mount st helen essays

mount st helen essays Mount St. Helen is a volcano located along the cascade range, which is a volcano chain stretching from Northern California to British Columbia. Mount St Helen now stands at a height of 8,364 feet above sea level. Mount St. Helen was one the smaller eruptions of five major ones in Washington State. It's elevation before the eruption was 9,677 feet high. On March 29, 1980 after a period of one-hundred and twenty-three years of inactivity a earthquake under As magma pushed up from beneath the earth's surface, the north side of the mountain developed a bulge. Angle and slope-distance measurements indicating that the bulge was growing at a rate of 1.5 feet per day (thompson pg 23). May 17 the volcano's north side had been pushed upward and outward 450 feet (thompson pg 24). May 18 at 8:32 a.m. Pacific daylight time a magnitude 5.1 out of a possible 10 earthquake shook Mount St. Helen. The bulge on the north side of the mountain gave way in a gigantic rock slide releasing pressure and triggering a major rock and pumice eruption. At thirteen hundred feet the peak collapsed and as a result 24 square miles of the valley was filled with roc and debris. From the rock slide 250 square miles of timber, recreation, and private lands were demolished from the lateral blast. For more than 9 hours the volcano spit ashes out to the air. Eventually the ashes reached 12-15 miles above sea level. The ashes went eastward at about 60 miles per hour. By noon the ashes had reached as far as Idaho. Ashes reached 11 states. The total amount of ash that fell was .26 cubic miles or enough ash to cover a football field to a depth of 150 miles (thompson pg 26). Mount St. Helen is said to have caused the most damage of any other volcano blast (Carson pg11). A total of 1.6 billion dollars of damage was caused by the blast ...

Ancient Chinese Invented Gunpowder

Ancient Chinese Invented Gunpowder Few substances in history have had as profound an effect on human history as gunpowder, yet its discovery in China was an accident. Contrary to myth, it was not simply used for fireworks but was put to military uses from its time of discovery. Eventually, this secret weapon leaked out to the rest of the medieval world. Chinese Alchemists Tinker With Saltpeter and Make Gunpowder Ancient alchemists in China spent centuries trying to discover an elixir of life that would render the user immortal. One important ingredient in many of the failed elixirs was saltpeter, also known as potassium nitrate. During the Tang Dynasty, around 850 A.D., an enterprising alchemist (whose name has been lost to history) mixed 75 parts saltpeter with 15 parts charcoal and 10 parts sulfur. This mixture had no discernable life-lengthening properties, but it did explode with a flash and a bang when exposed to an open flame. According to a text from that era, smoke and flames result, so that [the alchemists] hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house where they were working burned down. Use of Gunpowder in China Many western history books over the years have stated that the Chinese used this discovery only for fireworks, but that is not true. Song Dynasty military forces as early as 904 A.D. used gunpowder devices against their primary enemy, the Mongols. These weapons included flying fire (fei huo), an arrow with a burning tube of gunpowder attached to the shaft. Flying fire arrows were miniature rockets, which propelled themselves into enemy ranks and inspired terror among both men and horses. It must have seemed like fearsome magic to the first warriors who were confronted with the power of gunpowder. Other Song military applications of gunpowder included primitive hand grenades, poisonous gas shells, flamethrowers and landmines. The first artillery pieces were rocket tubes made from hollow bamboo shoots, but these were soon upgraded to cast metal. McGill University professor Robin Yates notes that the worlds first illustration of a cannon comes from Song China, in a painting from about 1127 A.D. This depiction was made a century and a half before Europeans began to manufacture artillery pieces. The Secret of Gunpowder Leaks Out of China By the mid- to late-eleventh century, the Song government had become concerned about gunpowder technology spreading to other countries. The sale of saltpeter to foreigners was banned in 1076. Nonetheless, knowledge of the miraculous substance was carried along the Silk Road to India, the Middle East, and Europe. In 1267, a European writer made reference to gunpowder, and by 1280 the first recipes for the explosive mixture were published in the west. Chinas secret was out. Down through the centuries, Chinese inventions have had a profound effect on human culture. Items like paper, the magnetic compass, and silk have diffused around the world. None of those inventions, however, have had quite the impact that gunpowder has, for good and for bad.

