The Indian Ocean Essay Example for Free

The Indian Ocean Essay In 2004, the world most witnessed one of the most devastating natural disasters that had occurred in the last 100 years. On December 26th of that year, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean spawned an enormous tsunami that claimed the lives of thousands in the surrounding lands. In the months following the tsunami, many wondered what steps could be taken to minimize human loss in the event of such an unavoidable natural event. As a result, scientists began to seek an improved early alert system to detect tsunamis. Almost two years after the Indian Ocean earthquake, NASA’s Earth Observatory announced the development of a new seafloor pressure recording system that is designed to detect tsunamis shortly after their development. The new system is expected to extend alert times in addition to avoiding false alarms. The project is being supervised by the German National Research Centre for Geosciences, located in Potsdam, Germany. Scientists from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research are directing the project. Additionally, Optimare and develogic are companies that are working on the acoustic-based portion of the system known as PACT. See more topics Road safety. The Zentrum fur Marine Umweltswissenschaft and the University of Rhode Island are also working on PACT. Though generally thought to be a single giant ocean wave, tsunamis are actually made of multiple waves. In many instances, the affected shoreline can be repeatedly hit by several large waves. Tsunamis are caused by a sudden motion in the ocean floor which can be the result of an earthquake, volcanic eruption, an underwater landslide, or the impact of a large meteorite. Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes that originate in subduction zones, or areas where an oceanic plate is being forced into the earth’s mantle. Where there is a great amount of friction between two plates, the overriding plate can become distorted and as a result a large amount of energy is stored, often over decades of centuries. After the stored seismic energy exceeds the frictional forces between the two plates, the distorted plate suddenly returns to its original position and an earthquake results. The overlying water is displaced, generating large waves that spread outward from the epicenter. The newly developed system measures vibration and horizontal seafloor movements in order to locate seaquakes, which could possibly generate tsunamis. The measurements that are taken from the seafloor are obtained and analyzed with a matter of just a few minutes. Data is collected and analyzed every 15 seconds. Water levels are also measured off the coast using bottom pressure sensors to detect any rises in sea level before the large waves reach the shallower waters along the coast. So far the system has proven to be compact, reliable, and energy efficient. At this point, an acoustic modem sends information to a second modem, which sends a satellite message, or telegram, to the warning center, delivering notification of a tsunami. After two years of development, none of the telegrams were lost, which believed to be an early indication of the system’s crucial reliability. The new system will be implemented into the pre-existing global system which is used to detect tsunami events. Further testing will be conducted in the Mediterranean. The developers will also examine the reliability of the system’s ability to transmit under different weather conditions. The development of this improved system shows great progress in the effort to provide effective warnings for tsunamis, thereby reducing the number of casualties. The potential for the success of this system has been indicated in a series of successful tests and the fact that no telegrams have been lost to date. Much still remains to be seen, however, in determining the limits of the system and discovering factors like weather conditions may contribute to reduced efficiency of the system. The article does not mention the important aspect of how those who are in the path of a tsunami will be notified that they may evacuate in time to avoid the disaster. This is of particular importance in the case of remote villages and areas where technological infrastructure may not be developed to the level of more industrialized regions. No matter how quickly the data is collected and transmitted to the warning center, it is imperative that the information regarding the approaching tsunami be delivered to those who may be affected in a timely manner. Delivering information to remote regions may be a challenge that the developers will need to address as they attempt to meet the need for early warning in the areas that lie along the Indian Ocean. Though there are still potential concerns that need to be evaluated, it is promising that an advanced system has been put in place over a relatively short period of time. Furthermore, there is now an alert system in a region where previously no such mechanism existed. This may provide greater protection and preparedness to a region that has already seen the devastation that a tsunami can do. If the system continues to be successful and is implemented into the global system, it will eventually save many lives and it may also allow scientists to learn more about the seismic activity that occurs under the ocean floor. In conclusion, NASA’s article provides an informative report on an important milestone in the development of a system that will not only help people across the earth prepare for natural disasters, but that also may lead to groundbreaking discoveries that could allow scientists to additional important discovers that can help us to better understand our planet Works Cited Earth Observatory. Tsunami-recording in the Deep Sea. 25 November 2007. NASA. 17 November 2007. http://earthobservatory. nasa. gov/ Newsroom/ MediaAlerts/ 2007/2007111925951. html.

