A2: Global Warming and Greenhouse Effect

Fact or Myth? Cause and Effect. Solutions and Dissolutions.

Project Learn: Cycles of the Earth and Atmosphere -For general information about the atmosphere then this is a fantastic starting point

Remember the Greenhouse Effect is a GOOD thing!

• Greenhouse Effect - Great detailed information here including a good variey of pictures and diagrams
• The BBC - As usual from the Beeb a good basic starting point on the effect but a little watered down

Three Gorges Dam, China

An Environmental Catastrophe or Engineering Masterpiece?

What do you think?

China Online - A good overview which includes positives and negatives

Chinese People Daily - Some good pictures of the construction of the Dam

BBC Picture File - The Scale of the Dam is clearly shown here

The Tiger Leaping Forward Dam! - Now the Chines Government are thinking about building another dam!

CNN - China's biggest construction project since the Great Wall generates controversy at home and abroad

Sediment problem eased at Three Gorges - Siltation at Three Gorges was always going to be a problem. From The China Daily

Cracks appear in Three Gorges dam - The Guardian Reported problems with the Dam just after the reservoir was filled

Hidden danger behind Three Gorges dam - Could an Earthquake Destroy the Three Gorges Dam?

Year 13 Sahel Project

Here are a list of links which should help you with your Sahel Project

1. Myths and Misconceptions about Solving the Desertification Problem in Africa
2. Damage to fragile environments: farming in the Sahel Management issues
3. Satellite Image of the Sahel
4. Sahel Fieldtrip! Choose your country
5. THE OECD (Orgainization for Economic Cooperation and Development ) Sahel Club

Kobe Earthquake

Your job is to research the Kobe Earthquake using the headings from your Assessment which are:

1. An Explaination of Why Earthquakes occur in Japan
2. An Explaination of Why the Kobe Earthquake was so Disastrous
3.Describe what happened to Mr and Mrs Endo and why
4.Suggest the ways people can prepare and respond to Earthquakes.

You can use my Internet Page at www.prettejohn.net as well as the Eartquake Assesment Guide at the SLN site.

Population Birth Rates and Death Rates

Hello Year 8!

Scroll down the page for information on birth rate and death rates for countries of the world. REMEMBER! You have to do the following sum to work out the Natural Increase.

Birth Rate - Death Rate = Natural Increase

Don't worry if it's a negative number this means that there country's population is decreasing.
The Links are:

1. From Encarta
2. From Infoplease (Use the 2004 Number)

Here is a link for a new outline map.

Outline Map

Here are some good general Population Sites

• People Facts and Figures
• The World FactBook Information and Maps on every country in the World
• World Population to the Second!
• A World Population Clock (Need Java to Work on your Computer)

The Great Storm of 1987

Michael Fish , the BBC weatherman, got it wrong!! After hearing from an old lady that there was a hurricane on the way he said 'Don't worry, there isn't a hurricane on the way'.

It was the fourth most strongest storm since records began and 18 people died, 15 million trees were blown down and £1.9 billion of damage was done to properties.

You can find good information including Weather Charts at the Met Office page. There is a good link here which includes satellite sequence from MeteoSat of the event.

So was it powerful storm or a hurricane as widely reported? Please email any further links you find regarding this famous storm.

Well done Georgina Gormley! Great site found which has historical Synoptic Charts. Find it here

A Lava fountain, Kilauea, Hawaii. 

Volcanoes and Earthquakes

Today's Blog Search is really for Year 9 who are currently just starting their Year 9 topic on Volcanoes and Earthquakes.

This site has a lot of information about Stromboli in Italy including some great eruption clips (be aware they may take a while to download). Volcano World is a comprehensive site on many different volcanoes. Select this link for a list of continents and their respective volcanoes. A top vulcanologist has put together a large list of volcanoes here.

You can find an excellent flash animation of a volcanic eruption at the Savage Earth website but make sure you've downloaded Macromedia Flash first.

Earth's Active Volcanoes is another site which has a comprehensive list of the World's active volcanoes.

Should you wish to try making a volcano at home then this is the link for you. Maybe you could ask an Art Teacher or make a paper mache volcano at home. Just be careful!!

Welcome!

So here it is the Grand Opening of Mr PJ's Online Blog. I want to create a Blog which has Geographical Articles of Interest along with some escapism links. Please feel free to comment on my Blog.

This is a slightly auspicious date to start my Blog being 9/11 2004 and it seems that certain parts of the world are undergoing their own national disaster at this time. Jamaica appears to be recovering from the most powerful hurricane in its history, Hurricane Ivan. Interestingly Hurricanes or Tropical Cyclones, to use their scientifically correct name, are not simply named on a whim by meteorologists but are named by the World Meteorological Organization according to the time in the Hurricane season when they start.

Blue Planet