Saturday, February 26, 2011
I love Summer Season
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice. The date of the beginning of summer varies according to climate, culture and tradition, but when it is summer in the southern hemisphere it is winter in the northern hemisphere, and vice versa. In areas of the tropics and subtropics, the wet season occurs during the summer. Tropical cyclones develop and roam the tropical and subtropical oceans during the summer. In the interior of continents, thunderstorms can produce hail during the afternoon and evening. Schools and universities typically have a summer break to take advantage of the warmer weather and longer days.
I love Spring Season
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and customs. At the spring equinox, days are close to 12 hours long with day length increasing as the season progresses.
Astronomically, the vernal equinox (usually 20 March in the Northern Hemisphere, and 22 or 23 September in the Southern Hemisphere), should be the middle of spring (based on the angle of the sun and insolation) and the summer solstice (usually 21 June in the Northern Hemisphere and 21 December in the Southern Hemisphere) should be the middle of summer (because the sun is at its highest), but daytime temperatures lag behind insolation by several weeks because the earth and sea have thermal latency and take time to warm up.
Some cultures, such as those that devised the Celtic and East Asian calendars, call the spring equinox "mid-spring", but others (especially in the USA and sometimes in England) regard it as the "first day of spring". For most temperate regions, signs of spring appear long before the middle of March, but the folklore of 21 March being the "first day of spring" persists, and 21 June as the "first day of summer" is common in the USA. In South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, spring begins on 1 September, and has no relation to the vernal equinox.
In South America, the Tupi-Guarani calendar, from the former inhabitants of what is presently Brazil, counted 365 days, plus a fourth part of a day, needing no extra day every four years. The beginning of the solar year was marked by the rising of the M25 Constellation in the horizon, which occurs between June 5 and June 11 in this part of the world. For these native peoples, the four seasons were clearly identified by the solstices and equinoxes. The trajectory of the Sun throughout the year was divided into "The New Age" (Ara Pyau) and "The Old Age" (Ara Ymã). Ara Pyau was spring and summer, and Ara Ymã was autumn and winter. This calendar, which had no graphed or written form, marked activities such as hunting, fishing, planting, harvesting and religious rituals.
In East Asian Solar term, spring begins on 4 February and ends on 5 May. Similarly, according to the Celtic tradition, which is based solely on daylight and the strength of the noon sun, spring begins in early February (near Imbolc or Candlemas) and continues until early May (Beltane).
The phenological definition of spring relates to indicators, the blossoming of a range of plant species, and the activities of animals, or the special smell of soil that has reached the temperature for micro flora to flourish. It therefore varies according to the climate and according to the specific weather of a particular year.
Definition
Meteorologists generally define four seasons in many climatic areas: spring, summer, autumn (or fall) and winter. These are demarcated by the values of their average temperatures on a monthly basis, with each season lasting three months. The three warmest months are by definition summer, the three coldest months are winter, and the intervening gaps are spring and autumn. Spring, when defined in this manner, can start on different dates in different regions. In terms of complete months, in most North Temperate Zone locations, spring months are March, April and May (Summer is June, July, August; autumn is September, October, November; winter is December, January, February). The vast majority of South Temperate Zone locations will have opposing seasons with spring in September, October and November.
Plafond Allegory of Spring by Jerzy Siemiginowski, 1680s
Some cultures, such as those that devised the Celtic and East Asian calendars, call the spring equinox "mid-spring", but others (especially in the USA and sometimes in England) regard it as the "first day of spring". For most temperate regions, signs of spring appear long before the middle of March, but the folklore of 21 March being the "first day of spring" persists, and 21 June as the "first day of summer" is common in the USA. In South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, spring begins on 1 September, and has no relation to the vernal equinox.
In South America, the Tupi-Guarani calendar, from the former inhabitants of what is presently Brazil, counted 365 days, plus a fourth part of a day, needing no extra day every four years. The beginning of the solar year was marked by the rising of the M25 Constellation in the horizon, which occurs between June 5 and June 11 in this part of the world. For these native peoples, the four seasons were clearly identified by the solstices and equinoxes. The trajectory of the Sun throughout the year was divided into "The New Age" (Ara Pyau) and "The Old Age" (Ara Ymã). Ara Pyau was spring and summer, and Ara Ymã was autumn and winter. This calendar, which had no graphed or written form, marked activities such as hunting, fishing, planting, harvesting and religious rituals.
In East Asian Solar term, spring begins on 4 February and ends on 5 May. Similarly, according to the Celtic tradition, which is based solely on daylight and the strength of the noon sun, spring begins in early February (near Imbolc or Candlemas) and continues until early May (Beltane).
