Difference Between Ground Level And Stratospheric Ozone Environmental Sciences Essay

Difference Between Ground Level And Stratospheric Ozone Environmental Sciences Essay Why has one a beneficial and the other a detrimental role in the atmosphere? This essay is going to explain the difference between ground-level and stratospheric ozone; why has one a beneficial and the other a detrimental role in the atmosphere. The troposphere is the lowest layer of the earths atmosphere (Figure 1). It starts at the earths surface extending to a height between 7 and 20km above sea level. The troposphere is the thickest part of the atmosphere in which around 75-80% of atmospheric mass is located. As altitude increases through the troposphere, temperature, air pressure and density of the air decrease. The troposphere is heated from the earths surface; sunlight warms the ground or ocean and in turn, heats the air around which rises into the troposphere. On average the temperature drops around 6.5 degrees Celsius per km as altitude increases. At the top of the stratosphere, temperatures can reach a low of -55 degrees Celsius. As shown in figure 1 there is a layer between the troposphere and the stratosphere this is called the Tropopause, a boundary between the two layers. The altitude of the Tropopause varies with latitude, season, weather and time of day. At mid level latitudes the typical height of the Tropop ause is around 11km whilst near the poles it can drop to a low of 7km. The lowest part of the troposphere is known as the atmospheric boundary layer which is affected by the earths surface, an example of this can be the wind being affected by hitting a mountain. In the polar regions just below the Tropopause is a jet stream which is defined as a belt of powerful upper-level winds that sits atop the polar front (Britannica 2010) (Figure 1 ACCU Weather 2009)http://global-warming.accuweather.com/stratosphere_diagram_sm-thumb.jpg Ozone (O3) is a form of oxygen containing 3 molecules, usually found in the stratosphere, and responsible for filtering the suns ultraviolet radiation (Null, J 2003). Figure 2 shows the levels on ozone present in the earths atmosphere. (Figure 2 NASA 1999) File:Atmospheric ozone.svg According to NASA 10% of ozone (O3) in the atmosphere is found in the troposphere. Ozone in the troposphere is unwanted. Ozone can be found in low concentrations at ground-level. Ground level ozone and stratospheric ozone are two key sources of natural ozone. Ground level ozone are hydrocarbons which are released by soil and plants, whereas stratospheric ozone which rarely migrates downwards to the earths surface. These two natural sources do not give enough ozone to be thought of as a threat to life and the environment. With growing populations, increased transport and high industry has increased the ozone levels in the lower atmosphere. Ozone cannot be traced by coming directly from one source as it is formed by contact between the suns UV rays and hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides which can be traced back to transport, fossil fuels, power plants and other industries. It can be referred to as ozone pollution or Smog. In urban areas its known as photochemical smog (Figure 3 Environmental Science 2010) http://apesnature.homestead.com/files/fg22_04b.jpg Ozone is a key element traced in smog and as a powerful greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases are a part of the atmosphere; they are both natural and created from human activity. These gases emit radiation within range thermal infrared radiation which is emitted from the earths surface, the atmosphere and clouds. This causes the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is when sunlight reaches the earths surface and is reflected back into the atmosphere, but it is prevented from escaping by the layer of greenhouse gasses, this in turn heats the atmosphere causing a rise in the earths surface temperature. The rise in temperature causes ice caps to melt, raising sea levels. The four major gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect and their percentage contribution are: Water Vapour, 36-70%, Carbon Dioxide, 9-26%, Methane, 4-9% and Ozone, 3-7%. (Kiehl J, 2003) Ozone levels are found at its peak during the summer months and are usually highest in built up areas. Concentrations are at its highest during the afternoon as the UV rays have had time to react. This causes ozone pollution. Ozone pollution has many negative effects on human life, vegetation and the environment. It can cause health problems such as chest infections, breathing problems, headaches, eye irritation and aggravate pre existing conditions such as asthma, heart disease, bronchitis and emphysema. Ozone pollution according to SEQL damages leaves and crops, which reduce crop production and quality, The United Nations Environment programme estimated a loss of $8.56 billion worth in crops in the European Union in 2000(UNEP 2007) Buildings and decorating materials can be weakened or damaged and paint can fade faster than anticipated. The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere from the earths surface (Figure 1). The stratosphere rises to around 50km above sea level. The lowest part of the stratosphere varies depending on the latitude and the season. It differs at around 8 16km near the equator, around 10km at the mid latitudes and 8km near the poles. The air within the stratosphere is dry and contains small amounts of water vapour. The air within the stratosphere is around a thousand times thinner than that at sea level. Due the lack of vertical convection within the stratosphere, compounds can stay for long periods of time which breaks down the ozone layer. About 90% of the ozone in the earths atmosphere is located in the stratosphere, which is between 15 and 50km above the earths surface. The ozone in the stratosphere forms a layer called the Ozone Layer. This is where oxygen (O2) and Ozone (O3) molecules absorb UV light from the sun protecting the earths surface from UV radiation. Both oxygen and ozone combined absorb between 95 99.9% of the suns UV radiation. Without them UV radiation such as UV-C and UV-B can cause skin cancer and damage eye and plant tissue. The Ozone Layer is being destroyed by chemicals released by humans. An example of this is Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and the Green House Gases which break down the ozone in the stratosphere. Figure 4 that the level that the ozone is having on the stratosphere and the troposphere. It shows that the levels of ozone have been reduced in the stratosphere and the levels of ozone have increased. (Figure 4 Institute for Chemistry) seperated ozone trends To conclude, this essay shows that ground level ozone has a detrimental effect of the earths atmosphere as it causes health problems or aggravates pre-existing problems, damage to natural vegetation, crops and buildings and the environment. It is not ozone itself that damages the earths atmosphere but the interactions between the suns UV rays and hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides within the troposphere. Whereas stratospheric ozone has a beneficial role to play in the atmosphere. Stratospheric ozone is beneficial to the earths atmosphere as it absorbs UV radiation which prevents health problems such as skin cancer. Bibliography Guy, P, John J, Geoffrey, S. (1999). Tropospheric Ozone. In Birks, W Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Change. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press 465-486 Guy, P, John J, Geoffrey, S. (1999). Middle Atmospheric Ozone. In Birks, W Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Change. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 487-513 NAS. (2001).  Ozone Layer.  Available: http://www.nas.nasa.gov/About/Education/Ozone/ozonelayer.html. Last accessed 02/03/2010 RSPB. (2001) The Greenhouse Effect. Available: www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/teaching/resources/science/greenhouse_effect.asp Last accessed 3/03/2010

