Eutrophication

Picture 1: Seven Cities Lagoon

Not everything pretty is good

Every day we watch on TV news about water courses polluted. Near us, the creek of ‘Marrases’ is a very good example of it.
Water is considered contaminated when its' compositions are changed for the presence of strange substances.
Industry, cattle and agriculture are the principal responsiblity of this water pollution courses.
The subject of this post will be the eutrophication of the seven cities lagoon in Azores.
On the lands surrounding the lagoon, the agriculturists use fertilizers and pesticides. The excess of these substances is dragged to the lagoon and the water stays rich in nutrients. The nutrients presents in the lagoon promote the phytoplankton’s grown and multiplication. The phytoplankton accumulated on the surface of the water form one layer that obstruct the solar light and the submerged plants die because they can’t product their own aliment and oxygen without light. Consequence of it death, the compositors fed from it and spend all the oxygen present in water which will provoke the death of the fishes and other animals that lives in this lagoon.
The consequence of eutrophication is an enormous lack of oxygen.
So, when we look to the Seven Cities Lagoon and we have a great impression of it, it doesn’t correspond to good water, because life is only allowed to exist in the surface. But there are methods to prevent eutrophication. Methods like, chemical treatments, artificial airing and removal of plants.

‘Not everything that seems is.’

Picture 2: Seven Cities Lagoon

Sources: http://www.propertyopportunitiesbyowner.com/lagoa_das_7cidades.jpg

http://img.olhares.com/data/big/77/777161.jpg

Carolina

Global Warming

Picture 1: Facories polluting the atmosphere

Atmospheric Pollution (greenhouse effect)

Global Warming results from the industrial development which leads to a better life in the society.
Everything starts with the Industrial Revolution.
The appearing of factories, which every day, trough their chimneys put in the atmosphere tons of gases which cause the greenhouse effect.
Cars, which circulate 24 hours a day, to can move realize combustions and one of the products of this combustion are gases, that trough the exhaust pipes free gases to the atmosphere that will join to the gases released from the factories increasing the greenhouse effect.
If we join the gases that results from the domestic activities to this factors we can conclude that in the developed countries, every day are realized activities that contributes for the changes of the constituents or it concentration in the atmosphere.
Another global warming cause is the deforestation because they are the only ‘factories’ that can remove Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and return Oxygen (O2) to the atmosphere.
The global warming has awful consequences like ice melting, habitats destruction, sea level rise, more precipitation, more hurricanes and storms, extinction of species, less drinkable water available and ecosystems will change.
It depends of us take conscience of the attitudes that we have to take in the day-by-day to avoid the increasing of the global warming. The same has to happen with the factories which need to have chimneys biggest with filters to be able to hold back some substances produced and release others in big distances.
The government of all the countries has to implement a politic with the objective: Preserve the environment!

There are many solutions to this problem. Solutions like improvements to energy efficiency and vehicle fuel economy, increases in wind and solar power, the increase in the use of natural gas and nuclear power and the increasing of forestlands.
Planet Earth is only one and it has to be of everyone.

Why to ruin if we can improve?!

Sources: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/

Carolina

Drought

Picture 1: Drought Picture 2: Drought Picture 3: Drought

A drought is a long phase of months or even years when a region remarks an insufficiency in its water supply. In general, this occurs when a region receives continually lower standard precipitation. The agriculture and the ecosystem of the affected area can suffer substantial impacts because of droughts. The damages of a drought, even a short drought can be devastating in the local and in the economy. This phenomenon has a wide impact on agriculture. ‘The United Nations estimates that an area of fertile soil the size of Ukraine is lost every year because of drought, deforestation and climate instability’.

- Causes

- High pressure systems;
- Winds carrying continental;
- Oceanic air masses;
- High pressure areas;
- Oceanic and atmospheric weather cycles (El Niño-Southern Oscillation);
- Deforestation;
- Erosion;
- Climate change.

