Dangerous and Natural Energy - Essay Example

? Health sciences and medicine Dangerous and Natural Energy XXXX XXXX As most of us have experienced, earthquakes are one of the most powerful and destructive catastrophic natural disasters that leave behind devastating after-effects. Earthquakes generally occur if the plates forming the earth’s surface cross across one another and resulting in the energy contained inside to be released. In my view, the pattern of earthquakes in the United States observed through the National Seismic Hazard maps can be termed as more or less uneven. The neighboring areas and borders of Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee in the southern part, the California coast and an area in the Wyoming/Idaho area are more at risk than the other parts of the country. These parts of the United States are rated from a 10, 20 or 40 percent on the USGS National Hazards Map with rippling areas of lesser intensity going outward from these points. California followed by Oregon in the second place is the most risky from the point of view of an earthquake occurrence. Washington is not too far behind of having a likelihood of facing earthquake as well as few regions in Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Arizona according to the National seismic hazard map. Areas around Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia also are at a risk of being hit by earthquakes in future. Where as, Wisconsin and Minnesota are said to be completely free from many future earthquake risks; the probability of occurrence doesn’t show a clear pattern and is more or less follows a mixed distribution. I live in North Carolina and my area on the map shows as marked in yellow; this shows that our family is under constant and high threat of being subjected to the greatest earthquake risk ever and might experience attacks in near future. The area is expected to face future seismic tremors that will not only lead to the loss of lives, but also damage to the relative structural aspects. The patterns of earthquake distribution across the world give a clear indication that the center of attention and maximum probability is concentrated in regions, where Earth’s tectonic plates converge. I decided to look at a recent earthquake that took place in the region of Antofagasta, Chile on Thursday March 4, 2010; it was a magnitude 6.3. After examining the most destructive and deadliest earthquakes that the USGS has on record, it showed that one occurred on January 12, 2010 in Haiti and on May 12, 2008 in Eastern Sichuan China. Haiti had a magnitude of 7.0 with 222,570 dead, 300, 00 injured and 1.3 million displaced with 97,294 homes destroyed. China had 87,587 deaths, with a 7.9 magnitude, 45.5 million people were affected, 5 million homeless, and 15 million had to be evacuated. The information tells me that science does not have the power to predict or control earthquakes; however Seismologists does have the ability to study earthquakes by using a seismograph, a seismograph is an instrument that records the shaking of the earth's surface caused by seismic waves, Seismologist can tell how far away the earthquake was and how strong it was just by studying the seismogram. According to How are Earthquakes studied? It cites that the first seismograph was invented in 132 A.D. by the Chinese astronomer and mathematician Chang As is evident, I am already living in one of the most earthquake prone regions; I will never be willing to live in any of the red areas shown on the map. Hypothetically, in case I along with my family are forced to live in a red area, I comprehend that we will be much better prepared to face and withstand the catastrophe. The understanding and observation of USGS resources that help in being ready to prepare and face an earthquake helps me think so even more. The things that I along with my family would keep in readiness at all times would include some of the following things: An emergency kit that would have adequate amount of water that is a gallon per person a day, a primary first aid kit, medications, water purification tablets, flashlights with extra batteries and bulbs, packaged food, and a portable radio. Additional things would include clothing with blankets, cooking grill or a stove, matches, candles etc. I would also make sure that all members in the family undergo a first aid and CPR course. However, given a choice, I would prefer moving to a lesser earthquake prone area, like PA; the map shows this as having very few chance experiencing an earthquake in near future. In order to predict a future earthquake, scientists and researchers have been endeavoring to measure velocity changes for decades with results that were observed not far past in time by using Seismograms. Latest warning systems detect P-waves that are the fastest moving seismic waves released during a quake; these P-waves precede S-waves that travel far more slowly but possess a much higher destructive intensity. Geological energy is created by the natural processes occurring inside the Earth and thus is more abundant as compared to the biological energy; sources that include oil, natural gas and coal. On the other hand, Biological energy is produced by living organisms and the primary source of biological energy is the sun. The sun’s energy is processed by plants and also passes through the food chain when one organism consumes another. The humans, however, require both types of energy; humans not only eat plants and animals that consume plants, but also require energy on a much larger scale that can be made available only through geological sources. The two energies can be said to be similar and yet different in two ways – both energies can be seen to be same as they come off natural sources and are then consumed for different purposes, thus affecting the habitat. On the other hand, the two energy types can be seen as being different from the aspects of amount of energy released by the two energy resources and how drastic the affects are on the energy consumption as per the levels of harmfulness. References U.S.G.S. (2011). USGS: Science for a changing world. Retrieved April 19, 2011 from http://www.usgs.gov/ U.P.Seis. (2011). How Are Earthquakes are studied? Retrieved April 19, 2011 from http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/studying.html Read More