Multicultural Education Essay -- Schooling Teaching Learning Papers

Multicultural Education The inclusion of multiculturalism into schools has become an increasingly hot topic as of late. Being a future teacher I have taken a natural interest in the topic as well. It seems that most of the push to incorporate the multicultural issue into the school system has been a reaction to the thought that the American â€Å"melting-pot† metaphor is on the decline. Knowing that the demographics of the United States is changing continuously, the main issue about the inclusion of multiculturalism is not whether to place it into the schools, but rather how to position this controversial topic into the curriculum. Many people think that the incorporation of multiculturalism must begin with the teacher education students while they are still in college. Advocates claim that college curricula must institute multicultural studies because as of now there are no requirements of students to seriously study the culturally diverse societies in which they will be teaching. Throug hout the paper I will mainly discuss the responsibility of the school systems to include the multicultural aspect into their various curricula. I will also show how teachers must change and continue to change as the student demographics vary. Finally, I will give evidence of how racism is a large problem in schools when discussing everything from the racial percentages of educators to the segregation of students in various ways. â€Å" The inclusion of multiculturalism in the dominant curriculum in higher education was originally a response to minority student demands of the ‘Sixties and Seventies’†(Kailin, 1998, p.1). This is direct evidence that the topic has been continually pushed aside as time has gone on. Originally b... ...k that this racism would disappear just through teacher communication. In all, school reform for a society full of multiculturalism has to mean sharing power and collectively making decisions. If this is not done, the issue of how to incorporate multiculturalism into schools will never be solved. Works Cited Farris, Pamela J. (1999). Teaching, Bearing the Torch. Boston: McGraw- Hill. Kailin, Julie. (1998). Preparing Teachers For Schools and Communities: An Anti- Racist Perspective. High School Journal, 82, 1-9. Munroe, Maurice E. R. (2000). Unamerican Tail: of segregation and multicultural education. Albany Law Review, 64, 7-63. Sleeter, Christine E. (2000). Multicultural Education And the Standards Movement- A Report from the Field. Phi Delta Kappan, 82, 156-162. Tucker, Michelle. (1998). Multiculturalism’s Five Dimensions. NEA Today, 17, 17-19.

