I wanted to use this blog to comment on the Global Warming Forum that we held during this week's class session. I think that this was one of the most informative, interactive, fun lectures we had so far in this class. Participation makes it easier to learn and remember information, and keeps the class session lively. I wish we had more activities like this during class time, as we can get the PDFs off the website and most of the test information is within the text.
I also enjoyed the lecture on groundwater. For some reason moving to the whiteboard and watching you put together the drawing helped me understand more than just seeing a picture of the completed groundwater system would have.
I'm not trying to criticize the class, I just thought I'd share how well I thought those two lectures went and my reasons for thinking so. I see that this upcoming week has a film after the test, and I look forward to this new way of learning in this class as well.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Journal 7: October 13th
Still on the subject of water, I decided to do some research on a local place that has been affected by groundwater mining. Alviso is a small, strange town at the edge of the bay that San Jose has annexed. In the mid-1800s Alviso was the primary method of transportation of goods and people from San Francisco to San Jose. However, the physical components of Alviso have changed drastically over the last 150 years due to overuse of resources in the Santa Clara Valley. The water level has dropped dramatically, as evidenced by the infamous "ghost marina" of Alviso: http://www.sanjose.com/underbelly/unbelly/Alviso/marina1.html .
However, the most dramatic effects of the groundwater mining can be seen in the ghost town of Drawbridge, a hidden ghost town three miles up the railroad tracks from Alviso. Once a thriving gambling and hunting community, the town is now sinking into the marsh due to groundwater being pumped from underneath by the surrounding populations. The landscape has changed dramatically is now nothing like it used to be.
Alviso and Drawbridge are two of my favorite places because they are so mysterious and aesthetically interesting. The flat marsh that extends for miles covered in marsh grass with only a train whizzing by every 20 minutes feels like something out of the movie Tideland, or the book My Antonia. Here are some pictures I took on my expedition out to Drawbridge a little over a year ago:
The "ark of Alviso," a houseboat on land.
Pictures of Drawbridge structures and railroad (still active).
Edit: I can't figure out how to get the photographs to fit within my layout. If you right click & get the URL from the properties, you'll be directed to my flickr page which contains the pictures in their entirety.
However, the most dramatic effects of the groundwater mining can be seen in the ghost town of Drawbridge, a hidden ghost town three miles up the railroad tracks from Alviso. Once a thriving gambling and hunting community, the town is now sinking into the marsh due to groundwater being pumped from underneath by the surrounding populations. The landscape has changed dramatically is now nothing like it used to be.
Alviso and Drawbridge are two of my favorite places because they are so mysterious and aesthetically interesting. The flat marsh that extends for miles covered in marsh grass with only a train whizzing by every 20 minutes feels like something out of the movie Tideland, or the book My Antonia. Here are some pictures I took on my expedition out to Drawbridge a little over a year ago:
The "ark of Alviso," a houseboat on land.
Pictures of Drawbridge structures and railroad (still active).
Edit: I can't figure out how to get the photographs to fit within my layout. If you right click & get the URL from the properties, you'll be directed to my flickr page which contains the pictures in their entirety.
Journal 6: October 6th
This week in class we discussed water distribution in California. I started researching water in California, which linked me to some interesting information about bottled water vs. tap water.
The tap water in San Jose is so bad that I rarely drink it - unless I wake up at 5 A.M. hungover and parched as all hell and there is no bottled water in the apartment. Even then, it freaks me out. There's tons of flem and visible particles in the glass; some days it's so bad that the liquid is not even transparent. This crap is probably residue off someone else's recycled toilet water, and it's probably getting in my hair when I shower. Yuck.
Unfortunately, although bottled water may look better, studies have found that its contents vary from the same to worse than tap water:
http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/united-states/bacteria-pain-killers-us-bottled-water-5762.html
On the same side, tap water in some areas contains drugs:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26662637/
I guess I should just accept that I'm drinking & bathing in drugs, bacteria, & unidentified floaty crud no matter what. And we wonder why cancer is an epidemic...
The tap water in San Jose is so bad that I rarely drink it - unless I wake up at 5 A.M. hungover and parched as all hell and there is no bottled water in the apartment. Even then, it freaks me out. There's tons of flem and visible particles in the glass; some days it's so bad that the liquid is not even transparent. This crap is probably residue off someone else's recycled toilet water, and it's probably getting in my hair when I shower. Yuck.
Unfortunately, although bottled water may look better, studies have found that its contents vary from the same to worse than tap water:
http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/united-states/bacteria-pain-killers-us-bottled-water-5762.html
On the same side, tap water in some areas contains drugs:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26662637/
I guess I should just accept that I'm drinking & bathing in drugs, bacteria, & unidentified floaty crud no matter what. And we wonder why cancer is an epidemic...
