Hurricane Fran
Hurricanes are classified on the Saffir/Simpson Hurricane Damage-Potential scale. This scale assigns a number from 1 to 5 based on the potential disaster the winds and storm surge of the hurricane may cause. The scale was developed by Herbert Saffir and Robert Simpson in 1971. It’s primarily used today for allowing disaster agencies to prepare for imminent storms and for general public awareness.
The following is a link to the National Weather Service’s Hurricane Wind Scale Summary Table. In a nutshell, the categories mean:
Category 1 – Winds: 74 to 95 mph. Storm surge: 4 to 5 feet above normal. Damage primarily to trees and unanchored mobile homes. Some coastal flooding.
Category 2 – Winds: 96 to 110 mph. Storm surge: 6 to 8 feet. Some damage to roofs, doors, windows, trees and shrubbery; flooding damage to piers.
Category 3 – Winds: 111 to 130 mph. Storm surge: 9 to 12 feet. Some structural damage; large trees blown down; flooding near shoreline and possibly inland; mobile homes destroyed.
Category 4 – Winds: 131 to 155 mph. Storm surge: 13 to 18 feet. Extensive damage to doors and windows; major damage to lower floors near shore; terrain may be flooded well inland.
Category 5 – Winds: in excess of 155 mph. Storm surge: more than 18 feet. Complete roof failure and some building failures; massive evacuation. Flooding causes major damage to lower floors of all shoreline buildings.
Source: http://www.sptimes.com/2007/04/15/Weather/How_hurricanes_are_cl.shtml.
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Earth Science, Weather Tags:
Image source: http://www.robertlpeters.com/
Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983), an American scientist, author, inventor and environmentalist is credited with coining the term “Spaceship Earth.” He used it to represent the need for our technology to be self-contained. Think of the earth as a spaceship… it has to produce it’s own fuel, food, and usable resources, as well as take care of its own waste products. Basically, the earth has to be as self-contained as a spaceship.
One quote attributed to Fuller: “We have not been seeing our Spaceship Earth as an integrally designed machine which to be persistently successful must be comprehended and serviced in total.” [Source: Ashworth, William. The Encyclopedia of Environmental Studies]
On another note, Fuller is perhaps most remembered for his architecture work which included design of the geodesic dome.
As of March 2011, there are two age-verified Americans over 114 years old. Besse Berry Cooper of Georgia and Walter Breuning of Montana. Besse was born on August 26, 1896 and Walter was born on September 21, 1896 (26 days her junior).
Image source: http://supercentenarianstudy.blogspot.com/
According to Wikipedia, there are less than 100 verified centenarians (persons living past the age of 100). And of centenarians, about 1 in 1,000 will live to be a super-centenarian (one who is living into their 12th decade.) Even rarer, is one who lives past the age of 115, which current estimates predict only 1 in 50,000 centenarians will reach.
An interesting study is observing the trend life expectancies have been changing over the past century. The following graph is the average life expectancy in the United States for each decade since 1900.
Note, statistics weren’t as accurately kept for the first part of the century but the overall trend is probably fairly accurate. Source of these data: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. The report can be downloaded here.
As there are many varieties of each, the easiest way to tell the difference is by looking at the leaves and cones. Generally, spruce trees have hanging (pendulous) cones and angular, four-sided needles (see picture on the left). The cones of fir trees are usually more erect and their needles are much flatter. Common spruces are the Blue Spruce Tree (the Colorado Blue Spruce Tree is one of the most beautiful, and often harvested as a Christmas tree), and the Norway Spruce Tree. Common fir trees are the Alpine Fir and the Noble Fir (also often used as a Christmas tree.
Image credit: craterlakeinstitute.com.
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Source: hikingtripreports.com, 2008
In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand was the first person to make it to the top of Mt. Everest. He was immediately by Tenzing Norgay of Nepal. The two were part of an eleven man expedition led by Colonel John Hunt. Of the eleven men in their party, only four were able to attempt the final trek to the summit.
Colonel Hunt picked Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans for their party’s first attempt. They got within 100 meters of the summit, but couldn’t make it all the way to the top. Hillary and Norgay reached the summit on May 29, 1953 at 11:30 a.m. Even though Hillary placed Read more…
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Full question, asked by Bob M. I keep a plastic bag of salt on the floor of my garage to melt ice during our Iowa winters. It doesn’t get all used up each season so it just sits there until the next year. This week I’ve noticed a small trail of water on the floor coming from under the bag. It hasn’t rained for 10 days though the year has been exceptionally wet. I assume the salt has absorbed moisture from the air but why is it releasing it now? Do solids behave like gasses in-that they can hold more moisture when warm than cold?
First, let’s do a quick review of why warm air can hold more moisture than cold air. Considering the phase diagram of water (a sample is shown above), at constant pressure, the only variable to determine if it exists as a solid, liquid or gas is Read more…
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Many of the processes that happen in the human body are chemical in nature and involve chemical reactions. While a student can be very knowledgeable in any single one of the three major scientific fields (biology, chemistry and physics), to truly master biology he or she will need at least a fundamental understanding of chemistry and physics. Granted, a physicist or chemist can get by with knowing little biology, the same can’t Read more…
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