Message from the Ventures Scholars Program
Dear Venture Scholars,
The Ventures Scholars Program would like to thank Shell Oil Company
for providing funding to help you learn about our ever-changing Earth.
As you know, the planet is a complex system of physical, chemical,
and biological processes. These processes work together to produce
the Earth as it is today. A great way to start learning about the
Earth is through Earth system science, an approach to Earth science
that investigates how these physical, chemical, and biological processes
are interlinked. If you like science and are curious about our planet
and how it works, a career in the geosciences might be a great option
for you.
This e-newsletter provides you with general information about Earth
system science, remote sensing, and some of the other exciting technologies
being used by geoscientists in their research. Satellites have become
important scientific tools, for example.
Join us as we learn about the Earth systems that interact to form
our planet.
Sincerely,
Ann Benbow
American Geological Institute
Carmen Andoh
Ventures Scholars Program
WHAT IS EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE?
What do you know about earth system science? Spend some
time learning about the Earth as a complex system.
WHAT IS EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE?
The Earth has many features and components that work together in important
ways. As a complex system, the Earth has many different interacting
physical, chemical, and biological processes. One way to study the
Earth is to look at the interlinking “spheres” and to
understand how these spheres are connected. The four main spheres
are the atmosphere, the biosphere, the geosphere, and the hydrosphere.
· The atmosphere is the gaseous envelope that surrounds the
Earth and consists of a mixture of gases composed primarily of nitrogen,
oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. It includes things such as
the clouds and the ozone layer that protects life from dangerous radiation
from the sun.
· The biosphere is the life zone of the Earth and includes
all living organisms, including humans, and all organic matter that
has not yet decomposed. Many organisms that once lived on the Earth
no longer exist and are preserved as fossils. Fossils in ancient rocks
can provide information about the environment in the past.
· The geosphere is the solid Earth that includes the continental
and oceanic crust as well as the various layers of the Earth’s
interior.
· The hydrosphere includes all of the Earth's water. Most of
the water on Earth’s surface is in the oceans. Water can also
exist in streams, lakes, ponds, soil, vapor, glaciers, and sea ice.
None of these spheres can be considered in isolation, because all
of them are needed for us to understand the planet upon which we live.
Earth system science incorporates chemistry, physics, biology, and
mathematics to study the past, current, and future states of the Earth.
Examining the Earth’s spheres provides explanations for many
of the most important features of how the Earth works. Scientists
use this knowledge when they study other planets by comparing systems
on other planets with those on Earth. Knowing about the Earth helps
us to be better stewards of the planet and helps us to learn more
about the other planets in the Solar System.
Spend some time learning about the Earth as a complex system by visiting some of the websites discussed below.
CAREER EXPLORATION VIDEOS AND WEBSITES
View videos and websites to learn about our earth and related careers.
VIDEOS ON EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE
Learn more about Earth systems science by watching these short videos
prepared by NASA. Join Ray and Danielle as they learn how satellite
data are collected and used to better understand Earth processes.
This website has five short videos on satellites, El Nino, global
warming, drought, and hurricanes.
Click here to watch the videos.
SMITHSONIAN TRAVELING EXHIBIT "EARTH FROM SPACE"
The Smithsonian Institution has a new traveling exhibit that uses satellite images to explore geography, ecology, meteorology, and geology. Learn how scientists use remote sensing and satellite technology to observe oceans, mountains, land surfaces, human activity, and changes in global climate. Satellites detect subtleties and variations that human eyes cannot, providing unique and beautiful views of our planet. The images have many important applications, from mapping city streets to understanding long-term climate changes.
Click here to view images at the Earth From Space website and find out whether the exhibit is coming to your area.
INVESTIGATE HOW EARTH SCIENTISTS USE SATELLITE IMAGES
In 2004, an expedition of students, teachers and scientists visited Barro Colorado Island, Panama, to explore the rainforest. This JASON Project collaborated with scientists from NASA to study this complex ecosystem. Scientists in this project have used data collected at the local level as well as data from NASA satellites to provide a global perpective. You can now go online and learn how images from space can provide information on the climate, vegetation, and water resources of the rainforest.
An online exercise on the “Electromagnetic Spectrum” can show you how different types of vegetation reflect the sun’s rays in different ways. Investigate how satellites use “remote sensing” to collect information that scientists use to build an image filled with data on the vegetation and climates on the Earth’s surface.
Click here to try building your own satellite image by using the data collected in the JASON Project.