The phenological definition of spring relates to indicators, the blossoming of a range of plant species, and the activities of animals, or the special smell of soil that has reached the temperature for micro flora to flourish. It therefore varies according to the climate and according to the specific weather of a particular year.
I love Winter Season
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.
Accumulations of snow and ice are mostly associated with winter in the Northern Hemisphere, due to the large land masses there. In the Southern Hemisphere, the more maritime climate and the relative lack of land south of 40°S makes the winters milder; thus, snow and ice are less common in inhabited regions of the Southern Hemisphere. In this region, snow occurs every year in elevated regions such as the Andes, the Great Dividing Range in Australia, and the mountains of New Zealand, and also occurs in the southerly Patagonia region of South America. Snow occurs year-round in Antarctica.
Also, many[citation needed] mainland European countries tend to recognize Martinmas or St. Martin's Day (11 November), as the first calendar day of winter. The day falls at midpoint between the old Julian equinox and solstice dates. Also, Valentine's Day (14 February) is recognized by some countries as heralding the first rites of spring, such as flowers blooming.
In Chinese astronomy and other East Asian calendars, winter is taken to commence on or around 7 November, with the Jiéqì (known as 立冬 lì dōng—literally, "establishment of winter").
The three-month period associated with the coldest average temperatures typically begins somewhere in late November or early December in the Northern Hemisphere and lasts through late February or early March. This "thermological winter" is earlier than the solstice delimited definition, but later than the daylight (Celtic) definition. Depending on seasonal lag, this period will vary between climatic regions.
Cultural influences such as Christmas creep may have led to the winter season being perceived as beginning earlier in recent years, although high latitude countries like Canada and Russia are usually well into their real winters before the December solstice.
Meteorology
Meteorological winter is the season having the shortest days and the lowest average temperatures, which have the coldest weather. This corresponds to the months of December, January and February in the Northern Hemisphere, and June, July and August in the Southern Hemisphere. The coldest average temperatures of the season are typically experienced in January in the Northern hemisphere and in June or July in the Southern hemisphere. Nighttime predominates the winter season, and in some regions it has the highest rate of precipitation as well as prolonged dampness because of permanent snow cover or high precipitation rates coupled with low temperatures, precluding evaporation. Blizzards often develop and cause many transportation delays. A rare meteorological phenomenon encountered during winter is ice fog, which comprises ice crystals suspended in the air; it occurs only at very low temperatures, below –30°C (–22°F).[1]
Accumulations of snow and ice are mostly associated with winter in the Northern Hemisphere, due to the large land masses there. In the Southern Hemisphere, the more maritime climate and the relative lack of land south of 40°S makes the winters milder; thus, snow and ice are less common in inhabited regions of the Southern Hemisphere. In this region, snow occurs every year in elevated regions such as the Andes, the Great Dividing Range in Australia, and the mountains of New Zealand, and also occurs in the southerly Patagonia region of South America. Snow occurs year-round in Antarctica.
Period
Astronomically, the winter solstice, being the day of the year which has fewest hours of daylight, ought to be the middle of the season, but seasonal lag means that the coldest period normally follows the solstice by a few weeks. In the USA (and sometimes in Britain) the season is regarded as beginning at the solstice and ending on the following equinox — in the Northern Hemisphere, depending on the year, this corresponds to the period between 21 or 22 December and 20 or 21 March. In the UK, meteorologists consider winter to be the three coldest months of December, January and February. In Scandinavia, winter traditionally begins on 14 October and ends on the last day of February. In many countries in the Southern Hemisphere, including Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, winter begins on 1 June and ends on 31 August. In Celtic nations such as Ireland (using the Irish calendar) and in Scandinavia, the winter solstice is traditionally considered as midwinter, with the winter season beginning 1 November, on All Hallows, or Samhain. Winter ends and spring begins on Imbolc, or Candlemas, which is 1 or 2 February . This system of seasons is based on the length of days exclusively. (The three-month period of the shortest days and weakest solar radiation occurs during November, December, and January in the Northern Hemisphere and May through July in the Southern Hemisphere.)
Also, many[citation needed] mainland European countries tend to recognize Martinmas or St. Martin's Day (11 November), as the first calendar day of winter. The day falls at midpoint between the old Julian equinox and solstice dates. Also, Valentine's Day (14 February) is recognized by some countries as heralding the first rites of spring, such as flowers blooming.
In Chinese astronomy and other East Asian calendars, winter is taken to commence on or around 7 November, with the Jiéqì (known as 立冬 lì dōng—literally, "establishment of winter").