Journal 5: September 29th
Studying for Midterm #1 has gotten me depressed. It seems that we humans have a better understanding of how climate works than I had previously thought, and that even though we have this understanding, we are ignoring the facts and living like global warming is not a threat.
It seems that along with decreasing/stopping the use of fossil fuels, increasing the earth's albedo might be a potential antidote for global warming. Local increases in albedo, such as painting a rooftop white, can help, as demonstrated in this science experiment:
http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/2007/Ryan.html
This upcoming larger-scale experiment plans to investigate this hypothesis further:
http://www.astc.org/iglo/?p=90
And this site seems to be promoting more of a social statement/protest regarding global warming. Those who are involved in the project wear white to signify the importance of increasing albedo:
http://www.canary-project.org/albedo/
This page shows a diagram of the vicious circle of global warming:
http://www.canary-project.org/albedo/pdfs/albedo_info_page.pdf
Maybe if we created white structures at the poles, overall global warming would be decreased? High albedo rates at the poles are also imporant because the magnetosphere directs solar wind to the poles to be reflected...for now, at least.
It seems that along with decreasing/stopping the use of fossil fuels, increasing the earth's albedo might be a potential antidote for global warming. Local increases in albedo, such as painting a rooftop white, can help, as demonstrated in this science experiment:
http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/2007/Ryan.html
This upcoming larger-scale experiment plans to investigate this hypothesis further:
http://www.astc.org/iglo/?p=90
And this site seems to be promoting more of a social statement/protest regarding global warming. Those who are involved in the project wear white to signify the importance of increasing albedo:
http://www.canary-project.org/albedo/
This page shows a diagram of the vicious circle of global warming:
http://www.canary-project.org/albedo/pdfs/albedo_info_page.pdf
Maybe if we created white structures at the poles, overall global warming would be decreased? High albedo rates at the poles are also imporant because the magnetosphere directs solar wind to the poles to be reflected...for now, at least.
Journal 4: September 22nd
This week's reading got me thinking about urban microclimates. Since moving to San Jose from Morgan Hill I have been shocked by the contrast in heat, quality of air, wind, and even precipitation between these two cities that are so close to one another.
The specific issue that got me thinking about this is one that I am sure you are familiar with. I live in the tall building across from City Hall, called Vintage Tower. Sometimes when I step outside, the wind blowing down Santa Clara St. in between these two buildings is incredible. A few times I could hardly open the door because the force was so strong, and once my bike got blown over. Sometimes when this happens, it is not even that windy in other parts of downtown San Jose! Once I get past the zone that is in between these two tall buildings, the wind seems to disperse around the sides of the buildings and not be so intense.
Although this spot is the only place I have experienced this in San Jose, in San Francisco I've felt this same effect from urban wind tracks a lot. I'm sure it's a common occurance in most major cities with tall buildings. I wonder how human interferences such as highways, airplanes, and tall structures interfere with natural wind currents? Is this why the wind seems to be increasing?
The specific issue that got me thinking about this is one that I am sure you are familiar with. I live in the tall building across from City Hall, called Vintage Tower. Sometimes when I step outside, the wind blowing down Santa Clara St. in between these two buildings is incredible. A few times I could hardly open the door because the force was so strong, and once my bike got blown over. Sometimes when this happens, it is not even that windy in other parts of downtown San Jose! Once I get past the zone that is in between these two tall buildings, the wind seems to disperse around the sides of the buildings and not be so intense.
Although this spot is the only place I have experienced this in San Jose, in San Francisco I've felt this same effect from urban wind tracks a lot. I'm sure it's a common occurance in most major cities with tall buildings. I wonder how human interferences such as highways, airplanes, and tall structures interfere with natural wind currents? Is this why the wind seems to be increasing?
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Journal 3: September 15th
This week I flew to Portland, Oregon. It was actually my first time flying on a plane by myself, and my first trip out of state alone. I left SFO on the morning of September 17th and took off over the city. Everything got smaller and smaller, until I could see all of San Francisco like it was a miniature model. This made me think about the different map scales and got me wondering at what scale I was looking at the city as I reached higher and higher altitudes. At a certain altitude we flew into the thick clouds over the city and I couldn't see the ground level any more.
For most of the short flight I read a book, but as we got into Northern California/Oregon the clouds had cleared and I could once again see the land beneath the plane. I spend the rest of the flight looking out over the moutains and lakes and thought about how the lines would contour on a topographical map. Riding in a plane is a completely surreal and unnatural experience; it felt like I was seeing from a perspective that humans shouldn't see from, or something. I guess I just hadn't flown in a plane for a long time, but after this spontaneous trip alone I have a feeling that most of my extra money is going to be going towards travel from now on!