LEARN ABOUT NASA'S EARTH OBSERVATORY
Space-based observations of the Earth are a relatively new tool that
scientists use to investigate Earth systems. The nation’s first
Earth-- observing satellite, the Television and Infrared Observation
Satellite (TIROS), was launched in 1960 – followed by the launch
of TIROS II and TIROS III later that year. These satellites were the
first designed to study the Earth’s weather patterns and identify
hurricanes and tropical storms that otherwise might have gone undetected
for days using conventional weather forecasting methods. Since the
1960s, NASA and others have launched many additional Earth- observing
satellites that are used by scientists to understand weather patterns,
changes in vegetation and land use, and temperature and chemical changes
in the ocean’s surface.
Click
here to learn more about the history of Earth- observing satellites.
NASA's website enables you to locate Earth-- observing satellites
above the planet in real time. Once you locate a satellite, you can
learn more about it and look at recent images and data.
Click here to locate the satellites.
CAREER PROFILES AT THE JOINT OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE
The Joint Oceanographic Institute supports scientists who study what
is beneath the ocean. Scientists collect samples from drilling into
the ocean crust to investigate changes in the Earth over time.
Click here to learn more about scientists and technicians who
use samples from deep in the ocean and what it takes to work on a
research ship.
VIDEO OF GEOSCIENTISTS
Explore the world of the geosciences through the experiences of professional
geoscientists. Ever wondered what a hydro-geologist does? Or the science
behind all the headlines about climate change? Want to learn more
about how meteorologists predict weather?
Click here to answer these questions and others by watching a
video of professional geoscientists at the American Geological Institute’s
career website.
GEOSCIENCE EXPLORERS CLUB
Would
you like to communicate via e-mail with geoscience professors? Are
you interested in participating in activities that will help you learn
about geoscience career pathways?
VENTURES SCHOLARS PARTICIPATE IN THE GEOSCIENCE EXPLORERS CLUB
Are you curious about the Earth and the Solar System? Do you have
a strong interest in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and
engineering? Do you enjoy puzzle solving and bringing together your
interests in a range of areas to solve wider problems? Do you find
the prospect of working on a wide range of Earth-related issues, from
resource management to environmental protection exciting? Do you enjoy
working outdoors? Then the geosciences may be the career path for
you.
Become a part of the Geoscience Explorer’s Club and learn more
about the geosciences in your community. Join the Ventures Scholars
Program and the American Geological Institute, co-founders of this
new group, as we learn about the systems that make up the Earth –
atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere. These systems have
been working together since the Earth’s beginning more than
4.6 billion years ago.
Geoscience Explorer Club members can also talk to geoscientists in
their communities and apply their new knowledge about their environment
to volunteer opportunities.
Activities will commence in February 2007. Please email candoh@ventures.org
with additional questions.
GEOSCIENCE CONTESTS
Get
involved! Learn about contests and competitions.
CONTEST WINNERS OF THE 2006 EARTH SCIENCE WEEK
Earth Science Week is an annual event coordinated by the American
Geological Institute to promote an understanding and appreciation
of the value of Earth science and its importance in our daily lives.
The event's national contests capped off a week of celebration as
students, educators, and members of the public explored the importance
of citizen science as part of the 2006 Earth Science Week theme “Be
a Citizen Scientist!”. This year a record of more than 1,000
submissions were sent in from across the country for the three contests
which included photography, visual arts, and an essay contest.
Click here to view the top submissions in the 2006 Earth Science Week Contests.
GEOSCIENCE AWARDS AT THE INTEL INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR
The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF)
is the world's largest pre-college celebration of science. Held annually
in May, the Intel ISEF brings together nearly 1,500 students from
more than 40 nations to compete for scholarships, tuition grants,
internships, scientific field trips, and the grand prize: a $50,000
college scholarship. The 2007 Intel ISEF will be held in Albuquerque,
New Mexico, and will include several awards for projects in the Earth
Sciences. Several professional organizations, colleges, and government
agencies offer financial awards for projects in a wide range of geoscience
topics.
Now is the perfect time to start thinking about your own science fair project! Earning a spot at the Intel ISEF requires you to win your local and state science fairs. Click here to find out if your local science fair is part of the Intel ISEF network.
Click
here if you need help getting started. You can get advice about
the research process and how to decide on a research project. Just
start with curiosity about your environment and community and go from
there!
Shell E-News Corner
Thanks to Shell Oil Company, the Ventures Scholars Program has been able to provide Ventures Scholars with information about the geosciences. Please take a few minutes to peruse some of Shell's resources and information about workplace opportunities.
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