The three-month period associated with the coldest average temperatures typically begins somewhere in late November or early December in the Northern Hemisphere and lasts through late February or early March. This "thermological winter" is earlier than the solstice delimited definition, but later than the daylight (Celtic) definition. Depending on seasonal lag, this period will vary between climatic regions.
Cultural influences such as Christmas creep may have led to the winter season being perceived as beginning earlier in recent years, although high latitude countries like Canada and Russia are usually well into their real winters before the December solstice.
I love Autumn Season
Autumn (also fall in American English) is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March (Southern Hemisphere) when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier.
The equinoxes might be expected to be in the middle of their respective seasons, but temperature lag (caused by the thermal latency of the ground and sea) means that seasons appear later than dates calculated from a purely astronomical perspective. The actual lag varies with region, so some cultures regard the autumnal equinox as "mid-autumn" whilst others with a longer lag treat it as the start of autumn. Meteorologists (and most of the temperate countries in the southern hemisphere) use a definition based on months, with autumn being September, October and November in the northern hemisphere, and March, April and May in the southern hemisphere.
In North America, autumn is usually considered to start with the September equinox. In traditional East Asian solar term, Autumn starts on or around 8 August and ends on about 7 November. In Ireland, the autumn months according to the national meteorological service, Met Éireann, are September, October and November.[5] However, according to the Irish Calendar which is based on ancient Celtic traditions, autumn lasts throughout the months of August, September, and October, or possibly a few days later, depending on tradition. In Australia, autumn officially begins on 1 March and ends 31 May.[6] The vast diversity of the ecological zones of the South American, African and Australian continents renders the rigid European, North Asian and North American seasonal calendar an imposed cultural concept rather than relevant to climactic conditions. The seasonal cycles as named and described by the various indigenous Aboriginal peoples of Australia differ substantially from one another according to their local geographical and ecological environment and are intricately dependent on local environmental events and resources.
The word autumn comes from the Old French word autompne (automne in modern French), and was later normalised to the original Latin word autumnus.[8] There are rare examples of its use as early as the 12th century, but it became common by the 16th century.
Before the 16th century, harvest was the term usually used to refer to the season, as it is common in other West Germanic languages to this day (cf. Dutch herfst and German Herbst). However, as more people gradually moved from working the land to living in towns (especially those who could read and write, the only people whose use of language we now know), the word harvest lost its reference to the time of year and came to refer only to the actual activity of reaping, and autumn, as well as fall, began to replace it as a reference to the season.[9][10]
The alternative word fall is now mostly a North American English word for the season. It traces its origins to old Germanic languages. The exact derivation is unclear, the Old English fiæll or feallan and the Old Norse fall all being possible candidates. However, these words all have the meaning "to fall from a height" and are clearly derived either from a common root or from each other. The term came to denote the season in 16th century England, a contraction of Middle English expressions like "fall of the leaf" and "fall of the year".[11]
During the 17th century, English emigration to the British colonies in North America was at its peak, and the new settlers took the English language with them. While the term fall gradually became obsolete in Britain, it became the more common term in North America, where autumn is nonetheless preferred in scientific and often in literary contexts.
The equinoxes might be expected to be in the middle of their respective seasons, but temperature lag (caused by the thermal latency of the ground and sea) means that seasons appear later than dates calculated from a purely astronomical perspective. The actual lag varies with region, so some cultures regard the autumnal equinox as "mid-autumn" whilst others with a longer lag treat it as the start of autumn. Meteorologists (and most of the temperate countries in the southern hemisphere) use a definition based on months, with autumn being September, October and November in the northern hemisphere, and March, April and May in the southern hemisphere.
In North America, autumn is usually considered to start with the September equinox. In traditional East Asian solar term, Autumn starts on or around 8 August and ends on about 7 November. In Ireland, the autumn months according to the national meteorological service, Met Éireann, are September, October and November.[5] However, according to the Irish Calendar which is based on ancient Celtic traditions, autumn lasts throughout the months of August, September, and October, or possibly a few days later, depending on tradition. In Australia, autumn officially begins on 1 March and ends 31 May.[6] The vast diversity of the ecological zones of the South American, African and Australian continents renders the rigid European, North Asian and North American seasonal calendar an imposed cultural concept rather than relevant to climactic conditions. The seasonal cycles as named and described by the various indigenous Aboriginal peoples of Australia differ substantially from one another according to their local geographical and ecological environment and are intricately dependent on local environmental events and resources.
The word autumn comes from the Old French word autompne (automne in modern French), and was later normalised to the original Latin word autumnus.[8] There are rare examples of its use as early as the 12th century, but it became common by the 16th century.
