. It can be rapidly formed and dissipated depending on dew point a temperature at which the water vapor condenses at constant pressure and amount of water vapor. Fog formation occurs at night and is due to cooling of the earth by radiation. It does not form on water surface. Wind currents promote Fog formation mainly occurs in areas with high pressure because the speed of the wind is low and this promote cooling by radiation.Topic: The OceansChapter: 9Page: 237Date: Oct 23, 2010location: San Clemente beachDescription: Pacific OceanAnalysis:
Oceans contain saline water and usually form the major part of hydrosphere. They occupy up to 70% of the space on earth. There are different oceans but usually they are interconnected. The various oceans of the world include pacific, Indian, Southern, Atlantic and arctic. The oceans can be divided into smaller parts like seas and bays. The oceans are also divided into zones.
The Pacific Ocean is the water body separating the Australian and Oriental region from the Americas and extends from north to South Pole. It can be further divided into southern and northern pacific by the equator. It is the largest ocean in the world, twice the size of Atlantic Ocean and more than twice that of the dry land. The western pacific has many surrounding seas. It contains large number of islands and the lowest spot on earth, the Mariana trench. Studies show that its size is decreasing due to movement of tectonic plates.
Topic: The influence of climateChapter: 10Page: 278Date: Nov 16, 2010location: Irvine next to Woodbridge lakeDescription: Light effect on plantAnalysis:
Climate refers to the environmental conditions of a place over a long period of time usually more than twenty years. It controls the activities and success of various ecosystems. The constituents of a climate include temperature, rainfall, light, humidity etc.
Light as a climatic factor greatly affects life of plants. The plants make their food in the ...