NASA Satellite Data Helps Pinpoint Glaciers' Role in Sea Level Rise

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/glacier-sea-rise.html

           

            Recently, NASA has announced they are about to launch their second study on glaciers and ice sheets effects on sea level as they melt. This research plan by NASA is supposed to resolve the differences in estimates on how fast glaciers are disappearing and contributing to the rise in sea level. This study has found that glaciers outside of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have lost an average of 571 trillion pounds of mass every year during the six-year study period from 2003 to 2009. As the glaciers and ice sheets melt, the ocean level rises 0.03 inches a year. “The study help precisely constrain how much these glaciers as a whole are contributing to sea level rises,” said Alex Gardner, Earth scientist at Clark University in Massachusetts. The two satellites that recorded and compared data of ground measurements and led to the estimation of the loss of glaciers in all regions of the planet were NASA’s Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). Even though ICESat stopped operating in 2009, NASA plans to schedule a launch for the ICESat’s successor, ICESat-2 in 2016. Both this satellite and GRACE will continue to operate in order to detect variations in Earth’s gravity field resulting from changes in the planets mass distribution, including ice displacements.

            Most people believe that because global glacier mass is small that it is something that doesn’t need to be worried about. However, Tad Pfeffer, a glaciologist of the University of Colorado, said, “But it’s like a little bucket with a huge hole in the bottom: it may not last for very long, just a century or two, but while there’s ice in those glaciers, it’s a major contributor to sea level rising”. Rising sea level can contribute to an increased costal erosion, pollution, damage, flooding, disturbance of organisms, and safety of humans. Although we will not be affected during our own lifetime, those who will live after us will face many complications because of the risen sea levels.

            I found this article very interesting because it had a combination of what we have been learning in class and global warming, a topic that is discussed controversially by many people. This article provided a lot of detailed and structured information about the missions NASA has run in the past and those missions that are scheduled for the future. However, I did have to do additional research on the long and short term affects of a rising sea level. I felt this peace of information was important to add so the people reading this could retain a full understanding on how this topic is actually important. Life on Earth is at great risk all because of melting glaciers and rising sea levels. Overall, I thought this article was a good read and is great for students to research and find more information about.

            

Australopithecus Sediba: Fossils of a human ancestor from 2,000,000 years ago

Australopithecus sediba

Fossils of a human ancestor from 2,000,000 years ago

http://geology.com/press-release/australopithicus-sediba/

         I read the article, Australopithecus Sediba: Fossils of a human ancestor from 2,000,000 years ago. This article was republished from an April 2010 press release. This article mainly focuses on some new, groundbreaking archaeological finds. Researchers working in South Africa have recently discovered two human fossil skeletons. These two human skeletons date back to almost two million years ago. The international research team, led by Lee Berger of the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, has come to the conclusion that these skeletons are of a new-found species, hominid. Hominids are also known as Australopithecus sediba, which is a combination of the names of the ape-like human ancestor species and the modern human. These researchers also discovered that this species mainly lived near Johannesburg, South Africa. The fossils that were discovered, unusually well-preserved were a young male and an adult female. After making this huge discovery that is the hominid species, scientists are trying to find more about how and on what this ancient species lived. 

Surprising Pollution Problem: Too Many Trees

http://www.livescience.com/34563-tree-pollution.html

            I read the article “Surprising Pollution Problem: Too Many Trees” by Jamie Workman. The article was about how trees are actually increasing the amount of pollution given off by the earth. Today, our Western forests are loaded with billions of trees. It might not sound bad to have too many trees but it is. This is bad because there are constant forest fires in these forests. The trees' canopies collectively intercept about 20 percent of snow and rain that will no longer be able to seep into the ground. Also, each additional tree sucks up about 18 gallons of moisture that would otherwise feed thirsty creeks. And, when the inevitable forest fires rage through over-forested lands, they burn hotter and faster, and are deadlier and costlier than other fires, thanks to all that extra fuel. They also spew huge amounts of carbon and asthma-inducing particulate matter into the air — a big fire is like setting a coal-fired power plant in the middle of a forest.

            However, there is a way to fix this problem. We need to surgically remove the bulk of the excess, small-diameter 'trash' trees through careful thinning. Western markets value an acre-foot of water at $450 to $650, which means that the annual worth of water taken up by excess trees throughout the Western forests may be more than $8.5 billion. To recover that water, private and local public entities could invest $1,000 per acre in people to cut down small trees, earning $1,500 worth of vital water per acre. This scenario would pay for itself, raise revenues, and boost jobs.

            Although this article was very interesting, there were some flaws to it. The author could have included how long this project would have taken to be completed. The author could have also included the opinions on this idea. Whether or not people believe this is a good idea? Overall, Jamie Workman did a great job in her article “Surprising Pollution Problem: Too Many Trees.”  

Hank Thomas
http://www.livescience.com/29259-nasa-rover-explores-greenland.html
  I read the article "To explore Greenland" by Douglas Main.  The article was about how NASA has decided to branch out their research into exploring our earth's mysteries as well as outer space.  They are starting this new project with a new solar powered rover that will be studying Greenland's ice sheets  from May 3rd to June 8th.  The rover will study how the ice formed and from that discover why they have been melting.  With this info they may be able to stop ice from melting all around the globe.  In order to gain this information the rover will send radio wave pulses into the ice to inform the researchers about the ice's characteristics and from there they can continue to find new things about the ice.
  Right now learning about the ice is a key thing for humanity's duty with nature.  Global warming gets worse each day and the pollution levels rise.  Forests and glaciers get smaller each day as well.  This rover will be a huge step to save these beautiful landscapes.
  I thought the author did a great job getting the information on the rover across.  It was well informed with a lot of detail.  I would have wanted to know more about what they were going to apply this new information on, but overall he did a great job.

Brendan Walsh

http://www.livescience.com/29318-solar-plane-pilot-bertrand-piccard.html

I read the article “Solar Plane’s Pilot Describes ‘Revolutionary’ Flight,” by Denise Chow. This article is about the first solar plane to fly across America. The plane’s name is Solar Impulse, and it has a cursing speed around 53 mph. This solar plane can fly day or night, and it uses absolutely no fuel. The creator of this idea is Bertrand Piccard, who is a big believer in promoting clean technologies. The idea of this cross-country flight is to promote clean technologies, and hopefully start something that could be very beneficial to our world. The plane runs on solar panels which collect energy, the solar panels are spread out along the wings.” Theoretically, you can fly forever with the airplane," Piccard said. This trip is part of an initiative called “Clean Generation,” Piccard and his crew wants to make a difference in the world. Their main goal is to increase support and awareness about clean technology, and what a difference it can make.

            As of right now we do not have the means to make solar panel commercial planes, but it is something to work towards in the future. This could without doubt be the start of something monumental.

            I thought the author did a great job writing this article, I felt well informed, and took away a lot of new knowledge. I honestly have nothing to critique about what the author said.