Skin Facts

The skin is the largest organ of the body. On the average person, the skin is approximately 3000 square inches and weighs approximately seven pounds. While the eyes are the â€Å"windows of the soul†, the skin is the â€Å"window to the body† because it is the only organ that can be seen. The skin contains 25% of the body’s blood supply, which flow completely through the skin once every minute. The skin is the body’s largest organ of immunity. It is the body’s first line of defence, the boundary where self is designed from non-self, yet it is highly interactive with the environment. Anatomy of Normal Skin Approximately 50% of the body’s primary cells of immunity are housed in the skin at any minute. After puberty, these cells are matured in the skin. The skin is biodynamic, alive up to the stratum corneum the only barrier the skin has to the outside world. The stratum corneum is less than the thickness of one human hair. In one square inch of the skin there are 2800 openings for sweat and oil glands. Over three million sweat glands cover the body, contributing to one of the skin’s many nicknames, the third kidney. In one day, skin will release one to several millilitres’ of water. As we get older, these sweat glands produce less perspiration. Skin perspires, what some people mistakenly call breathing. It takes in about 2. 5% of the body’s oxygen and releases about 3% carbon dioxide. In general, the skin does not breathe from outside oxygen. It works on anaerobic metabolism through our lungs. The skin is a bio-conversion factory. It is the largest hormone and enzyme producing organ of the body. Two distinct layers make up the skin. The epidermis, which covers and protects and the dermis, supports the epidermis and connects it to the underlying muscles. It acts as a heat regular in conjunction with the blood stream and perspiration glands. When the body is exposed to too much heat, there is a rush of blood to the surface of the skin, permitting it to cool. At the same time, the perspiration glands secrete liquid to aid in the process. Sensory erception occurs in the skin, preventing damage to its ability to feel heat and/or cold, giving pleasure by the same ability to feel such things as the smoothness of satin of the softness of down. There is delayed light screening by means of melanin’s reaction to light. Melanin is a dark pigment found in the skin. It is the area where both sebum and perspiration production take place and where these two combine on the surface to form a protective film (acid mantle) which renders the skin less vulnerable to damage and attack by environmental factors (e. . sun, wind, bacteria) and less prone to dehydration. â€Å"pH† is a chemist’s term standing for â€Å"potential of hydrogen† and is used to describe the degree of acidity or alkalinity in the acid mantle of the skin or in a product. It is measured on a scale ranging from 0-14. The centre of the scale, 7, is neutrality (neither acid nor alkaline). A reading above 7 indicates that the substance being measured is alkaline; below 7, acid. As far as the skin is concerned, a normal pH (or normal Acid Mantle) is in the range of 4. 2 to 5. 6. It will vary from one part of the body to another and generally speaking, the pH of a man’s skin is lower (more acid) than of a woman’s. The Chemical Composition of the Skin: Water70. 0% All percentages are approximate, Protein25. 5%as water may range from 60% to 70%. Lipids2. 0% Trace Minerals0. 5% All Other2. 0% There are three main skin layers: †¢The Subcutis contains fat cells and Lipocytes which make lipids. †¢The Dermis contains nerves, blood vessels, sebaceous glands and sweat glands and consists mainly of collagen & elastin. †¢The Epidermis contains keratinocytes, melanocytes and Langerhans cells. The skin, and in fact our whole body, is composed of many different types of cells. These cells have the same fundamental chemical composition but they vary in size, shape and function. The cells that comprise the outer layer of the skin are themselves a series of many layers that overlap each other, thus ensuring that cellular or other fluids cannot escape from the body via the skin except through a cut or break, or by means of special escape routes: the pore of follicles. The outer surface of the skin is comprised of flattened dead cells. Underneath however, there are living cells, which are somewhat fuller, and the deeper one goes into the skin, the fuller and rounder the cells become. At the bottom of all the layers, there is a row of cells, which are the ones that are always growing and in the process, pushing other cells upward, the cells become flattened as they are emptied of their natural fluid through pressure and dehydration. This normal process of shedding and renewal takes about 30 days (which means that after a cell is born in the bottom layer, it ends up on the surface of the skin, dead and ready to shed). The number of things the skin does for us is incredible. It covers us (epidermis and dermis), helps us keep warm (fatty layer), cools us off (sweat glands), keeps itself supple (oil glands) provides ultraviolet ray protection (melanin cells, registers our sense of touch (nerves), and is ornamental (hair, eyelashes, nails). Over time, dead protein cells can build up and block sebaceous and sudoriferous glands. This causes disturbances in the skins pH levels, normal rhythm and proliferation.