- Consequences

- Diminished crop growth or yield production and carrying capacity for livestock;
- Wildfires;
- Shortages of water for industrial users;
- Dust storms;
- Malnutrition, dehydration and related diseases;
- Famine (because of the lack of water for irrigation);
- Social unrest;
- Mass migration, resulting in internal displacement and international refugees;
- War over natural resources, including water and food;
- Reduced electricity production due;
- Reduced water flow because of hydroelectric dams;
- Snakes migration and increases in snakebites;
- Erosion of landscape;
- Damages of terrestrial and aquatic habitat.

- Stages of drought

- Meteorological: when there is a prolonged period with less than average precipitation. This kind of drought usually precedes the other kinds of drought.

- Agricultural: affects crop production or the ecology of the range. This condition can also arise independently from any chance in precipitation levels when soil conditions and erosion provoked by a bad planned agricultural endeavors cause a shortfall in water available to the crops. However, in a traditional drought, it is caused by an extended period of below average precipitation.

- Hydrological: when the water reserves available in sources like aquifers, lakes and reservoirs falls below the statistical average.

- How to prevent?

- Desalination of sea water;
- Drought monitoring;
- Land use (carefully planned to help minimize erosion);
- Rainwater harvesting;
- Recycle water;
- Irrigation in drought-prone areas;
- Water restrictions;
- Cloud seeding;

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drought#Drought_mitigation_strategies

http://keetsa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/drought.jpg

http://www.naringalchurch.org/images/Drought%20branch.jpg

http://www.rcdnet.org/Documents/Drought/Drought%20Pix.jpg

Carolina

Flood

A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land.
‘Flowing water’, may also be applied to the inflow of the tide.
Flooding may result from the volume of water within a body of water, such as a river or lake, exceeding the total capacity of it.
The word comes from the Old English 'flod', a word common to Teutonic languages.

- Principal types of flood

- Riverine floods;

- Estuarine floods;

- Coastal floods;

- Catastrophic floods;

- Muddy floods;

- Other (Floods can occur if water accumulates across an impermeable surface and cannot rapidly dissipate)

- Typical effects

Primary effects:

- Physical damage: Can range anywhere from bridges, cars, buildings, sewer systems, roadways, canals and any other type of structure.

- Casualties: People and livestock die from drowning. It can also lead to epidemics and diseases.

Secundary effects:

- Water supplies: Contamination of water. Drinkable water becomes scarce.

- Diseases: Unhygienic conditions.

- Crops and food supplies: Shortage of food crops can be caused by the loss of entire harvest.

- Trees: Some species can die from suffocation.

Tertiary - Long-term effects:

- Economic (decline in tourism, rebuilding costs, food shortage leading to price increase, and more).

- Some flood defences, planning, and management

- Levees;
- Bunds;
- Reservoirs;
- Sea walls;
- Beach nourishment.

- Flood clean-up safety

This kind of activities next floods usually signify hazards to the people involved in this kind of work. There are all kind of dangers in this work, so they have to use protections to avoid any kind of damages.

-Benefits of flooding

Floods, usually represents awful effects on human life. On the other hand, floods can also be good. Flooding can bring benefits like making soil more fertile and providing nutrients in which it is deficient. In the past, periodic floods were vital to the welfare of primordial communities like the Egyptians.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flooding

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/tfx/hydro/FAW/HorseBridge.png

http://climatex.org/media/images-image-image/Flood_thames.jpg

Carolina

Pollution of the Oceans

Pollution & the sea

Like oil and waterOne significant impact of human activity upon the oceans is marine pollution. It is not just oil pollution from accidents and illegally discharged tank cleaning wastes. Besides the high visibility of oil spills upon marine environments the total quantities involved are reduced by those of pollutants introduced from other sources (including domestic sewage, industrial discharges, leakages from waste tips, urban and industrial run-off, accidents, spillage, explosions, sea dumping operations, oil production, mining, agriculture nutrients and pesticides, waste heat sources, and radioactive discharges).

Land based sources are estimated to account for around 44 percent of the pollutants entering the sea and atmospheric inputs account for an estimated 33 percent. By contrast, maritime transport accounts only for around 12 percent.

Toxic chemicals

The input of man-made chemicals to the oceans potentially involves a huge number of different substances. 63,000 different chemicals are thought to be in use worldwide with 3000 accounting for 90 percent of the total production tonnage. Each year, anywhere up to 1000 new synthetic chemicals may be brought into the market.