Before the 16th century, harvest was the term usually used to refer to the season, as it is common in other West Germanic languages to this day (cf. Dutch herfst and German Herbst). However, as more people gradually moved from working the land to living in towns (especially those who could read and write, the only people whose use of language we now know), the word harvest lost its reference to the time of year and came to refer only to the actual activity of reaping, and autumn, as well as fall, began to replace it as a reference to the season.[9][10]
The alternative word fall is now mostly a North American English word for the season. It traces its origins to old Germanic languages. The exact derivation is unclear, the Old English fiæll or feallan and the Old Norse fall all being possible candidates. However, these words all have the meaning "to fall from a height" and are clearly derived either from a common root or from each other. The term came to denote the season in 16th century England, a contraction of Middle English expressions like "fall of the leaf" and "fall of the year".[11]
During the 17th century, English emigration to the British colonies in North America was at its peak, and the new settlers took the English language with them. While the term fall gradually became obsolete in Britain, it became the more common term in North America, where autumn is nonetheless preferred in scientific and often in literary contexts.
Calculate duration between two dates with time
This service calculates the duration, counting the number of years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds between two moments in time. If you only need the day count, without hours/minutes/seconds fields, please see the Date duration calculator instead.CLICK HERE FOR TIME BETWEEN TWO MOMENTS
February 28
February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 306 days remaining until the end of the year (307 in leap years).
The Gregorian calendar attempts to keep the vernal equinox on or soon before March 21; hence it follows the vernal equinox year. The average length of this calendar's year is 365.2425 mean solar days (as 97 out of 400 years are leap years); this is within one ppm of the current length of the mean tropical year (365.24219 days). The vernal equinox is estimated to fall back in the Gregorian calendar by one day by the year 4000 not because of this difference but because of the slowing down of the Earth's rotation and the associated lengthening of the sidereal day.
The Gregorian calendar attempts to keep the vernal equinox on or soon before March 21; hence it follows the vernal equinox year. The average length of this calendar's year is 365.2425 mean solar days (as 97 out of 400 years are leap years); this is within one ppm of the current length of the mean tropical year (365.24219 days). The vernal equinox is estimated to fall back in the Gregorian calendar by one day by the year 4000 not because of this difference but because of the slowing down of the Earth's rotation and the associated lengthening of the sidereal day.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
What should we do before, during and after an earthquake?
Steps
- 1Check for hazards inside your home. There are a number of specific hazards in your home that you can deal with before an earthquake occurs. Once they are properly secured, they become less of a hazard to you, your family, and your pets.
Beware of heavy books - place them on lower shelves
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- Fasten all shelves securely to the walls.
- Use brackets to attach wall units, bookcases, and other tall furniture to wall studs. Standard steel brackets are fine and easy to apply.
- Place large, heavy objects on lower shelves or on the floor. They might fall during an earthquake and the less distance they have to fall, the better. You can also screw objects onto things, such as a desk.
- Use non-slip mats to prevent heavy objects, or objects with a low center of gravity, from sliding. For example, fish bowls, vases, floral arrangements, statues, etc. Cut down to size if needed.
- Use invisible nylon cord to secure tall, heavy items that can topple over to the wall. Place an eye screw in the wall, and tie the thread around the object (such as a vase) and then tied it to the eye screw.
- Place breakable items (bottles, glass, china, etc.) in closed cabinets that have latches. Lock or latch them up so that the cabinet doors cannot fly open. Use poster tack/plastic putty to keep ornaments, figurines, and glassware adhered to shelves and mantelpieces. (There are even special commercial quake putties available.)
- Heavy pictures, light fixtures, and mirrors should be hung away from beds, couches, and anywhere that someone might sit. Conventional picture hooks will not hold pictures during an earthquake but they are easy to fix - simply push the hook closed, or use a filler material to fill the gap between the hook and its backing. Other alternatives include buying special art hooks, and ensuring that heavy painting have adequate, strong hooks, and strong cord.
- If you have any deep cracks in the ceiling or foundations, repair these immediately. You might need to consult an expert if there are signs of structural weakness.
- 2Evaluate your electrical wiring, electrical appliances, and gas connections. Do any repairs if needed. During an earthquake, faulty fittings and wiring can become a potential fire hazard. When securing appliances, be sure not to drill holes in them - use existing holes, or make loops from leather, etc., that can be glued onto an appliance.
- Keep appliances turned off and unplugged, so that the outlet is not near the metal part of the cord.
- Attach or secure appliances to prevent sliding. Non-slip mats are a good choice under smaller appliances, or try Velcro or rubber cups under legs.