Closely watched Buffet recalculating his bets Essay

Closely watched Buffet recalculating his bets - Essay Example Even financial wizards like Mr. Buffet took a beating, amounting to around $25 billion in personal losses. However proving that he was made of sterner stuff, he took the initial beating and then decided to turn round this very crippling period of economic recession to his own advantage. Here he treaded paths where very few would have ventured and he dared to turn tides in his own favor. It was Mr. Buffet who advised the American government to bail out the plummeting financial market. It was again him who at the very middle of this turmoil advised all Americans to buy as many stocks as possible. And true to his given advice he led the way. Against all common sense and amidst general misgivings he decided to invest $5 billion in Goldman Sachs in September 2008. This was perhaps the boldest step ever taken by him in his entire career as a financial investor. After about eight days he declared that he was going to invest another $3billion in General Electrics which was at that time on ra ther shaky grounds. Mr. Buffet has labeled such companies as â€Å"sleeping beauties† as their stock market values are far lower than their actual book values. He believes in taking over such companies that are in turmoil and may look for takeovers or getting grounded. He invests in them by buying large amounts of stocks in the company and gets financial help in the form of concessions, in exchange. If we take a closer look at his modus operandi we will see a very sharp mind and a logical pattern of thinking behind these seemingly very absurd moves. As the Government sets off to bail out these companies to stabilize the failing economy we find that Mr. Buffet does not get any direct personal help. However, his stocks get the benefit of being bailed out by using the general taxpayers’ money. He invested in Goldman Sachs and General Electrics which all received financial bail outs from the government. So

Japan Earthquakes' Effect on Japan's Environemnt Research Paper

Japan Earthquakes' Effect on Japan's Environemnt - Research Paper Example In 2011, Japan recorded the strongest earthquake in the recent past, which later triggered a devastating tsunami along the northern pacific coast. This earthquake, named the Great East Japan earthquake, caused massive losses in Japan. The 9.0 earthquake caused a 124 foot tsunami wave, deaths of close to 20’000 people, and massive destruction of homes. Apart from these losses, the earthquake caused the nuclear accident that occurred in Fukushima Prefecture (LÃ ¼sted 4). The fact that Japan is an earthquake prone country makes it prepare for such happenings. In 2011 earthquake, tsunami early warning signs enabled Japan to take the necessary precautionary measures that helped in saving hundreds of thousands of lives. Unfortunately, the 2011 earthquake struck with massive waves that were of bigger magnitude than it was previously predicted. This was the reason why many people lost their lives, massive property destruction, and severe damage on the environment. The massive losses of lives that are evident in different earthquakes that have struck Japan are mainly due to subsequent effects that follow an earthquake. Majority of these effects are environmental in nature, and their impacts may last for a prolonged period of time (LÃ ¼sted 11).usted 11). What is an earthquake? An earthquake refers to a sudden movement of the earth due to an abrupt release of energy that has piled up over a prolonged period. Numerous studies support that a majority of earth quakes occur along boundaries where plates making the earth’s outer layer meet. Scientists use the knowledge of locations where earthquakes take place and the nature of ruptures they produce to describe the plates boundaries. It is worth noting that a majority of destructive earthquakes are as a result of dislocation of the earth’s crust. In such situations, the crust exacts its effects by bending and then breaks and snaps to a new position when the prevailing stress exceeds the pressure exerted by rocks (Alexander 47). The earth has three types of plate boundaries. The first boundaries are the spreading zones. In these zones, molten rock material rises up; this leads to the separation of two plates and addition of material along their edges. Spreading zones are most common in oceans. The second types of boundaries are the transform faults, which occur where plates move past each other. Earthquakes that occur along these plates happen at shallow depths, leading to visi ble straight linear patterns. The third types of plates are the subduction zones, which occur in earth’s regions where one plate subducts another plate. This phenomenon pushes the subducted plate downwards into the mantle causing it to melt. Subduction zones form shallow or deep earthquakes, deep ocean trenches, and mountain ranges that have volcanic activities (Alexander 55). Geologists have evidence that supports the idea that earthquakes occur frequently along faults. These regions of the earth show areas of weakness along the earth’s crust. Once an earthquake has occurred along a fault zone, it is unlikely that all stress is relieved from the earth crust. This situation creates a chance for another earthquake to occur in the future. In some cases, earthquakes are likely to strike before, during or after a volcanic activity. In this case, earthquakes are not linked to the occurrence of the volcanic eruptions, but the force associated with the volcanic eruption cause s the earthquakes to happen (Oxlade 35). Seismographs are the

