12 February 2022 Earth Science Sites of the Week

[Francek, Mark]

Hello Everyone,

This week’s 12 February 2022 Earth Science Sites of the Week feature the following resources:

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Editor’s Picks: 1) What Causes Plates to Move?, ***2) World Is Running Out Of Sand — Why There's Now A Black Market For It, 3) Ancient city could have been destroyed by cosmic airburst, ***4) Ranked: The 50 Companies That Use the Highest Percentage of Green Energy,
***5) Mapped: Human Impact on the Earth’s Surface, 6) Why Do Some People Live to 100?,
6) Is Spring Fever Real?, 7) Which Foods are Ultra processed? You Might be Surprised.
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Geology and Geography
1.What Causes Plates to Move?

2. World Is Running Out Of Sand — Why There's Now A Black Market For It
Water
1. Giant Model Mimics Damaged Dam Spillway
Weather
1. Is Extreme Weather Related to Climate Change?
Space
1. Ancient city could have been destroyed by cosmic airburst
Environmental
1. Ranked: The 50 Companies That Use the Highest Percentage of Green Energy

2. Mapped: Human Impact on the Earth’s Surface
General
1. Why Do Some People Live to 100?

2. Is Spring Fever Real?

3. Which Foods are Ultra processed? You Might be Surprised.
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Geology and Geography

Site Name

What Causes Plates to Move?

Site URL

https://twitter.com/geotayler/status/1433004860920811521/photo/1

Site Author

Luke Tayler

Suggested by

NESTA Twitter

Description

“What causes the tectonic plates to move? A common misconception amongst KS4/5 students!”



Site Name

World Is Running Out Of Sand — Why There's Now A Black Market For It



Site URL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0jfn61FTGQ&list=PLfp1hFsaJhKaJ-D8CivLlWbF-ptFjB1bi&index=14



Site Author

Tech Insider



Suggested by

NESTA Twitter



Description

“If you're planning a beach vacation, you'd better get to it soon. An alarming statistic for you: 67% of Southern California beaches? GONE by 2100. All because of sand. Even if you don't think about the grainy stuff, you use it daily. You're reading this off something made with sand, looking at it through a screen made with sand, surrounded by buildings made with concrete. I could let you guess what's in concrete, but I suspect you're already catching onto a theme here.”





Water

Site Name

Giant Model Mimics Damaged Dam Spillway

Site URL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIdWgbqZWNI

Site Author

Scientific American

Suggested by

Mark Francek

Description

“When the Oroville Dam spillway cracked and failed after a wet California winter, a team of scientists created a one fiftieth–scale model of the damaged concrete and eroded hillside to help guide the reconstruction.”



Weather

Site Name

Is Extreme Weather Related to Climate Change?

Site URL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYwqHc3Ib7M

Site Author

Scientific American

Suggested by

Mark Francek

Description

“In the last decade, we've seen extreme hurricanes, droughts, blizzards and more. Are these weather events random or are they the result of fundamental changes to Earth's climate? Scientific American editor Mark Fischetti explains.”







Space

Site Name

Ancient city could have been destroyed by cosmic airburst

Site URL

https://news.ecu.edu/2021/10/07/biblical-burning/

Site Author

Jules Norwood

Suggested by

NESTA Twitter

Description

“Could the biblical description of the destruction of Sodom be explained by an exploding meteor? A research team including East Carolina University’s Dr. Sid Mitra, professor of geological sciences, has presented evidence that a Middle Bronze Age city called Tall el-Hammam, located in the Jordan Valley northeast of the Dead Sea, was destroyed by a cosmic airburst. “



Environmental

Site Name

Ranked: The 50 Companies That Use the Highest Percentage of Green Energy

Site URL

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-the-50-companies-that-use-the-highest-percentage-of-green-energy/

Site Author

Anshool Deshmukh

Suggested by

Mark Francek

Description

“Based on data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this infographic by SolarPower.Guide shows the top 50 greenest companies, based on the highest proportion of green energy used in their overall consumption mix.”



Site Name

Mapped: Human Impact on the Earth’s Surface



Site URL

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-human-impact-on-the-earths-surface/



Site Author

Nick Routley



Suggested by

Mark Francek



Description

This map, by David M. Theobald et al., shows just how much of the planet we’ve now modified. The researchers estimate that 14.6% or 18.5 million km² of land area has been modified – an area greater than Russia.





General

Site Name

Why Do Some People Live to 100?

Site URL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY2VPgfzJI0

Site Author

Scientific American

Suggested by

Mark Francek

Description

• Every organism on Earth has an expiration date. For humans, it's around 78 years, but some people make it to 100 or beyond. Scientific American editor Katherine Harmon explains how these outliers outlive the rest of us.



Site Name

Is Spring Fever Real?



Site URL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ1ordlGDgY



Site Author

Scientific American



Suggested by

Mark Francek



Description

Spring fever: that phenomenon that lifts our moods and awakens our libido from hibernation after a long winter. But is it real? Scientific American contributor Yasmin Tayag explains.





Site Name

Which Foods are Ultraprocessed? You Might be Surprised.



Site URL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W-s0vEbphI



Site Author

Scientific American



Suggested by

Mark Francek



Description

Many nutrition scientists blame overeating fats or carbohydrates for the world's obesity pandemic. But new research points to “ultraprocessed” foods such as chicken nuggets and instant soup mixes that dominate modern diets. These foods seem to distort signals between the gut and brain that normally tell us we are full, so instead people overeat.




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Mark Francek
Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies
Dow 285
Central Michigan University
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
Phone: (989) 774 7617
Spring 2022 Office Hours: TTh 11-1:30 or by app't.
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