Of all these chemicals some 4500 fall into the most serious category. These, known as persistent organic pollutants, they're resistant to breakdown and have the potential to accumulate in the tissues of living organisms (all marine life), causing hormone disruption which can cause reproductive problems, induce cancer, suppress the immune system and interfere with normal development in children.

Oil

The most visible and familiar form of pollution is oil pollution caused by tanker accidents and tank washing at sea, and in addition to the gross visible short term impacts, severe long term problems can also result. In the case of the Exxon Valdez (name of an oil tanker) which ran aground in Alaska in 1989, biological impacts from the oil spill can still be identified 15 years after the event. The Prestige, which sank off the Spanish coast late in 2002, resulted in huge economic losses as it polluted more than 100 beaches in France and Spain and effectively destroyed the local fishingindustry.

Alyssa

Acid Rain

- Definition

Precipitation that presents an acid pH because of the presence of acids which are formed by the reaction of the sulphur and the nitrogen with the atmospheric water that form the precipitation, essentially rain.

- Acid rain formations

Sulphur dioxide and nitric oxides are primary contaminants (they are formed directly from the combustion or from the evaporation of coal and derivates from petrol.
The cars that use derivates from petrol release to the air sulphur dioxide and nitric oxides. These gases react with the atmospheric water and because of that they are changed into secondary contaminants (sulfuric acid and acid nitric). The water that is full of these acids will kill everything where it falls.
The human being contributes with 130/150 millions of tons of sulphur dioxide and 60/70 millions of tons of nitric oxides.

- Acid rain can affect:

- Surface waters and aquatic animals;
- Soils;

- Forests and other vegetation;

- Human health;

- Acid rain can also cause damage to certain building materials and historical monuments (e.g. Battle monastery - Portugal)

- Affected areas:

- Most of Europe (particularly Scandinavia);

- Many parts of U.S.A. (states like New York);

- South Western Canada;

- South Eastern coast of China;

- Taiwan.

- Potential problem areas in the future:

- Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand;

- Western South Africa (the country);

- Southern India;

- Sri Lanka;

- West Africa.

- Prevention methods

- Conserve energy;

- Collective transports utilization;

- Use of subway;

- Use less pollutant power;

- Use fuels with less sulphur.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_rain

http://www.abae.pt/programa/EE/escola_energia/2006/Conteudos/sala1/sala1_8.jpg

Carolina

Plants extinction

An international team of scientists has published a new analysis showing that as plant species around the world go extinct, natural habitats become less productive and contain fewer total plants a situation that could ultimately compromise important benefits that humans get from nature.

Example

Hundreds of medicinal plants are at risk of extinction, threatening the discovery of future cures for disease, according to experts.
Over 50% of prescription drugs are derived from chemicals first identified in plants.
But the Botanic Gardens Conservation International said many were at risk from over-collection and deforestation.
Researchers warned the cures for things such as cancer and HIV may become "extinct before they are ever found". They identified 400 plants that were at risk of extinction. (Magnolias are one of hundreds of plants under danger)

Adriana

Volcano eruptions

A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet's surface or crust, which allows hot, molten rock, ash, and gases to escape from below the surface. Volcanic activity involving the extrusion of rock tends to form mountains or features like mountains over a period of time.

Volcanoes are generally found where tectonic plates are diverging or converging. Volcanoes are usually not created where two tectonic plates slide past one another.

Active of eruption , with those that erupt regularly called active, those that have erupted in historical times but are now quiet called dormant and those that have not erupted in historical times called extinct.

Scientists usually consider a volcano to be active if it is currently erupting or showing signs of unrest, such as unusual earthquake activity or significant new gas emissions. Many scientists also consider a volcano active if it has erupted in historic time

Extinct volcanoes are those that scientists consider unlikely to erupt again, because the volcano no longer has a lava supply. Examples of extinct volcanoes are many volcanoes on the Hawaiian islands in the U.S.

It is difficult to distinguish an extinct volcano from a dormant one because volcanoes are usually considered to be extinct if there are no written records of its activity. Many volcanoes may remain dormant for a long period of time and it is not uncommon for a so-called "extinct" volcano to erupt.

