Core Sampling
Posted on January 1, 0001
Core Sampling Activity Source: Society of Petroleum Engineers. Adapted with permission.
Core samples are small portions of a formation taken from an existing well and used for geologic analysis. The sample is analyzed to determine porosity, permeability, fluid content, geologic age, and probable productivity of oil from the site.
Drilling is the only way to be sure that oil and gas fields exist and exactly what is present in the formation.
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#natural resources
#energy
#dynamic planet
Cracked Plates & Tectonics
Posted on January 1, 0001
Cracked Plates & Tectonics Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Esri.
In this activity, you’ll investigate dynamics in Earth’s crust that explain multiple Earth science phenomena. For the full activity, go to http://esriurl.com/ESW2016.
Materials A computer/projector with internet connection Take these “tech tips.”
Measure: At the top of the map, click the Measure button. Hover and click the Distance button. Click continuously along what you want to measure. Double-click to finish.
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#tectonics
#plates
#oceans
#earthquake
#natural hazards
#boundaries
#continents
Critical Zone
Posted on January 1, 0001
Critical Zone Activity Source: Critical Zone Observatories
The Critical Zone (CZ) is defined as the zone at Earth’s land surface extending from the top of the vegetation canopy through soil to subsurface depths at which fresh groundwater freely circulates. This is the zone where most terrestrial life — including humanity — resides.
The U.S. Critical Zone Observatories (CZOs) provide important platforms for studying processes occurring in this zone. The CZOs aim to advance interdisciplinary studies of Earth surface processes, partly to recognize and predict variations in processes resulting from humans’ land use and climate change.
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Cupcake Core Sampling
Posted on January 1, 0001
Cupcake Core Sampling Activity Source: Adapted from Women in Mining Education Foundation Activities
This activity is ideal for a small group of students, a youth group, or a parent-child activity.
Purpose Trying to “see” what is beneath the surface of the Earth is one of the jobs of a geologist. Rather than digging up vast tracts of land to expose an oil field or to find some coal-bearing strata, core samples can be taken and analyzed to determine the likely composition of the Earth’s interior.
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#natural resources
#energy
Dangerous Atmosphere
Posted on January 1, 0001
Dangerous Atmosphere Activity Source: Adapted with permission by The Weather Channel.
Background How much of a danger does severe weather pose for the area where you live? You can compute the answer yourself in the exercise below. You may want to divide up tasks 6-13, one per student, and then compare results.
Materials A computer with Internet access Paper and pen to record findings Procedure 1. Identify your state and county.
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#atmosphere
#climate
#weather
Dating Popcorn
Posted on January 1, 0001
Dating Popcorn Activity Source: Association of American State Geologists. Adapted with permission.
How do geologists understand the Earth’s history? In part, they measure the age of rocks and other natural materials by dating techniques. They can date rocks by gauging the amount of decay of radioactive elements. The time necessary for half of any given amount of one element (the “parent element”) to decay to become another element (the “daughter element”) is called the element’s “half-life.
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#dynamic planet
#rocks
Deep-Sea Drilling
Posted on January 1, 0001
Deep-Sea Drilling Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Deep Earth Academy.
The JOIDES Resolution (JR) has physical dimensions unlike most oceangoing vessels. Why? So that scientists can sail nearly anywhere in the world to drill for samples of rocks and sediment from below the seafloor — in hopes of discovering clues about Earth’s history and structure, life in the deep biosphere, past climate change, earthquakes, and natural resources.
Note for teachers: The JR has a flat bottom, a 6.
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#oceans
#natural resources
Density of Minerals
Posted on January 1, 0001
Density of Minerals Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Minerals Education Coalition; Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration. Density is an intrinsic physical property of minerals that relates to the composition of the mineral and to the pattern in which the mineral’s atoms are arranged. “Intrinsic” means that the property is the same for the mineral, no matter what the size or shape of the sample.
In this activity, students will measure and compare the densities of minerals.
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#minerals
#analysis
#gold
#density
Design and Build a Water Filtration System
Posted on January 1, 0001
Design and Build a Water Filtration System Activity Source: United States Geological Survey. Adapted with permission.
Access to clean drinking water is necessary for human health. But how do we get clean water? What happens to our water between its source and our faucet? What parts of the environment might act as a water filter? How can humans filter water to make it cleaner? This activity will allow you to investigate the ability of materials to filter particles from water.
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Dig Into Soil
Posted on January 1, 0001
Dig Into Soil Activity Source: Wendy Greenberg, Soil Science Society of America. Adapted with permission.
Soil scientists often examine soils and record soil data outside. Soil is not just topsoil; it includes other horizons (soil layers) underneath the topsoil. So soil scientists use shovels or soil augers to get samples of many soil horizons. They record soil colors, textures, and types of living organisms for various soil horizons. They also record the location, vegetation, and topography of each soil.
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#soil