The Life Beathoven essays

The Life Beathoven essays I sit here listening to Beethovens Symphony No. 5, and wonder who this man was. I went to Ask.com, and asked whom he was, and they had a brief overview of the man. Beethoven, Ludwig van The composer of some of the most influential pieces of music ever written, Ludwig van Beethoven created a bridge between the 18th-century classical period and the new beginnings of Romanticism, ...and did much to enlarge the possibilities of music and widen the horizons of later generations of composers.(unknown author) His greatest breakthroughs in composition came in his instrumental work, including his symphonies. They think he was born Dec. 16 1770 in Bonn, Germany, and baptised on Dec. 17, 1770, the eldest son of a singer in the Kapelle of the Archbishop- Elector of Cologne, and grandson of the Archbishop's Kapellmeister, His father and grandfather worked as court musicians in Bonn. Ludwig's father, a singer, gave him his early musical training. I searched the ISU encyclopedias on his music, and realized that he had a predecessor, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, for whom writing music seemed to come easily, Beethoven always struggled to perfect his work. Beethoven had only meager academic schooling, he studied piano, violin, and French horn, and before he was 12 years old he became a court organist. Ludwig's first important teacher of composition was Christian Gottlob Neefe. In 1787 he studied briefly with Mozart, and five years later he left Bonn permanently and went to Vienna to study with Joseph Haydn and later with Antonio Salieri. Beethoven's first public appearance in Vienna was on March 29, 1795, as a soloist in one of his piano concerti. Even before he left Bonn, he had developed a reputation for fine improvisatory performances. In Vienna young Beethoven soon had a long list of aristocratic patrons who loved music and were eager to help him. Something that surprised me and about Beethov ...

College Life Essays - English-language Education, Free Essays

College Life Essays - English-language Education, Free Essays he ideal college lifestyle dissipates quickly once the reality is reached. Many young adults imagine vivid pictures of what college might be like for them. However, once these young adults mature into independent men and women, and enter into the school of their choice, they soon realize the reality of the college lifestyle. They must learn to adapt to their new surroundings as quickly as possible to accomplish the sought after degrees. Students come to the realization that life is not as easy as they might hope for. Many young adults seem to believe that college life is filled with parties and typically a laid-back lifestyle. These students believe that, much like high school, classes will be taken during the day and filled with all their friends. They imagine a lifestyle with no other worries besides an occasional essay or lab. It is often said that college is the greatest time of ones life; many high school students believe this and look forward to it. Some enjoy the idea of being able to come to class late, leave when they want, and pretty much have say-so of their own lives now that their parents are out of the picture. The majority of college freshmen enter into school picturing an easy, fun-filled ride. These reasons provide support to the unusually low grades of first-year college students. The widespread college ideal lifestyle is seldom the reality. Students quickly learn that many classes stretch into the nighttime hours. Often, students are not in classes with their friends, but with other students who sometimes can be old enough to be their parents. Although the average college age might be near 20 years old, it can range from 18 to 40 years old or older.