Adriana

Hurricanes

Hurricanes are cyclones that develop over the warm tropical oceans and have sustained winds in excess of 64 knots (74 miles/hour). These storms are capable of producing dangerous winds, torrential rains and flooding, all of which may result in tremendous property damage and loss of life in coastal populations.

For every year, there is a pre-approved list of names for tropical storms and hurricanes. These lists have been generated by the National Hurricane Center since 1953. At first, the lists consisted of only female names; however, since 1979, the lists alternate between male and female.

2009 Hurricane Names

Ana Bill Claudette Danny Erika Fred Grace Henri Ida Joaquin Kate Larry Mindy Nicholas Odette Peter Rose Sam Teresa Victor Wand

The Saffron-Simpson Hurricane Scale is utilized to determine the relative strengths of hurricanes that may impact the United States coast. Since the 1990s, only wind speed has been used to categorize hurricanes.

Category One Hurricane

• Maximum Sustained Wind Speed: 74-95 miles per hour
• Damage Category: Minimal
• Approximate Pressure: Above 980 mb
• Approximate Storm Surge: 3-5 feet
• Examples: Hurricane Lili (2002) in Louisiana; Hurricane Gaston (2004) in South Carolina

Category Two Hurricane

• Maximum Sustained Wind Speed: 96-110 miles per hour
• Damage Category: Moderate
• Approximate Pressure: 979-965 mb
• Approximate Storm Surge: 6-8 feet
• Example: Hurricane Isabel (2003) in North Carolina

Category Three Hurricane

• Maximum Sustained Wind Speed: 111-130 miles per hour
• Damage Category: Extensive
• Approximate Pressure: 964-945 mb
• Approximate Storm Surge: 9-12 feet
• Examples: Hurricane Katrina (2005) in Louisiana; Hurricane Jeanne (2004) in Florida; Hurricane Ivan (2004) in Alabama

Category Four Hurricane

• Maximum Sustained Wind Speed: 131-155 miles per hour
• Damage Category: Extreme
• Approximate Pressure: 944-920 mb
• Approximate Storm Surge: 13-18 feet
• Example: Hurricane Charley (2004) in Florida; Hurricane Iniki (1992) in Hawaii; the Galveston Hurricane (1900) in Texas

Category Five Hurricane

• Maximum Sustained Wind Speed: Above 155 miles per hour
• Damage Category: Catastrophic
• Approximate Pressure: Below 920 mb
• Approximate Storm Surge: More than 18 feet
• Examples: Only three Category 5 hurricanes have struck the United States since records began: The Labor Day Hurricane (1935) in the Florida Keyes, Hurricane Camille (1969) near the mouth of the Mississippi River, and Hurricane Andrew (1992) in Florida.

Adriana

Earthquakes

An Earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust . Earthquakes are recorded with a seismometer, also known as a seismograph.
At the Earth's surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking and sometimes displacing the ground. When a large earthquake epicenter is located offshore, the seabed sometimes suffers sufficient displacement to cause a tsunami.
Earthquakes are caused mostly by rupture of geological faults, but also by volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and nuclear experiments.

What should you do?
You will never have warning that an earthquake is coming. To make sure you and your house are prepared, you should:
• Secure cupboards and bookcases to the wall using bolts. Also try to keep heavy objects on lower shelves so they won’t fall on you during an earthquake.
• Make sure your water heater is secured to a wall. That way, it won’t fall during an earthquake and hurt someone or start a fire.
• If you live in an area that has a lot of earthquakes, make sure that your home is bolted to your foundation. Although this might be expensive, it could save you from a lot of damage to your house during an earthquake.
• Have a disaster plan.

