Current+Events

Current Events -- Question & Answers:

Question: What is a tsunami? Answer: T sunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. Out in the depths of the ocean, tsunami waves do not dramatically increase in height. But as the waves travel inland, they build up to higher and higher heights as the depth of the ocean decreases. The speed of tsunami waves depends on ocean depth rather than the distance from the source of the wave. Tsunami waves may travel as fast as jet planes over deep waters, only slowing down when reaching shallow waters. While tsunamis are often referred to as tidal waves, this name is discouraged by oceanographers because tides have little to do with these giant waves. The largest tsunami on record rushed past Ishigaki Island, Japan, in 1971. It was an incredible 84.7 meters (278 feet) high. While it caused little damage, the giant wall of water relocated a 750-ton block of coral 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) inland. //For more information:// NOAA Deep-ocean Assesment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART)Map and Real-time DART DataNOAA Tsunami ProgramNational Geophysical Data Center NOAA Enhances Its Ability to Provide Tsunami Warnings (NOAA 200th Anniversary Web site)

Website: Current Events Question:
 * On February 20, 2012, the United States celebrated the 50th Anniversary of an event that changed space travel at that time. The Friendship 7 was a rocket that orbited our planet three times then. Who was on this mission and what did it accomplish? **

John Glenn was the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth. This monumental achievement took place on February 20, 1962. It opened the doors for space travel and for Americans to land on the moon. @http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/glenn50/
 * Answer: **

Erinn Dowling

Question: On April 20, 2010 the largest oil spill in U.S history occurred spilling between 17-39 million gallons of oil. How has the oil spill affected animal life and are animals still affected today?

Answer:

Animal life has been affected tremendously. Over 8000 birds, mammals and turtles have been reported dead or injured including those on the endangered species list, not to mention the aquatic life. Only 6% of the animals affected by the spill have been cleaned and are reported as alive, but many biologists and scientists would argue that these animals will die due to after effects.

Lasting effects surviving animals are experiencing : -neurological disorders -kidney disease -liver disease -reproductive systems eliminated or lowered which is extremely imperative to the endangered species

http://www.nwf.org/news-and-magazines/national-wildlife/animals/archives/2010/oil-spill-species.aspx

--Amber Lynn


 * Question:**

**This video is believed to be in the Bahamas, where scuba divers are swimming with sharks and capture a close encounter with some tiger sharks....**
media type="youtube" key="08bxZWlSuVA" height="315" width="560"


 * Why is a Leap year every four years?**

First off what is a leap year? A leap year is a year consisting of 366 days and it occurs every four years. Leap years are needed to keep our Gregorian Calendar in alignment with Earth's revolutions around the sun. The Earth takes 365.242199 days – or 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds to completely go around the sun. If the 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds were added after four years it would add up to about 23.25 hours or an extra day, hence this is why we have a leap year (or extra day February 29th) once every four years.
 * Answer:**

The Gregorian calendar has only 365 days in a year, so if we didn't add a day on February 29 nearly every 4 years, we would lose almost six hours off our calendar every year. After 100 years, our calendar would be off by approximately 24 days.

Sources: http://www.timeanddate.com/date/leapyear.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/time/leapyear/

-Mike-

__**Question**__: **About a year ago, in March 2011, a devastating tsunami hit the northeastern coast of Japan. What is a tsunami and what causes one?**

__**Answer**__: A tsunami is a series of huge traveling ocean waves that can cause great devastation when they strike a coast. Tsunamis are caused by an underwater earthquake, a volcanic eruption, an sub-marine rock slide, or, most rarely by an asteroid or meteoroid crashing into in the ocean from space. Most tsunamis are caused by underwater earthquakes, but not all underwater earthquakes cause tsunamis. An earthquake must be over a magnitude of 6.75 on the Richter scale for it to cause a tsunami. About 90 percent of all tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean. Many can be detected before they hit land with the use of modern technology, including seismographs (which detect earthquakes), computerized offshore buoys that can measure changes in wave height, and a system of sirens on the beach to alert people of potential tsunami danger.

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-Gabriella Cozza