Earth+Science

Atmosphere The gases that blanket the Earth are what we call "the atmosphere," and meteorology, a science that is thousands of years old, is the study of the Earth's atmosphere. If you would like to learn more, visit this site. Through text and online activities, it will explain the composition of Earth's atmosphere (which is, according to physicist Stephen Hawking, incredibly unique) and the composition of air. When you complete the tutorial, you will understand why temperatures differ across the globe, how humans affect the atmosphere, and more. URL: http://aspire.cosmic-ray.org

Carrying Capacity Representing a stable equilibrium, the carrying capacity is when a species' population is neither growing nor declining. Instead, the population experiences an equal number of births and deaths setting the growth rate at zero. Factors like food availability, predator interactions, and competition with other species contribute toward determining the carrying capacity of a population in a particular ecological system. Investigate why carrying capacity becomes more complex when dealing with human populations as resource consumption varies and technological innovations remove environmental constraints. URL: http://www.eoearth.org

Carrying Capacity: How Deep is the Barrel? A parcel of land or water can only support a certain number of animals. The young animals being born into a population at its carrying capacity must be balanced out by those dying from disease, predation, old age, accidents, starvation, or pollution. Think of carrying capacity as a barrel filled with water. As more water pours into the barrel, it overflows because it can only hold so much. Discover how biologists use carrying capacity to manage and maintain wildlife populations. URL: http://www.michigandnr.com

Earth's Structure This diagram of the earth not only shows you the earth's structure, but it also is an interactive tool that allows you to learn about each distinct layer of the earth. As you roll your mouse around the diagram you will have the opportunity to learn about the earth's crust, mantle, and core. You will find specific information on the layers of the crust and mantle and also inner core of the earth and the outer core as well. URL: http://www.learner.org

For Kids Only: Earth Science Enterprise Explore the fascinating science of our planet at NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, an engaging and helpful web site designed just for kids. You'll learn about the Earth's, land, water, air, and natural hazards and how they are affected by people through interactive features such as Echo the Bat: Adventures in Remote Sensing, Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, It's a Breeze: How Air Pressure Affects You, and Tropical Twisters. Lesson plans for teachers are also included. URL: http://kids.earth.nasa.gov

How Did Earth's Atmosphere Form? You will be amazed at the earth's three atmospheres. The pictures on this websites will show you the earth when it was just-formed, young earth and current earth. Learn how the gasses in each of the three atmospheres changed over time. You will find out how the young earth had many volcanoes, which formed the earth's crust. You will discover why animals and people were not able to thrive in just-formed and the young earth. URL: http://scijinks.jpl.nasa.gov

Layers of the Atmosphere Get a clear picture of how the Earth's atmosphere is organized from the National Weather Service Online School for Weather site. You will learn that there are five distinct layers of the atmosphere and that they are differentiated by temperature changes, chemical composition, movement, and density. You will get the specific facts on the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere, the thermosphere, and the exosphere. Helpful charts and diagrams will increase your understanding of the different layers. URL: http://www.srh.noaa.gov

Ocean Explorer The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sponsors this amazing resource with maps, photographs, Quicktime audio and video files and a wealth of up to the minute information from a wide variety of expeditions and studies about our world's oceans. Be sure to visit the "Living Ocean" section of the site if you are interested in the flora and fauna of the ocean. URL: http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

Ocean Science The science of understanding the ocean is called oceanography. The National Science Foundation web site describes all elements of the study of oceanography and explains that it includes not just the study of the bodies of water, but also the study of coastlines, estuaries and marshes. Look at many of the instruments and techniques oceanographers use and learn the vocabulary that goes with them. Understand the connection between oceanography and society. Follow NSF links to learn about current and future research in different ocean science disciplines. URL: http://www.nsf.gov

The Dynamic Earth The National Museum of Natural History's online exhibit, "The Dynamic Earth," invites site visitors to "explore the dynamic forces that formed--and are continually reforming--the Earth and our Solar System." The multimedia presentation features four virtual exhibit halls: Gems and Minerals, Rocks and Mining, Plate Tectonics and Volcanoes, and The Solar System. GeoGallery, available via a tab that appears at the bottom of the main window, is a database of gem, mineral, rock, volcano, and meteorite identifications (i.e., images, descriptions, definitions, and locations). URL: http://www.mnh.si.edu

The Earth's Magnetic Field What exactly is the Earth's magnetosphere and what role does it play in protecting the Earth from particles and dust that is released by the sun? Visit this web site, which is leveled for the beginner, intermediate, and advanced student, to locate the answer. Beautifully illustrated pages enhance this text rich site. URL: http://www.windows2universe.org

The Earth's Mantle You may think of the earth as being like a big round ball, but it is actually made up of three layers. One of these layers, the mantle, plays a very important role in the movement of the plates found in the earth's crust. Discover why scientists talk about the earth's mantle as a kind of weather system with cooler and warmer sections in constant movement. Learn how computers are helping scientists discover more about the earth's mantle. If you prefer, you may listen to the audio version of this science story. URL: http://indianapublicmedia.org

Why is the Ocean Salty and Rivers are Not? The salt we find in our oceans today can be traced back to volcanoes that erupted 3.8 million years ago. Find out how acid from the clouds of ash eventually became sodium chloride. Understand why the water in rivers is not salty. There are facts about the different types of salt in the ocean and an explanation of why some oceans are saltier than others. Follow the arrow to Oceans in Balance to learn how the saltiness of the ocean stays stable. Watch a video to see how black smokers help maintain the ocean's salt level. URL: http://nature.ca