Recurrence Interval of Floods, Robert W. Ridky, University of Maryland
In this investigation students work with both real-time and historical stream flow information for U.S. streams. A case study of the 1993 flooding along the Mississippi River is employed and a recurrence interval determined in order to make an informed judgment about the risk of future flooding for a Mississippi River town—Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. Students develop a first-hand understanding of how a frequency-magnitude" approach is useful for analyzing the recurrence probability of many science as well as social science events.
Mineral Uses and Consumption, Mary Poulton, University of Arizona
Students investigate three important mineral commodities: silica, copper, and gold. How these minerals are used, how much of each of these minerals are consumed, the value of that consumption, and the estimate of the waste generated by consumption are examined. Students gain an understanding of important economic, social, and environmental factors that contribute to the availability of these resources.
Long-Term Climate Change, William F. Ruddiman, University of Virginia, and Jacqueline F. Huntoon, Michigan Technological University
Students develop an understanding of the natural variability of phenomena to gain insight into the complexities of determining what climatic changes are natural or human-induced. The long-term record of two key greenhouse gases – methane and carbon dioxide - as they are found stored in the Antarctic ice sheet, is assessed alongside changes in the Earth’s orbit. By studying changes in insolation and concentrations of these two gases students gain an understanding of natural climatic variations that occur over time and potential significance of more recent changes.
Earthquakes and Plate Boundaries, Lawrence W. Braile, Purdue University, Bruce A. Bolt, University of California, Berkeley, and Robert W. Ridky, U. S. Geological Survey
By assessing seismic data from a global network of stations, students investigate the temporal and spatial distributions of earthquakes, interpret the geometric relationship of a major plate boundary and make an assessment of seismic hazards along an active fault zone. Seismograms, real-time and archived GPS data are related to principles of wave transmission, strain energy, seismic gaps and risk analysis.
Coastal Hazards: Severe Storms and Rising Seas, Robert A. Morton and Asbury H. Sallenger, Jr., both at the U.S. Geological Survey
Severe storms and rising sea level are significant threats to coastal areas. In this investigation, you will learn about the historic impacts of hurricanes along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico. Examples of beach erosion that resulted from Hurricanes Dennis and Lili will be used to demonstrate some of the important factors that affect beach vulnerability. You will also learn that while hurricanes can change beach morphology very quickly, long-term, slow rises in sea level also pose a serious threat to coastal regions.
Monitoring and Mitigating Volcanic Hazards, Tanya Furman, Pennsylvania State University
Volcanic eruptions can be costly, devastating events. In an effort to mitigate the hazards associated with volcanism, the scientific community monitors global volcanic unrest. In this investigation, you will identify regions currently affected by different types of volcanism. You will also evaluate data from predictive tools, such as seismometers at Mount St. Helens and tiltmeters in Hawaii. Finally, you will consider the wide-ranging effects of volcanic gasses, ash, lahars, and lava on communities, ecosystems, and even climate.
Drinking Water Contamination, Travis Hudson and Mary Jo Alfano, American Geological Institute
The availability of clean, safe drinking water is easy to take for granted. Many regions, however, including the United States, must regularly address the issue of contaminants in the water supply to avoid the severe effects they may have on human health. In this investigation, the standards set by the Safe Drinking Water Act will be examined to learn how water contaminants are regulated. You will use data from the U.S. Geological Survey and other sources to consider how two specific contaminants, arsenic and nitrate, enter and are distributed throughout the drinking water supply and at what levels they pose a serious health risk.