- If the water heater topples over, you lose an excellent source of drinking water, so it pays to keep it intact and upright. Secure your water heater by strapping it to wall studs (not just the drywall) and bolting it to the floor. Either purchase straps as part of a plumbing kit, or make your own straps from perforated strapping. Use screws and turnbuckles to hold the heater in place. Screw or nail timber blocks to the floor around the heater. Fit timber blocks snugly behind the cylinder and wall and glue into place.
- Overhead light fixtures should be braced to prevent them from falling.
- 3Fix flammables. Fires after an earthquake can cause as much, if not more, damage than the earthquake. It is important to minimize the risk of fire by doing the following:
- Store flammable products in closed cabinets with latches on the bottom shelf.
- Attach gas bottles to the wall to prevent them from toppling over. Use a chain and hooks in the wall to keep it in place.
- Have flexible fittings placed on your gas pipes. A professional plumber will need to do this. It's also a good idea to have flexible fittings on your water pipes, so have these fixed at the same time.
- 4Look around your house. The house exterior should also be checked for weaknesses during an earthquake.
- If your house has a chimney, this can be a source of injury if it topples during an earthquake. Secure it to the walls of the house using galvanized metal angles and bands at the top, ceiling line, and base. The angles can be bolted to the wall, and to ceiling joists or rafters if you have cladding on the house. For the part of the chimney sitting above the roofline, brace it to the roof.
- Ensure that the house foundations are properly braced.
- 5Identify safe places both indoors and outdoors. Examples include: under sturdy furniture, against an inside wall (where the other side is not exposed to the outdoors), away from mirrors or windows, or in the open away from buildings and trees. If you don't need them anymore, you can throw them away.
- Read wikiHow's articles on How to survive an earthquake, Deal with being indoors during an earthquake, and How to react during an earthquake for more information on what to do during an earthquake.
- 6Educate yourself and those in your family about what your family should do in the event of an earthquake.
- Decide in advance on the best place to go during an earthquake and what they can do if you are incapacitated. Children should know how and when to call emergency services and someone besides yourself should be able to shut off your dwelling's gas, water, and electricity.
- If you have civil defense safety meeting points, be sure that every member of the family knows the location of the one closest to home, school, and work.
- Create an emergency communication plan that is known by every member of the family. Determine a central meeting place, in case you are separated before or during an earthquake.
- Ask an out-of-state family member or friend to serve as a central contact (and maybe you can be their contact too). Make sure everyone memorizes this person's phone number. Don't rely on cellular phones or radios for contact.
- Try to develop routes and methods for getting home after an earthquake has occurred. Since there is no precise time of day when an earthquake might strike, you may be at work, at school, on a bus, or in a train when one strikes. It is highly likely that you will need to know several ways to get home since roads and bridges will likely be obstructed for long periods of time.
- 7Prepare disaster supplies in advance. The following items are important to have readily available in your home, situated in a central location:
- Flashlight with extra batteries (preferably one for each individual)
- Portable, battery-operated radio with extra batteries
- Purchase and use "self powered radios" and "self powered flashlights". Batteries will be hard to find, if you can find them. Some models will charge cell phones, but the cell phone towers may be damaged, even destroyed.
- Purchase and use "glow sticks". These are safer than candles, since you will be dealing with ruptured gas lines, flammable, explosive gas.
- First aid kit and manual
- Emergency food and water (some sources say you should have up to 2 weeks worth of extra food on hand in case rescue workers cannot reach your location)
- Nonelectric can opener
- Essential medicines
- Cash and credit cards
- Sturdy shoes for each family member.
- 8Help your community to prepare. It can be as simple as printing this article and circulating it, or more elaborate like creating community meeting places and central food stores. Most schools and some workplaces in earthquake prone areas will practice regular drills and you might be able to offer your volunteer services to help carry out the drills.Find new products and get latest trends on Global Sources trade Mag
Crisis / Food Source
Emergency and Survival Preparedness Dehydrated Food / Survival Gear
www.crisisfoodsource.com
Video
Tips
- Remember the mantra: "Fix, fasten, forget."
- If you don't have the knowledge or ability to fix your home, ask for help. Ask your neighbors to lend a hand, other family members, or dial a handyman company that is good at fixing things for a reasonable price. Use qualified, reputable plumbers and electricians for all electrical and plumbing work.
- When looking online for items to help you quake proof your home, a good search term is "earthquake safety products".
- Confusion is the first thing after an earthquake. Try to eliminate confusion and worry by developing a communication plan that does not rely on cell phones, radios, or other portable devices. Creating a family reunion point is sensible, communicating this clearly to the family on a regular basis is essential, as we tend to revert to our basic training when in an emergency situation.