Simple Networking :: essays research papers

Simple network wiring Thesis statement This report is to include the basics of the physical wiring of computer networks. Outline I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introduction A. Professional wiring. B. Using hubs. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Body A. Saving money. B. Tools needed. C. Proper placement. D. Connectors. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conclusion A. Plug in and go. B. Good luck -Page 2 Simple network wiring Professional wiring can cost hundreds of dollars per connection and there never seems to be enough drops. A year after most companies upgrade their network wiring, they find themselves needing to once again rebuild. With three to six drops per office, this can be a healthy bill for the company. There is a better way. Use hubs anywhere you would have put extra drops. Drops are the actual runs of wire that run into the room. Each cable that comes from the main backbone cable, or central point of connection is the â€Å"Drop†. Use the hub to plug everything into. For simple nets you won't need a filtering bridge or router, just a plain unfiltered hub. If you have a DSL or cable model connection, you may want a firewall. In large nets routers are crucial so that heavy internal traffic in one group does not slow down people in other groups. But hubs can be added most anywhere, and are a great way to save on extra wiring. Hubs are available from most any computer mail order, or a good local shop. It is a good idea to get more ports than you need now. Hubs can be 10 or 100 Megabit per second, or able to auto-switch between the two. An 8-port 10/100MB Ethernet hub is now about $37.00. That is far less than a single drop. It is less than -Page 3 just the wire and connectors for the 7 added drops you get. 100MB hubs are a bit more, around 50.00 for the Linksys 8 port. But it is still less than wiring. The general principle is to pull one or 2 drops to each relevant wall, and when you need more just stick in a hub. If you use a hub and put the drops into the inside walls between the rooms, or in the corners they will reach two, or in the center, four interior walls from one point. By doing this you can get by with fewer â€Å"real† drops and save the company money. Say a company wanted 150 drops. A realistic figure for an average first time drop is around $350.00. That would come to $52,500.

Our Choice Shape Our Identity

Our identities are mainly shaped our own decisions and concerns, whereas external factors create opportunities to change our identity. Do we choose our identity or is it chosen for us? With infinite opportunities around us, we are given a path that leads to a new adventure, all determined on whether to follow or refuse. The opportunities around us are often formed from the basis of our family, as they make decisions for us when we are born. An individual’s parents would have more responsibility as they have to take care of their child and themselves. The way an individual lives is determined by the life style they live, they have the decision to change and determination, which is up to the individual and finally forms their identity. Decisions making is one of the most important factors in an individual’s life, making it a cruel part of the development of our identity. The education system is designed for students to plan their future goals, thus an individual is given numerous numbers of choices, whether it is to become a doctor or a soldier in the military. The choices an individual makes in the present will definitely affect his future. Throughout William Thornhill’s life, he is offered with many life changing opportunities, his dedication to marry Sal, his choice to become a waterman and many more. From all these decisions-making choices, his identity changes from one to another, most importantly they are choices that William Thornhill made. These choices he made heavily influenced his behaviour and lifestyle which determined his identity at the end, where he starts off as a kid from the ghetto to a gentleman in NSW. The choices an individual makes in the past and present definitely affects the future and identity of an individual. The way we live is determined by ourselves, by choices we’ve made in the past and present. Everyone’s identity is unique, because we chose to be different, to achieve this we tend to have different personalities and appearances. Through these changeable aspects, an individual’s identity varies, however an individual’s determination strongly forms their identity, because they are focused on what must be done and will follow that path to achieve their goal. Diana’s childhood goal was to be multitalented, and through all the practices, she decided to become an actress. She refused to co-operate with her mother and follow her own dreams. Her determination of becoming an actress shaped her identity, by being a strong independent woman and finally achieving her goal through hard work. Her decision of become rebellious and determined are major factors that has affected her today, and shaped her identity. Although it was her choice to become an actress, it was her family who influenced her to be multitalented at a young age. The choices we begin to make are often based on what has been given to us and what we need or want most, thus, unchangeable circumstances are important because they shape our identity before we are capable of making decisions. Unchangeable external factors stick with an individual, forming the basis of one’s identity. An individual is not in control of the family they are born in, neither are they responsible for the environment they live in. In a sense, an individual will want to live in an environment where it provides a sense of belonging, a place where it defines one’s identity, and living in that environment to reproduce, with the offspring forced to live in the same environment as the parents are. In the novel, The Secret River, William Thornhill is born into a relatively poor family, through the influence of his parents, stealing meant living. After being transferred to NSW, William Thornhill’s son Dick Thornhill experiences the same situation, where his family is English and civilised, however Dick choses to interact with the aborigines and becoming one of them. His identity as an English white man does not change as it stays with him forever. Family is an important factor when a child develops their identity, as it influences the choices the child makes in the future. Choices determine our identities, whether it is our own decision or decisions from external sources. With good decision making skills, an individual is able to change their future by making good decisions and having the determination to achieve their goals. Families are a huge influence to our decision making skills, as well as they create opportunities for us to improve our future. Without choices in life, many of our identities wouldn’t be unique, are wouldn’t be able to change, we would all live the same and no one would have individuality.

