Project 6

Over the period of my weather study, I found that the weather was generally mild in temperature. There was light precipitation, and a steady cloud cover. The wind came and went with the change of the temperature. The study was covered between March 26th and and April 16th and covered statistics from temperature and Barometric pressure, to wind direction and time of the record. The was one of the most consistent stats staying between 29 and 31 all the time...I think this was do to the steady overcast conditions. Perhaps the most erratic stat was that of the high/low temperatures. The study was lengthy but interesting since I pay little attention to the weather anyways.

April Fool's-Project Three

On The 1st...we discussed "La Nina"(a cold water current in the Pacific Ocean) and the split jet stream. These two factors have been affecting the U.S.'s weather patterns for some time now. The forcast for April Fool's Day called for mild temperatures near 60 degrees for the day. Early that morning the temperature was around 60 degrees and, from there, dropped to near freezing temperatures. Lanslides fall into this scenerio because if the weather suddenly went from freezing to mild temeratures when snow was on the ground, the rapid melting would surely cause a horrible landslide.

http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/lanina.html

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-6680134.html

Project Two

For our second Lab we read about weather patterns and other aspects such as dewpoint, humidity, precipitation, etc. I learned that the more humid the air is...the more likely it is to precipitate. The temperature affects the type of precipitation and the moisture content also. If it is hotter...its likely to rain over snow, and will be more humid due to more evaporation. If its colder its more likely to snow, and will be less humid. Thats why Michigan has a muggy summer and dry, bitter winter. Lanslides occur more in areas with warmer, more humid climates where the chance of rain is high.

www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/bfcde69277302c6a0bc6d47bf39cdfb6.htm

http://www.planning.org/landslides/docs/causes.htm

Project One

Today we experimented with different mediums (Snow, Water, and Dirt) and how quickly they heated and cooled. I learned that the snow cooled the quickestand melted really fast under heat. This relates to landslides in that when snow melts, the water that is formed mixes with dirt and creates a soupy mixture. The mixture slides off the hillsides.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landslide

http://nationalatlas.gov/mld/landslx.html