As an integral subsystem of the Earth system, plate tectonics has played a major role in determining the events that have taken place on Earth since its formation about 4.6 billion years ago.

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Earth & Astronomical Science

2. Effects of Plate Tectonics

As an integral subsystem of the Earth system, plate tectonics has played a major role in determining the events that have taken place on Earth since its formation about 4.6 billion years ago.  Share your ideas about the general effects that the changing positions of the continents and the redistribution of land and water over Earth’s surface have had on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere through time.  Make sure to brainstorm some specific, unique, examples to share!  

3. Earthquakes and Volcanoes and Mountains, Oh My!

Complete  BOTH  parts:

1) Research and share with the class a recent Earthquake  or  Volcanic Event that has occurred in the past 2 years and give a few brief details about the event.  

  –OR –  Research a Mountain chain you are interested in visiting or learning about and share the location, and HOW they formed in addition to any other interesting details. 

Include information such as:  – Location  – Type and formation – be specific using terms learned in class  – Mechanics of the Event – magnitude, size, etc.  – Any other interesting tid bits

 2) Discuss the more immediate or long term effects this earthquake/volcano/mountain formation will have or has already had on the Earth’s Biosphere, Hydrosphere and/or Atmosphere.  Brainstorm ideas and help each other out!

**Make sure to include URLs in your posts so we can all see where you got your information, but  DO NOT just copy from the website…give us your recap and insights!

Remember to post your unique thread then reply/discuss with at least two other classmates on different days.  Your original post does not need to be longer than 1-2 paragraphs, you don’t need to write a “book”.  Maybe have a few smaller “original” posts instead. 🙂

4. Lunar Surface through Time

Suppose you landed on the Moon and were able to travel around on your Lunar buggy allowing you to see a wide variety of rocks and topography. Your mission is to determine the age of the Lunar surface in addition to understanding the Moon’s evolution over time. You don’t have any laboratory equipment to work with and you left your mass spectrometer back on Earth (so you can’t use radiometric age dating).

Discuss the principles and tools you could use to determine relative ages of Lunar rocks and discuss evidence explaining how the Lunar surface has evolved through time.

In addition – Share some info you know about the lunar surface!

*Remember to reply to at least two other students on two different days and ask good questions! Also, make sure to answer questions asked of you!

5. Earth, Moon and Sun

Discuss how the interactions between Earth and its Moon influence the Earth system? If Earth did not have a Moon, how might the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere be different?

In addition, discuss how the interactions between Earth and the Sun influence the Earth system?

*Remember to discuss with at least two other classmates!

6. Pluto – Planet or Odd Man Out?

Scientists are learning a lot of new information about Pluto lately thanks to the New Horizons Mission that flew by Pluto this summer! But, still Pluto has be booted out of the planet designation. Do YOU think Pluto should still be considered a planet in our solar system? Explain, and give research facts to support your opinion, and make sure to include terms learned in the course. How should scientists define a “Planet”? How do extrasolar planets fit into your definition of a planet?

**Also, reply to at least two other student’s posts on two different days for full credit.

**Remember to cite any sources your use

7. Discussion Board – Funding for Observatories

Imagine that you are responsible for funding the construction of observatories. After considering the proposals listed below (I’ve given each proposal a nickname to help in the discussion), state whether you would or would not recommend funding for each proposal and briefly explain your reasoning. Discuss with others in the class why or why not you have decided to fund or not fund these projects. Consider location, the type of instrumnet and what is proposed to be observed!

Proposal A – ‘X-ray’: A ground based X-ray telescope on the top of a mountain in Arizona designed to observe supernovae in distant galaxies.

Proposal B – ‘Infrared’: A space-based 3-meter reflecting infrared telescope designed to observe very distant galaxies.

Proposal C- ‘Optical’: A ground-based 8-meter refracting optical telescope located on the top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii designed to measure the spectra of binary stars in our galaxy.

Proposal D – ‘Radio’: A ground-based 250-meter radio telescope array in New Mexico designed to measure the distribution of hydrogen gas clouds in the disk of our galaxy.

8. -The Universe at Your University (or office park, home, or military base, etc….)

Discuss ways in which the McKendree University campus system (or your office park, or Military Base, or your neighborhood) involves all aspects of the “Universe”. Meaning, how are the fundamental particles, elements, matter, space and time of the Universe an integral part of the Hydrosphere, Geosphere, Biosphere and Atmosphere with this system.

The idea is to tie together everything you’ve learned in the course, the earth science concepts and astronomy. So think of (or go out to) an area like a university campus, a business park, a military base, a shopping center, or a neighborhood, these are all “systems”. Imagine standing (or actually go stand) in one of those areas…”look around” and think about everything that is involved in this system in front of you…what is part of earth science and what is part of astronomy that make this system whole?

**Hey, maybe go out to a mall/campus/base,etc. and look and think. Maybe include an image of the system you are using?! (e.g. take a picture of the campus, business park, base, or neighborhood you are thinking of for this discussion, and post it with your discussion!)

This is where you can be creative and explore this activity how it makes sense to you! How do YOU see the concepts we learned from both sciences being part of this system? Think back through all we’ve learned this term and bring it all together in your mind concerning this one system!

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