- If at all possible, avoid living near fault lines and large mountains in an earthquake-prone region. Not only will the damage to your home be more severe, but it will be more likely that you cannot get to your home if you are away from it.
- Make sure all gas lines are completely tightened. And do not turn any lights on after an earthquake!
- Consider keeping a pair of shoes, a flashlight and an energy bar under your bed. Similar items should be kept at your desk at work or school (for work, keep a pair of comfortable walking shoes ready).
Crisis / Food Source
Emergency and Survival Preparedness Dehydrated Food / Survival Gearwww.crisisfoodsource.com
edit Things You'll Need
- Plastic putty can be purchased from hardware stores, stationery stores, and supermarkets. Some art and antique galleries might also have suitable putties for sale.
- Non-slip mats or matting. Available from hardware stores.
- Furniture-to-wall braces, also reversed brackets. Available from hardware stores.
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- First-aid kit
- Portable radios with extra batteries
- Clothes (enough for a minimum of 3-5 days)
- Bottled water (enough for 1 gallon per person)
- Non-perishable food able to eat with minimal heat (ex. cereal bars)
- Baby formula and baby food if you have an infant
- Canned or packaged food for your pet(s)
- Any non-electrical source of entertainment
- Phone numbers of possible shelter if a cell phone is available and working
- "Self powered radios" and "self powered flashlights", glowsticks. Batteries will not be available and candle use will be forbidden due if there are ruptured gas lines, (or use your common sense if you smell gas). Find these radios at the local electrical supplies store, these lights, glowsticks at variety stores. Get these ahead of time and store somewhere that is easy to access.
Top 10 Natural Disasters
The earth’s weather is very mysterious. One day it is sunny the next it is raining. In fact, sometimes as you are driving down the road, you hit the “wall” between a sunny day and a sever thunderstorm. Man has spent years trying to predict weather patterns but it is still an inexact science. This is a list of the most common occurring disasters of nature:
10. Landslide Wikipedia
A landslide is a disaster involving elements of the ground, including rocks, trees, parts of houses, and anything else which may happen to be swept up. Landslides can be caused by an earthquake, volcanic eruptions, or general instability in the surrounding land. Mudslides or mudflows, are a special case of landslides, in which heavy rainfall causes loose soil on steep terrain to collapse and slide downwards.
9. Avalanche Wikipedia
An avalanche is a geophysical hazard involving a slide of a large snow or rock mass down a mountainside, caused when a buildup of material is released down a slope, it is one of the major dangers faced in the mountains in winter. As avalanches move down the slope they may entrain snow from the snowpack and grow in size. The snow may also mix with the air and form a powder cloud. An avalanche with a powder cloud is known as a powder snow avalanche. The powder cloud is a turbulent suspension of snow particles that flows as a gravity current.
8. Drought Wikipedia
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region suffers a severe deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average rainfall. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region. Although droughts can persist for several years, even a short, intense drought can cause significant damage and harm the local economy.
7. Wildfire Wikipedia
Wildfires, or forest fires, are uncontrolled fires burning in wildland areas. Common causes include lightning, human carelessness, arson, volcano eruption, and pyroclastic cloud from active volcano. The can be a threat to those in rural areas and also to wildlife. Wildfires can also produce ember attacks, where floating embers set fire to buildings at a distance from the fire itself.
6. Flood Wikipedia
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land, a deluge. It is usually due to the volume of water within a body of water, such as a river or lake, exceeding the total capacity of the body, and as a result some of the water flows or sits outside of the normal perimeter of the body. It can also occur in rivers, when the strength of the river is so high it flows right out of the river channel , usually at corners or meanders.
5. Tsunami Wikipedia
A tsunami is a series of waves created when a body of water, such as an ocean, is rapidly displaced. Earthquakes, mass movements above or below water, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions, landslides, large meteorite impacts comet impacts and testing with nuclear weapons at sea all have the potential to generate a tsunami. A tsunami is not the same thing as a tidal wave, which will generally have a far less damaging effect than a Tsunami.
4. Volcanic eruption Wikipedia
A volcanic eruption is the point in which a volcano is active and releases lava and poisonous gasses in to the air. They range from daily small eruptions to extremely infrequent supervolcano eruptions (where the volcano expels at least 1,000 cubic kilometers of material.) Some eruptions form pyroclastic flows, which are high-temperature clouds of ash and steam that can travel down mountainsides at speeds exceeding that of an airliner.
3. Tornado Wikipedia
Tornadoes are violent, rotating columns of air which can blow at speeds between 50 and 300 mph, and possibly higher. Tornadoes can occur one at a time, or can occur in large tornado outbreaks along squall lines or in other large areas of thunderstorm development. Waterspouts are tornadoes occurring over water in light rain conditions.
