As a Californian, my life has been punctuated by earthquakes. My earliest temblor memory is the 1971 Sylmar quake. On that auspicious day I began my first job as a high school graduate. In the 1994 Northridge earthquake, my mother …[Continue]
Earth Sciences Resources
Geologic Time Scale
The geologic time scale (GTS) is a system used by Earth scientists to organize the timing of events in Earth’s history. The largest defined unit is the supereon, which is composed of eons. Eons are divided into eras, which are …[Continue]
Rivers
A river is a natural flow of water (usually freshwater) towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. They are an important part of our ecosystem as a source of water, food, transportation, defense, energy, and recreation. Learn more at …[Continue]
Water Cycle
A glass of water doesn’t seem very complicated. Yet water can be a fascinating topic, full of opportunities for hands-on learning. Today’s sites include dozens of activities and experiments for the young and curious ready to learn about the exciting …[Continue]
Clouds
A cloud is a visible mass of condensed water vapor floating above the earth. In 1802, amateur meteorologist Luke Howard named three principal categories of clouds: cumulus, stratus, and cirrus. These categories became the basis of today’s cloud classification system, …[Continue]
Static Electricity
Has your hair ever stood out from your head after pulling off a wool cap? That’s the result of static electricity. In their usual state, the atoms are electrically neutral because they contain an equal number of positive protons and …[Continue]
The Ocean
Although it covers nearly three-quarters of Earth, scientists call the ocean our planet’s last frontier, and say that we know more about the moon then we do the sea floor. While oceanographers are racing to learn more about the deep …[Continue]
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the chemical process used by plants (and a few other organisms) to convert sunlight, water, and air into the energy needed for the plant to grow and survive. Learn more with today’s crop of website picks….[Continue]
Air Pressure
Air pressure is the weight (or force) of the atmosphere at any particular point. Although you can’t feel it or see it, air pressure plays an important part in weather, and can be demonstrated with some really fun experiments….[Continue]
Magnetism
Magnetism is a force that attracts and repels things. It is the result of the movement of charged particles. Although the theoretical concept may sound difficult, it is easy to demonstrate to even young children with very simple experiments. Nickel …[Continue]