Free College Admissions Essays: Hockey or Harvard? -- College Admissio

Hockey or Harvard?    In 1993, the Harold C. Case Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement was awarded to fourteen students in the Boston University junior class. I was one of two students in the College of Communication and one of two students in the School of Management to receive the award.   I view this award as recognition of the difficult journey I undertook to become the first person in the history of Boston University to combine a broadcast journalism degree with a business degree.   Although the university allowed students to pursue dual degrees, it was highly discouraged for someone to attempt to dual major in two professional schools. Some people believed that I was stubborn when I would not accept this. By carefully planning my courses from the start to satisfy the requirements of both degrees and by enlisting the support of key advisors, I succeeded in four years.    For many years, my claim to fame was that I had never been outside the Eastern time zone. That changed in 1996 when I flew to San Francisco, but I still had never left the...

Research on football Essay

Most people in Germany enjoy watching football on television or live in the stadium. Football is not only sport number one, but also the number one topic of conversation. Although it is so popular, many people, fans or not fans, discuss whether the football players are good value or not. So, is it fair that they earn so much more than others? Of course stars like Ronaldo, Zidane or Beckham, but also all the other professional football players have a high training intensity with a minimum of two trainings per day and additional duties like for example meetings with sponsors or fan clubs. Many of them are engaged in social organisations and do a lot for poor and disabled people. They do a lot for the money they get. On the basis of the high number of trainings and at least one game per week during the season means a high strain for the players. They get injured † often seriously † because of this high strain and the fact that their body is their capital. They have to give everything for the money, even their health. These are arguments why professional football players are good value. The training intensitiy, the strain, the injuries that result from the strain and of course the age lead to the realization that the players are not able to do their sport for such a long time. They need the money because they have to built reserves for their later life. The players deserve the money they get, for the clubs make huge profits with the player. Real Madrid for example expands – or at least wants to in the market of merchandising products in Asia because of the engagement of David Beckham. Madrid had to pay Ã'‚Ð’Ð ¼ 35 million, but experts say, that only the sell of the jersey with Beckham’s number brings at least Ã'‚Ð’Ð ¼ 50 million back to Madrid. So the club has great economic advantages. In the case of the most famous players, who are always in the spotlight, it is fair that they earn so much. They really have no private life because of their popularity. They are accompanied by photographers and journalists all the time and do not have a single moment for themselves or their families. They have to bear a lot. In the worst case, they are even blackmailed. â€Å"Nine people have been arrested in connection with an alleged conspiracy to kidnap Victoria Beckham and seek a 5m ransom. † This happened to David Beckham in 2002 and is an evidence for the great pressure the players have to stand. The money compensates them for this pressure. On the other hand you could say that the â€Å"work† of a football player can not be compared with the â€Å"real work† of a factory-worker or a manual worker. For the football player it is a hobby with a maximum of three to four hours of training per day, which is not too hard. For the factory-worker it is at least eight hours of hard physical work per day. You could also say that not only football players get injured. Manual workers can be seriously injured in their jobs too. They could fall down from a scaffolding and break their bones or Another fact is that professional football players get so much more than for example a professional handball player, although the handball player trains as often and as hard as the football player. He just gets more because football is the number one sport in Germany and not because he does so much more. Some people say that the stars bring a lot of money for their clubs or even a whole region. But many people criticize, that the players ( and not only the best ones)still get contracts, that guarantees them millions of euros, despite the fact that the current economic situation is not the best. The point that football players have no private life because of their celebrity and the permanent presence of media that is closely connected with it, could be invalidated by the fact that this happens only to the most popular players. â€Å"German football captain†¦ has had to tell his pregnant wife he had a mistress† wrote â€Å"The Mirror†. It is only interesting when the 34 year-old and very famous goalkeeper Oliver Kahn leaves his wife and his daughter for a 13 years younger party-girl, and not when an unknown player from Energie Cottbus does the same. So most of the players can still enjoy a calm private life and nevertheless get plenty of money. In this discussion you have to take into consideration, that football players have much more free time than anybody else. The worker has about 4 weeks holiday per year, while the season of a football player lasts only for about 7 months. That means that they have about 5 months holiday. Ironic people would say that they need so much money because they have so much time to give it out. The majority however, thinks, that it is just unfair with regard to the rest of the working people. So for both sides you can find several arguments. Everybody should decide for himself whether it is just that they earn so much or not. In my opinion it is not. â€Å"Beckham said he was delighted to be moving to Spain, though most people believe he’s delighted to be cashing cheques for Ã'‚Ð’Ð ¼ 6 million a year in salary. † That means he gets about 500,000 Ã'‚Ð’Ð ¼ per month, 125,000 Ã'‚Ð’Ð ¼ per week, 17,800 Ã'‚Ð’Ð ¼ per day and 740 Ã'‚Ð’Ð ¼ per hour. I think that is unfair with regard to the hard working people. Nobody is worth so much.