2. Earthquake Wikipedia
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes are recorded with a seismometer, also known as a seismograph. The magnitude of an earthquake is conventionally reported on the Richter scale, with magnitude 3 or lower earthquakes being mostly imperceptible and magnitude 7 causing serious damage over large areas. Intensity of shaking is measured on the modified Mercalli scale. At the Earth’s surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking and sometimes displacement of the ground.
1. Hurricane Wikipedia
Hurricanes, tropical cyclones, and typhoons are different names for the same phenomenon: a cyclonic storm system that forms over the oceans. It is caused by evaporated water that comes off of the ocean and becomes a storm. The Coriolis Effect causes the storms to spin, and a hurricane is declared when this spinning mass of storms attains a wind speed greater than 74 mph. Hurricane is used for these phenomena in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans, tropical cyclone in the Indian, and typhoon in the western Pacific.
Contributor: Ravyn
This article is licensed under the GFDL. It uses material from the Wikipedia articles: Natural Disasters and those mentioned in the body of the article itself.
10. Landslide Wikipedia
A landslide is a disaster involving elements of the ground, including rocks, trees, parts of houses, and anything else which may happen to be swept up. Landslides can be caused by an earthquake, volcanic eruptions, or general instability in the surrounding land. Mudslides or mudflows, are a special case of landslides, in which heavy rainfall causes loose soil on steep terrain to collapse and slide downwards.
9. Avalanche Wikipedia
An avalanche is a geophysical hazard involving a slide of a large snow or rock mass down a mountainside, caused when a buildup of material is released down a slope, it is one of the major dangers faced in the mountains in winter. As avalanches move down the slope they may entrain snow from the snowpack and grow in size. The snow may also mix with the air and form a powder cloud. An avalanche with a powder cloud is known as a powder snow avalanche. The powder cloud is a turbulent suspension of snow particles that flows as a gravity current.
8. Drought Wikipedia
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region suffers a severe deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average rainfall. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region. Although droughts can persist for several years, even a short, intense drought can cause significant damage and harm the local economy.
7. Wildfire Wikipedia
Wildfires, or forest fires, are uncontrolled fires burning in wildland areas. Common causes include lightning, human carelessness, arson, volcano eruption, and pyroclastic cloud from active volcano. The can be a threat to those in rural areas and also to wildlife. Wildfires can also produce ember attacks, where floating embers set fire to buildings at a distance from the fire itself.
6. Flood Wikipedia
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land, a deluge. It is usually due to the volume of water within a body of water, such as a river or lake, exceeding the total capacity of the body, and as a result some of the water flows or sits outside of the normal perimeter of the body. It can also occur in rivers, when the strength of the river is so high it flows right out of the river channel , usually at corners or meanders.
5. Tsunami Wikipedia
A tsunami is a series of waves created when a body of water, such as an ocean, is rapidly displaced. Earthquakes, mass movements above or below water, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions, landslides, large meteorite impacts comet impacts and testing with nuclear weapons at sea all have the potential to generate a tsunami. A tsunami is not the same thing as a tidal wave, which will generally have a far less damaging effect than a Tsunami.
4. Volcanic eruption Wikipedia
A volcanic eruption is the point in which a volcano is active and releases lava and poisonous gasses in to the air. They range from daily small eruptions to extremely infrequent supervolcano eruptions (where the volcano expels at least 1,000 cubic kilometers of material.) Some eruptions form pyroclastic flows, which are high-temperature clouds of ash and steam that can travel down mountainsides at speeds exceeding that of an airliner.
3. Tornado Wikipedia
Tornadoes are violent, rotating columns of air which can blow at speeds between 50 and 300 mph, and possibly higher. Tornadoes can occur one at a time, or can occur in large tornado outbreaks along squall lines or in other large areas of thunderstorm development. Waterspouts are tornadoes occurring over water in light rain conditions.
2. Earthquake Wikipedia
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes are recorded with a seismometer, also known as a seismograph. The magnitude of an earthquake is conventionally reported on the Richter scale, with magnitude 3 or lower earthquakes being mostly imperceptible and magnitude 7 causing serious damage over large areas. Intensity of shaking is measured on the modified Mercalli scale. At the Earth’s surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking and sometimes displacement of the ground.
1. Hurricane Wikipedia
Hurricanes, tropical cyclones, and typhoons are different names for the same phenomenon: a cyclonic storm system that forms over the oceans. It is caused by evaporated water that comes off of the ocean and becomes a storm. The Coriolis Effect causes the storms to spin, and a hurricane is declared when this spinning mass of storms attains a wind speed greater than 74 mph. Hurricane is used for these phenomena in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans, tropical cyclone in the Indian, and typhoon in the western Pacific.