Database Applications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Database Applications - Essay Example A data mart is an easy data warehouse that focuses on one area of functionality or subject like finance, marketing and sales. A single department builds and controls a data mart for the whole organization. The sources of data mart ranges from external data, central data warehouse to operational systems. The implementation of a data mart takes place in a series of steps. The first step involves the designation of the schema that initiates the data request. The construction of the physical storage before populating the data mart with source systems data follows. One then accesses the data for initiating sound decisions. Finally, there is the management of data over time. Data mining analyzes data from diverse perspectives before summarizing it into useful information. Useful information is capable of minimizing costs and increasing revenue or doing both. The analysis of data requires the application of data mining software as an analytical tool. Data mining ensures analysis of data from different angles and dimensions. It also helps in categorizing and shortening the relationships of the data identified. Data mining seems to be a new term though it is not technologically. Over the years, many companies have applied the technology of data mining to sort through through supermarket scanner volumes besides conducting market research data analysis. Business intelligence is a blanket description of all the software applications use in the analysis of the raw data of an organization. The discipline of business intelligence comprises of reporting, online analytical processing, data mining and querying. It plays a crucial role in the improvement of decision-making, cutting costs and the recognition of new business opportunities by enterprising organizations. Besides, it can help the management of business organizations in the identification of those business

Summary of the Article - Government and Poverty Research Paper

Summary of the Article - Government and Poverty - Research Paper Example In the scenario, the author also makes a mention of the more recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The author defines poverty as the dearth of the necessary resources that enable the people to meet their basic needs and extends the commensurate statistics regarding the urban, suburban and rural incidence of poverty. The author does support the extension of government aid to the deserving, while taciturnly mentioning that many people suffer from poverty because they are lazy. The writer also blames the indulgence in substance abuse like tobacco and alcohol as the reason as to why the poor remain poor. Yet, the writer again contradicts one’s assertion by saying that a great number of the poor receiving the government aid do tend to be employed. In the end, the writer conclusively asserts that the government should spend money on imparting skills and education to the poor, rather than wasting the taxpayers’ money on extending nutrition, health and housing. Overall the approach of the writer seems to be discernible against the government funding of the poverty alleviation programs. The poor tend to remain poor because they simply do not have a place in the national financial chain and many times, as said by the author, they lack the skills, education and connections to be able to fit into the national financial dynamics. Hence the government spending on the poverty alleviation programs is the most efficient way to make way for the allocation of the national wealth in favor of the impoverished segments of the society. The government has a self-interest in doing so in the sense that allowing the poverty to rise beyond a certain limit could lead to an unstable society marred by political unrest and crime (Lal & Myint 8). It is rightly said that the hungry minds are angry minds. Hence, state expenditure in poverty alleviation programs allows the government to channelize the skills, abilities and energy of poor sections of the society towards self-development and nation-building. State sponsoring of the poverty alleviation programs is not a choice but an important n ecessity and requisite. Hence, there is no scope or possibility for casting doubts on the relevance or necessity of the government spending on the poor or poverty alleviation programs. The writer himself conveyed that a majority of the poor people receiving government help does have jobs and they tend to work. Hence, the tongue in cheek assertion that the poor people are poor because they happen to be lazy is utterly nonsensical and biased. Poor people, in fact, happen to be poor because they do not have a say in the national and international policy-making procedures and frameworks, where they could chalk out the apt policies that would help them have a share in the process of wealth generation and allocation (Global Issues 1).