Here are some tips of what to do during an earthquake:
• Do NOT go outside.
• Take cover under a desk, table, or other large and stable piece of furniture. Hold on to it.
• Stay away from windows, heavy furniture, appliances, mirrors, pictures, and anything else that could fall and hurt you.
• If you are driving when an earthquake happens, stop the car if it’s safe. Stay inside your car until the earthquake stops, and don’t drive near bridges or tunnels. Try not to stop by power lines, light posts, signs, or trees.
• Stay alert for falling objects.
• Do NOT use matches, lighters, or candles. If there is a broken gas line, you could spark a fire or explosion.
• Do NOT use elevators. There might be a power outage due to the earthquake, and you could get stuck in the elevator.
After the earthquake stops, here’s what you should do:
• Check yourself and others for injuries. Call 911 if you or someone else needs immediate medical assistance. If the phone lines are not working, try using a cell phone.
• Check to see if electric, water, and gas lines are damaged. If they are, shut off the valves
• Stay away from damaged buildings and areas
• Listen to the radio for more information.

Adriana

Tsunamis

A tsunami is a series of waves created when a body of water, such as an ocean, is rapidly displaced. Due to the immense amount of water and energy involved, the effects of tsunami can be devastating.

Signs of an approaching Tsunami
Their is often no advance warning of an approaching tsunami. However, since earthquakes are often a cause of tsunami, any earthquake occurring near a body of water may generate a tsunami. A tsunami is not a single wave but a series of waves, also known as a wave train. The first wave in a tsunami is not necessarily the most destructive.
Tsunami waves can be very long (as much as 60 miles, or 100 km) and be as far as one hour apart. They are able to cross entire oceans without great loss of energy.
About 80% of all tsunamis can happed in the Pacific Ocean. Tsunamis also can be caused by landslides, volcanic explosions etc .


How can I protect myself from a tsunami?

What to do Before and During a Tsunami

- Turn on your radio to learn if there is a tsunami warning if an earthquake occurs and you are in a coastal area.
- Move inland to higher ground immediately and stay there.
- Stay away from the beach. Never go down to the beach to watch a tsunami come in. If you can see the wave you are too close to escape it.

What to Do After a Tsunami
- Stay away from flooded and damaged areas until officials say it is safe to return.
- Stay away from debris in the water; it may pose a safety hazard to boats and people.
- Save yourself - not your possessions

Know Your Tsunami Terms
-Advisory
An earthquake has occurred in the Pacific basin, which might generate a tsunami.

-Warning
A tsunami was, or may have been generated, which could cause damage; therefore, people in the warned area are strongly advised to evacuate.

-Watch
A tsunami was or may have been generated, but is at least two hours travel time to the area in Watch status.
Adriana

Deforestation

Deforestation

Environmental issues have, in the last two decades, received and great deal of publicity and study. Acid Rain, Global Warming and Pollution have been studied extensively. As it has been linked as a human activity to the destruction of the planet that supports our activities, an issue that requires consideration is deforestation and how it affects the natural bio-diversity and balance that has put the planet Earth under stress.

Deforestation refers to the long term loss or conversion of forest cover. It occurs through human actions when deforested areas are prevented from naturally regenerating. Forests are capable of recovering from any destruction like fire, floods, volcanic eruptions and ice ages. What is surprising is that, the recovery of forests that are destroyed through human implication recover faster than forests destroyed through natural causes.

Deforestation varies according to the region. In tropical forests of the world clearing of the land for agricultural and ranching activities are the primary reasons for deforestation. Overpopulation in cities and unequal distribution of land has accelerated the interruption of the rainforest.

According to the World Resources Institute, more than eighty percent of the Earth’s natural forests already have been destroyed. In recent years, the mid-south portion of Tennessee has experienced this devastating event. On a global level, everyone is affected. From a tribal member who lives in a tropical rain forest in Brazil to a local resident of middle Tennessee can be affected.

Impacts of Deforestation: Biodiversity Impacts

Although tropical forests cover only about 7 percent of the Earth’s dry land, they probably have about half of all species on Earth. Many species are so specialized to microhabitats within the forest that they can only be found in small areas.

Their specialization makes them vulnerable to extinction. In addition to the species lost when an area is totally deforested, the plants and animals in the parts of forest that remain also become increasingly vulnerable, sometimes even committed, to extinction. The edges of the fragments dry out and are buffeted by hot winds; mature rainforest trees often die standing at the margins. Huge changes in the types of trees, plants, and insects that can survive in the fragments rapidly reduces biodiversity in the forest that remains.

