Daily Archives: April 26, 2008

Global Warming: Definitions,Causes,Trends, Effects and Climate Change

Posted on April 26, 2008 by

Definition of Global Warming: Gradual increase in the earth’s surface temperature. Popular usage definition: Warming caused by human activity. Technical term for this: Anthropogenic global warming. Definition of Greenhouse Gas: A gas, like CO2, which traps the sun’s heat. The … Continue reading →

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Acid rain: One of the most important environmental problems

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The term acid rain refers to what scientists call acid deposition.  It is caused by airborne acidic pollutants and has highly destructive results. Scientists first discovered acid rain in 1852, when the English chemist Robert Agnus invented the term.  From … Continue reading →

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Geological Time Scale

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The geological time scale What is the geological time scale? Historical records only go back a few thousand years, and are inadequate to treat most geological processes. To understand the timing of geological processes we need to look at the … Continue reading →

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Coral Reefs are the “Rainforests” of the ocean

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Coral Reefs Coral Reefs are the “Rainforests” of the ocean. Reefs are ecologically important ecosystems and have a high biodiversity that serves as a storage bank of rich genetic resources. They are a source of food and medicine, and they … Continue reading →

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Structure and composition of the Earth

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What makes Earth unique? Looking inside the Earth Chemical composition of the Earth Terms What makes Earth unique? Soon after the Earth formed, unique processes occurred – division into metallic core, silicate mantle and crust – which, along with surface … Continue reading →

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Magmatic processes and igneous intrusions

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Igneous intrusions Magma What is magma? Properties of magmas Chemical composition What is magma? Magma is hot molten mobile rock. Igneous rocks form when magma cools and solidifies. Magmas come out of active volcanoes as lavas. The most abundant magma … Continue reading →

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Metamorphism and metamorphic rocks

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Introduction The word metamorphism comes from Greek and means ‘change of form’. Thus, metamorphic rocks are pre-existing rocks whose mineralogy and/or texture has been changed by processes within the Earth. Metamorphic rocks form because of changes in temperature and depth … Continue reading →

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