How to Create a Homeschool Schedule

After deciding to homeschool and selecting  curriculum, figuring out how to create a homeschool schedule is sometimes one of the most challenging aspects of educating at home. The majority of today’s homeschooling parents graduated from a traditional school setting. The schedule was easy. You showed up to school before the first bell rang and stayed until the last bell rang. The county announced the first and last days of school and all the holiday breaks in between. You knew when each class was going to take place and how long you’d spend in each based on your class schedule. Or, if you were in elementary school, you just did what your teacher told you to do next. So, how do you make a homeschool schedule? The complete freedom and flexibility of homeschooling can make it difficult to let go of  the traditional school calendar mode. Let’s break homeschool schedules down into some manageable chunks. Yearly Schedules The first plan you’ll want to determine is your annual schedule. Your state’s homeschooling laws may play a  role in setting your yearly schedule. Some states require a certain number of hours of home instruction each year. Some require a specific number of homeschool days. Others consider home schools self-governing private schools and put no stipulations on attendance. A 180-day school year is fairly standard and works out to four 9-week quarters, two 18-week semesters, or 36 weeks. Most homeschool curriculum publishers  base their products on this 36-week model, making it a good starting point for planning your familys schedule. Some families keep their schedules very simple by choosing a start date and counting days until they’ve met their states requirements. They take breaks and days off as needed. Others prefer to have a framework calendar in place. There is still lots of flexibility even with an established yearly calendar. Some possibilities include: A typical school schedule from Labor Day until the end of May/first of JuneYear ‘round schooling with six weeks on/one week off or nine weeks on/two weeks offFour-day school weeks until youve satisfied attendance requirementsFollowing your city or countys  public/private school calendar (This option works well for families who homeschool some of their children while others attend a traditional school or families in which one parent works at a traditional school.) Weekly Schedules Once you’ve decided on the framework for your yearly homeschool schedule, you can work out the details of your weekly schedule. Take outside factors such as co-op or work schedules into consideration when planning your  weekly schedule. One of the benefits of homeschooling is that your weekly schedule doesn’t have to be Monday through Friday. If one or both parents have  an unconventional work week, you can adjust your school days to maximize family time. For example, if a parent works Wednesday through Sunday, you can make that your school week, as well, with Monday and Tuesday being your family’s weekend. A weekly homeschool schedule can also be adjusted to accommodate an  irregular work schedule. If a parent works six days one week and four the next, school can follow  the same schedule. Some families do their regular  school work  four days each week reserving the fifth day for co-op, field trips, or other outside-the-home classes and activities. Block Schedule Two other scheduling options are block schedules and loop schedules. A block schedule is one in which one or more subjects are allotted  a large span of time a couple of days a week instead of an hour or so every day. For example, you might schedule two hours for history on Mondays and Wednesdays and two hours for science on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Block scheduling allows students to fully focus on a particular subject without over-scheduling the school day. It allows time for activities such as hands-on history projects and  science labs. Loop Schedule A loop schedule is one in which there is a list of activities to cover but no  specific day  to cover them. Instead, you and your students spend time on each as its turn comes up on the loop. For example, if you’d like to allow space in your homeschool schedule for art, geography, cooking, and music, but you don’t have time to devote to them each day, add them to a loop schedule. Then, determine how many days you want to include loop schedule subjects. Perhaps, you choose Wednesdays and Fridays. On Wednesday, you study art and geography and on Friday, cooking, and music. On a given Friday, you may run out of time for music, so the following