For most of the short flight I read a book, but as we got into Northern California/Oregon the clouds had cleared and I could once again see the land beneath the plane. I spend the rest of the flight looking out over the moutains and lakes and thought about how the lines would contour on a topographical map. Riding in a plane is a completely surreal and unnatural experience; it felt like I was seeing from a perspective that humans shouldn't see from, or something. I guess I just hadn't flown in a plane for a long time, but after this spontaneous trip alone I have a feeling that most of my extra money is going to be going towards travel from now on!
Journal 2: September 8th
I read ahead this week to Chapter 2 in the Geosystems text. As I came to the part about solar wind, I came across this term:
"The magnetosphere is a magnetic field surrounding earth, generated by dynamo-like motions within out planet. The magnetosphere deflects the solar wind toward both of Earth's poles so that only a small portion of it enters the atmosphere."
This made me immediately remember this article that I had found while browing current.com:
http://current.com/items/89067843_earth_s_magnetic_field_changing_fast
which linked to this National Geographic article:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/080630-earth-core.html
I went online to find the articles again & got a sick feeling in my stomach. If the magnetosphere is changing and weakening, then the solar wind may not be deflected to the poles and more of it will porbably enter the atmosphere. This is scary stuff. Although the article does not give clues as to whether this change in the Earth's core is related to global warming or independent of it, it is certainly another aspect of physical change on Earth that must be considered. I think it is important to try and find out what is causing this so we can fix any human causes that may be contributing to this problem.
"The magnetosphere is a magnetic field surrounding earth, generated by dynamo-like motions within out planet. The magnetosphere deflects the solar wind toward both of Earth's poles so that only a small portion of it enters the atmosphere."
This made me immediately remember this article that I had found while browing current.com:
http://current.com/items/89067843_earth_s_magnetic_field_changing_fast
which linked to this National Geographic article:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/080630-earth-core.html
I went online to find the articles again & got a sick feeling in my stomach. If the magnetosphere is changing and weakening, then the solar wind may not be deflected to the poles and more of it will porbably enter the atmosphere. This is scary stuff. Although the article does not give clues as to whether this change in the Earth's core is related to global warming or independent of it, it is certainly another aspect of physical change on Earth that must be considered. I think it is important to try and find out what is causing this so we can fix any human causes that may be contributing to this problem.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Journal 1: August 25th/September 1st
Mr. Harmon,
I have been keeping my journals in word files on my laptop & uploaded them to this blogger account I created this weekend. I have labeled them for each class session, & made sure to put them in sequential order. I'll upload new posts directly to blogger now that I have the page up & running.
Rachel
The last time I took geography was in the 5th grade. I remember making topographical maps & dioramas of biomes. It was a fun segment of the science course for me because it seemed like half art class, half science. Beyond this portion of a science class in the 5th grade I have completed map activities, but always in the context of historical events, not the science of physical structures and processes.
I mentioned in class this week that I took geography because it isn’t math intensive. While this is the primary reason, I have also always been interested in cartography & have been known to get lost daydreaming about places on maps while in class. I also find it fascinating that two cultures on either side of an imaginary line can be so distinct and different. While I get the impression from the greensheet that this class it not a social geography class, I hope to become more familiar more names and information about various nations so that I have more broad view of the world and what is happening within it.
Another geography-related subject I am interested in is humanity’s impact on the earth and what we can do to stop the damage we are inflicting on the land and resources we depend on. I want to know if there are any drastic, sweeping solutions possible because I am not convinced that the small ones are having any effect. It seems that there are so many hypothesis out there about whether or not global warming is real and what we can do to stop it that we have become oversaturated with information, & I want to get the real, scientific facts.
I have been keeping my journals in word files on my laptop & uploaded them to this blogger account I created this weekend. I have labeled them for each class session, & made sure to put them in sequential order. I'll upload new posts directly to blogger now that I have the page up & running.
Rachel
The last time I took geography was in the 5th grade. I remember making topographical maps & dioramas of biomes. It was a fun segment of the science course for me because it seemed like half art class, half science. Beyond this portion of a science class in the 5th grade I have completed map activities, but always in the context of historical events, not the science of physical structures and processes.
I mentioned in class this week that I took geography because it isn’t math intensive. While this is the primary reason, I have also always been interested in cartography & have been known to get lost daydreaming about places on maps while in class. I also find it fascinating that two cultures on either side of an imaginary line can be so distinct and different. While I get the impression from the greensheet that this class it not a social geography class, I hope to become more familiar more names and information about various nations so that I have more broad view of the world and what is happening within it.
Another geography-related subject I am interested in is humanity’s impact on the earth and what we can do to stop the damage we are inflicting on the land and resources we depend on. I want to know if there are any drastic, sweeping solutions possible because I am not convinced that the small ones are having any effect. It seems that there are so many hypothesis out there about whether or not global warming is real and what we can do to stop it that we have become oversaturated with information, & I want to get the real, scientific facts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)