Diction In Crime And Punishment, By Fyodor Dostoevsky

In the novel â€Å"Crime and Punishment†, the author, Fyodor Dostoevsky gives the reader a glimpse into the mind of a tormented criminal, by his guilt of a murder. Dostoevsky’s main focal point of the novel doesn’t lie within the crime nor the punishment but within the self-conflicting battle of a man and his guilty conscience. The author portrays tone by mood manipulation and with the use of descriptive diction to better express his perspective in the story, bringing the reader into the mind of the murderer. First, let me introduce you to the main character himself otherwise known as the murderer in this story. Raskolnikov is the main protagonist of the novel, making the story in his point of view. He is very alienated from society due to his†¦show more content†¦The mood of confusion due to the characters disorientation from his guilty conscious is what manipulates the tone. The mood and tone are also expressed during the state of agitation the charact er encounters when battling his conscious about committing the murder in the first place. Going back to the point of the characters un-confessed sin which is his main cause of his torture; there comes the moment of truth within the story. In the excerpt, the author says, â€Å"There had been little difficulty about his trial. The criminal adhered exactly, firmly, and clearly to his statement†¦ He explained every incident of the murder† (lines 4-6). This is the point in the story where Raskolnikov unleashes the demons in his mind and confesses to his sin. It’s shown here just how brutal the battle with his guilty conscious truly was, by Raskolnikov being pushed to a confession, stating the exact incidents and not missing a single detail, all while showing absolutely no remorse for himself. There is finally a sense of hope that is shown for the main character at the end of the excerpt when the author describes the moment in prison after his confession. When the auth or says â€Å"In prison, how it happened, he did not know. But all at once something seemed to seize him and fling him at her (Sonia’s) feet. He wept and threw his arms round her knees. They were both pale and thin; but those sick pale faces were bright with the dawn of a new future, of a fullShow MoreRelatedEssay on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment1017 Words   |  5 PagesFyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel â€Å"Crime and Punishment† brings the reader a glimpse into the mind of a criminal, tormented by the guilt of murder. Dostoevsky’s focal point of the novel does not lie within the crime nor the punishment but everything in between. Dostoevsky also vividly depicts the life and conditions of poverty within the confines of St. Petersburg. Dostoevsky uses a unique and descriptive diction which takes the reader’s perspective and putsRead MoreCrime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky Essay896 Words   |  4 PagesIn Fyodor Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment, the theme of duality and the conflict between personal desires and morals is present throughout much of the novel. There are dual conflicts: one external between a disillusioned individual and his world, and the other internal between an isolated soul and his inner thoughts. It is the internal conflict in the main character, Raskolnikov, that is the focused on for much of the novel. The first of Rodya’s two sides is his intellectual side. This side