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Coriolis Force

Coriolis Force Apparent force that must be included if Newton's laws of motion are to be used in a rotating system. First described by Gustave-Gaspard Coriolis (1792–1843) in 1835, the force acts to the right of the direction of body motion for counterclockwise rotation and to the left for clockwise rotation. On Earth an object that moves along a north-south path, or longitudinal line, will be apparently deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. The deflection is related to the motion of the object, the motion of the Earth, and latitude. The Coriolis effect is important in meteorology and oceanography as well as ballistics; it also has great significance in astrophysics." 'via Blog this'

Blizzard

Blizzard , winter storm characterized by high winds, low temperatures, and driving snow; according to the official definition given in 1958 by the U.S. Weather Bureau, the winds must exceed 35 mi (56 km) per hr and the temperature 20°F; (−7°C;) or lower. Blizzards are most common in the N Great Plains states—South Dakota is sometimes called "the Blizzard State"—but they also occur as far south as Texas and as far east as Maine." 'via Blog this'

Carbon Sequestration

The simplest way to sequester carbon is to preserve trees and to plant more. Trees, especially young and fast-growing ones, soak up a great deal of carbon dioxide, break it down in photosynthesis, and store the carbon in new wood. Worldwide, forests are being cut down at an alarming rate, particularly in the tropics. In many areas, there is little regrowth as land loses fertility or is changed to other uses, such as farming or building housing developments. Reforestation could offset these losses and counter part of the greenhouse buildup. Carbon dioxide gas can also be sequestered directly. Carbon dioxide has traditionally been injected into oil wells to force more petroleum out of the ground or seafloor. Now it is being injected simply to isolate it underground in oil fields, coal beds, or aquifers. At one natural gas drilling platform off the coast of Norway, carbon dioxide brought to the surface with the natural gas is captured and reinjected into an aquifer from which it cann

Cellular Respiration

cellular respiration , the process of cell catabolism in which cells turn food into usable energy in the form of ATP. In this process glucose is broken down in the presence of molecular oxygen into six molecules of carbon dioxide, and much of the energy released is preserved by turning ADP and free phosphate into ATP. Cellular respiration occurs as a series of chemical reactions catalyzed by enzymes, the first of which is glycolysis, a series of anaerobic reactions in which glucose (a 6-carbon molecule) is split into two molecules of lactate (a 3-carbon molecule), producing a net gain of two ATP molecules. In a series of aerobic reactions, lactate is converted to pyruvate, which enters the mitochondrion and combines with oxygen to form an acetyl group, releasing carbon dioxide. The acetyl group (CH3CO) is then combined with coenzyme A as acetyl coenzyme A, and enters the Krebs cycle. During this series of reactions, each acetyl group is oxidized to form two molecules of carbon dioxide

Ionosphere

ionosphere,  a region of the earth's atmosphere where ionization caused by incoming solar radiation affects the transmission of radio waves. It extends from a height of 70 kilometers (43 miles) to 400 kilometers (250 miles) above the surface. 'via Blog this'

The Prediction of Tides

Detailed prediction of ocean tides from theories of classical mechanics and hydrodynamics has not been entirely successful, largely because of complications introduced by the irregular shape of the ocean basins and coastlines. Useful results are obtained empirically by analyzing records of previous tides at a particular location to predict future tides. The importance of tides for maritime activities has prompted the compilation of tide tables for harbors, which give the time and height of high water and low water based on past observations and corrected for the varying positions of celestial bodies.

The Magnitude and Effects of Tidal Ranges

The range of the tides is the difference in sea level between high and low tides. Spring tide, having the maximum range, occurs during the full moon when the earth is between the moon and the sun, and new moon when the moon is between the earth and the sun. At these times in the lunar cycle when the moon, earth, and sun are aligned the condition is known as syzygy. Neap tide, having the minimum range, occurs during the moon's first and last quarters, when the moon, earth, and sun form a right angle. The typical tidal range in the open ocean is 2 ft (0.61 m) but is much greater near the coast. Tidal ranges vary around the world and average about 6 to 10 ft (2 to 3 m). The world's widest tidal range occurs in the Bay of Fundy, in E Canada, where the sea level changes by 40 ft (12 m) during the day, while the Mediterranean, Baltic, and Caribbean Seas are relatively tideless. As the tides change, currents must flow to redistribute the ocean's water. Near the coast, the directi