Alyssa

Endangered dolphins

Specie like the dolphin are endangered, it means that if this situation is not dealt with properly, soon we might see their specie disappear from our oceans, which seems like its already happening.

Endangered dolphins should be well protected by environmental laws such as the laws protecting common dolphins.Dolphins are endangered for three main reasons and all of them are related to humans.

● the first reason is since both tuna and dolphins follow the same routes, dolphins get caught in the fishermen's nets which are meant to catch tuna. In this case, they get fatally hurt.

● the second reason is fishing for use in human's cuisine. Nowadays, dolphins are protected by laws but nonetheless between 200,000 and 500,000 dolphins were victimized by fishermen during the 1960-1972 years. Also, even if some laws protect dolphins, it allows a certain amount of dolphins to be accidentally caught which still has a negative impact on the dolphins' species.

● the last but not least is pollution, since humans are polluting rivers, seas and oceans, it affects dolphins. Also, since the dolphin is at the top of the food chain, the chemicals that pollute its habitat create the highest level of concentration of these pollutants in its body, as a result, diseases, difficulty to reproduce or even death of these species.

Dolphins aren’t the only victims up to 22,000 dolphins, porpoises and small whales are brutally killed each year by Japanese fishermen in three different hunts. In the last two decades, over 400,000 dolphins and small whales have been killed in and around the coast of Japan.

Alyssa

Penguins dealing with ice melting.

Melting sea ice and over fishing have triggered a dangerously rapid decline in penguin populations on the Antarctic Peninsula, a direct result of global warming. Temperatures on the frozen continent are rising five times faster than the global average due to the unprecedented rate of climate change, pushing for species close to extinction.

Warmer temperatures are forcing penguins to raise their young on increasingly thinner and more precarious ice floes, while stronger winds mean many eggs and chicks are being blown away from their parents before they are able to survive on their own.

The gentoo, chinstrap and adélie along with the emperor, the largest penguin species in the world are now struggling to survive as melting sea ice destroys nesting sites and reduces vital food sources, such as krill.

As the ice melts, these icons of the Antarctic will have to face an extremely tough battle to survive. One of the coldest environments in the world is actually seeing some of the fastest rates of global warming, and unless action is taken to reduce global CO2 emissions, the future of many Antarctic species looks bad.

The report, entitled Antarctic Penguins and Climate Change, warns sea ice in the West Antarctic peninsula has receded by 40% during the past 26 years, causing certain colonies to decline by as much as 66%.

Alyssa

Seals

Hunting seals in Canada!

Sealing(witch is the sport of hunting seals) is an off-season activity conducted by fishermen from Canada's East Coast. They make, on average, a small fraction of their annual incomes from sealing, and the rest from commercial fisheries. Even in Newfoundland, where 90 percent of sealers live, the government estimates there are less than 6,000 fishermen who actively participate in the seal hunt each year. Hunters are usually permitted to kill around 325,000 harp seals in March and April. The furs are made into coats and other clothes and there is a growing market for seal oil, which is high in omega 3 fatty acids.

How Many Seals Are Killed Each Year?

Hundreds of thousands.Over the past three years, nearly one million seals have been killed. The current kill levels are higher than they have been in half a century. During the 2006 hunt, the Canadian government allowed fishermen to club and shoot at least 354,344 seals. And the actual number of seals killed is probably far higher than the number reported. Many seals are shot at and injured in the course of the hunt, and studies suggest that a significant number of these animals slip beneath the surface of the water, where they die slowly and are never found.

What's there reason?

The only reason to the question why do these people do this to harmless animals like Seals and any other animal that man kills just to sell there skins or any other part of there body what is there reason; the only reason is selfishness and money, some people don’t care what they have to do to get lots of money, well our world is the result every day we suffer consequences on man kinds selfishness, and some people just want to get to the top no matter how even if that means killing harmless animals that can’t do anything to fight back. That’s why in Canada killing seals is so popular because people are cruel and just want money; like in 2004 the value of seal harvest was worth $16.5 million. This disgusting what they call sport should stop and animals should suffer for what people do.

Alyssa