2008 Essay Contest Finalist

Entry by Morgan Halsey

Whether you live in Virginia Beach or in some other city in the world, you are affected by natural processes. What is also interesting is that natural processes are interconnected. Three examples of natural processes that residents of Virginia Beach are affected by are the moon making tides, lightning causing forest fires, and plants making oxygen through photosynthesis.

The moon and the ocean’s tides have an extraordinary relationship. The tides are created by the gravitational pull of the moon. Tides cause waves that break on the shore. This natural process aerates the oceans, making oxygen for the plankton. Since plankton is the foundation of the food chain, it is needed for humans to survive.

A second example of a natural process is lightning causing forest fires. Unstable weather can cause lightning, lighting can cause forest fires, forest fires produce smoke, and smoke can cause respiratory problems in humans. In June of 2008, many people in Virginia Beach experienced respiratory problems due to inhaling the smoke produced by a forest fire in northeastern North Carolina.

Photosynthesis is a third example of a natural process. This natural chemical process of sunlight combining with a plant’s water and carbon dioxide produces sugar and oxygen. Photosynthesis is connected to the sun because during the chemical process of photosynthesis, sunlight is a requirement for the plant’s food to be made. Photosynthesis is connected to oxygen because oxygen is released as a waste product from photosynthesis.

Natural processes are all around us, interconnecting with other natural forces. Many of their affects can be seen where you live, like the moon causing tides, lightning causing forest fires and smoke, and photosynthesis causing oxygen to be released in the air. These connections, and the subsequent results of each one, are truly amazing!