Wednesday, you would cover that and art, picking  up with geography and cooking on Friday. Block scheduling and loop scheduling can work well together. You may block schedule Monday through Thursday and leave Friday as a loop schedule day. Daily Schedules Most of the time when people ask about homeschool schedules, they’re referring to the nitty-gritty daily schedules. Like yearly schedules, your states homeschool laws may dictate some aspects of your daily schedule. For example, some states homeschooling laws require a specific number of hours of daily instruction. New homeschooling parents often wonder how long a homeschool day should be. They worry that they aren’t doing enough because it may only take two or three hours to get through the day’s work, particularly if the students are young. It is important for  parents to realize that a homeschool day may not take as long a typical public or private school day. Homeschooling parents don’t have to take time for administrative tasks, such as roll call or preparing 30 students for lunch or allow time for students to move from one classroom to the next between subjects. Additionally, homeschooling allows for focused, one-on-one attention. A homeschooling parent can answer his or her student’s questions and move on rather than answering questions from an entire class. Many parents of young children through first or second grade find that they can easily cover all subjects in just an hour or two. As students get older, it may take them longer to complete their work. A high school student may spend the full four to five hours – or more – dictated by state law. However, you shouldn’t stress even if a teen’s school work doesn’t take that much time  as long they are completing and comprehending it. Provide a learning-rich environment for your children and you will discover that learning happens even when the school books are put away. Students can use those extra hours to read, pursue their hobbies, explore electives, or invest in extracurricular activities. Sample Daily Schedule Allow your daily homeschool schedule to be shaped by your family’s personality and needs, not by what you think it â€Å"should† be. Some homeschool families prefer scheduling specific times for each subject. Their schedule may look something like this: 8:30 – Math9:15 – Language Arts9:45 – Snack/break10:15 - Reading11:00 – Science11:45 – Lunch12:45  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ History/social studies1:30 – Electives (art, music, etc.) Other families prefer a daily routine to a time-specific schedule. These families know that they’re going to start with math, using the example above, and end with electives, but they may not have the same start and end times each day. Instead,  they work through each subject, completing each and taking breaks as needed. Factors to Consider It’s important to note that many homeschooling families start much later in the day. They don’t start until 10 or 11 a.m. – or even until the afternoon! Some factors that may influence a homeschooling family’s start time include: Biology – Night owls or those who are more alert in the afternoon may  prefer a later start time. Early risers and those who are more focused in the mornings, usually prefer an earlier start time.Work schedules – Families  in which one or both parents work an atypical shift may choose to start school after that parent goes to work. When my husband worked second, we had our big family meal at lunch and started school after he left for work.Family needs – Factors such as a new baby, a sick parent/child/relative, a home-based business, or maintaining a family farm can all affect start times.Outside classes  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Homeschool co-op,  dual-enrollment, and other classes or activities outside the home may dictate your start time requiring that you  complete school work before or after these commitments.   Once you have teens who are working independently, your schedule may undergo a radical shift. Many teens find that they’re most alert late at night and that they also require more sleep. Homeschooling allows the freedom for teens to work when they’re most productive. The Bottom Line There is no one perfect homeschooling schedule and finding the right one for your family may take some trial and error. And it will likely need to be adjusted from year to year as your children get older and the factors affecting your schedule change. The most important tip to remember is to allow your familys needs to shape your schedule, not an unrealistic idea of how the schedule should or shouldnt be set up.