Contributor: Ravyn
This article is licensed under the GFDL. It uses material from the Wikipedia articles: Natural Disasters and those mentioned in the body of the article itself.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine's day spreads what
What do you think of when you hear "˜Valentine's Day"? For most, images of deep red roses, candy hearts, boxes of chocolates, construction paper trimmed with lace and little soft puppies with pink bows instantly come to mind. Valentine's Day is about romance, the proverbial cupid shooting his potion filled arrows straight into lover's hearts. Everyone knows that Valentine's Day is meant for love but we forget that love encompasses so much more then just what is between couples. Listed below is ten unexpected ways to spread love on Valentine's Day.
1.) Visit a Battered Woman's Shelter. All of these women have seen nothing but the bad side of what should have been a loving relationship. Bring goodies and encouragement cards. Buy a few cheap teddy bears for the children that need something soft to hold onto in the new strange environment. Restore their faith in humanity. This would be a great project to get a whole group of friends involved. (Just contact the local shelter for any limitations or restrictions they have about visitors. A lot of them might let you drop these things off but not actually visit with the people that are staying there. This done for security and protection reasons, so do not become offended if you are refused entry. This is why it is important to call ahead.)
2.) Visit the Children's Ward at the local hospital. You can bring so much to these kids and their families. Once again call ahead to see how many patients are in the ward. Do not forget to ask about siblings that may be there also. These children are often overlooked when a brother or sister gets sick and can also go through the common feelings of helplessness and guilt. They need to be assured that they are important as individuals as well as to their sibling's recovery process.
3.) Bring gifts to a homeless shelter. Contact one ahead of time and find out the needs of various people that are staying there. Along with cards wrap up the practical things such as shoes and put a little red heart sucker under the bow that ties up the package. This is a great community event and you can talk to local stores to contribute items on the list you receive from the shelter.
4.) Visit a Single Moms Group Home. Along with the standard needs of diapers and formula bring little trinkets to these girls whose lives are now spent doing nothing but making a life for their child. Most of these young women have had children at a very young age and even the smallest mom necklace or charm bracelet will make their day.
5.) Spend the day at a Nursing Home. A lot of the people here have lost their lover and have no one to reminisce about their marriage to. Because of the various individual dietary guidelines, I would advice you not to bring any chocolates or candy to pass out. Stick to little cards or figurines from your local dollar store. This is another good project for a large group of friends to get involved with. You can brighten someone's monotonous day and you might be surprised that you would like to continue to visit there. An adopted Grandma or Grandpa might be waiting for you.
1.) Visit a Battered Woman's Shelter. All of these women have seen nothing but the bad side of what should have been a loving relationship. Bring goodies and encouragement cards. Buy a few cheap teddy bears for the children that need something soft to hold onto in the new strange environment. Restore their faith in humanity. This would be a great project to get a whole group of friends involved. (Just contact the local shelter for any limitations or restrictions they have about visitors. A lot of them might let you drop these things off but not actually visit with the people that are staying there. This done for security and protection reasons, so do not become offended if you are refused entry. This is why it is important to call ahead.)
2.) Visit the Children's Ward at the local hospital. You can bring so much to these kids and their families. Once again call ahead to see how many patients are in the ward. Do not forget to ask about siblings that may be there also. These children are often overlooked when a brother or sister gets sick and can also go through the common feelings of helplessness and guilt. They need to be assured that they are important as individuals as well as to their sibling's recovery process.
3.) Bring gifts to a homeless shelter. Contact one ahead of time and find out the needs of various people that are staying there. Along with cards wrap up the practical things such as shoes and put a little red heart sucker under the bow that ties up the package. This is a great community event and you can talk to local stores to contribute items on the list you receive from the shelter.
4.) Visit a Single Moms Group Home. Along with the standard needs of diapers and formula bring little trinkets to these girls whose lives are now spent doing nothing but making a life for their child. Most of these young women have had children at a very young age and even the smallest mom necklace or charm bracelet will make their day.
5.) Spend the day at a Nursing Home. A lot of the people here have lost their lover and have no one to reminisce about their marriage to. Because of the various individual dietary guidelines, I would advice you not to bring any chocolates or candy to pass out. Stick to little cards or figurines from your local dollar store. This is another good project for a large group of friends to get involved with. You can brighten someone's monotonous day and you might be surprised that you would like to continue to visit there. An adopted Grandma or Grandpa might be waiting for you.
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