Publications and E-Documents of the Stormwater Management Division [.pdf]
http://www.lacity.org/SAN/wpd/pages/publctns.htm
From the City of Los Angeles, the Publications and E-Documents of the Stormwater Management Division Web site offers various downloadable documents and reports related to watershed protection. Included are technical manuals such as the Development Best Management Practices Handbook, Hydrology Manual, and a Reference Guide for Stormwater BMPs. Subject-specific BMP brochures for car care, the food industry, landscaping, etc. are also available. [JAB]
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California Dams Database
http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/dams/
The California Dams Database Web site is presented by the University of California-Berkeley's Digital Library Project. The site contains information on nearly 1400 dams, including location information, dam and reservoir characteristics, and more. The database can be searched by several criteria, and browsed by an interactive map or by county and name. [JAB]
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SciTechResources.gov
http://www.scitechresources.gov/
SciTechResources "provides the scientist, engineer, and technologist with easy, one-stop access to key US Government web resources." Created by the National Technical Information Service, the database allows users to browse by various subjects or search by keyword. The database claims to contain descriptions of just those government Web sites that are key entry points to government science and technology resources such as software, databases, publications, and more. [JAB]
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Envirofacts Warehouse
http://www.epa.gov/enviro/index_java.html
The Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) environmental data access site, Envirofacts Warehouse, provides the public with direct access to EPA holdings. The collection contains data on air, chemicals, facility information, grants and funding, hazardous waste, superfund, toxic releases, water permits, drinking water, drinking water contaminant occurrence, and drinking water microbial and disinfection byproduct information. Compared to similar large data repositories, this site is easy to navigate, which makes retrieving the desired information fairly painless. A user's guide is provided. [JAB]
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Alsos
http://alsos.wlu.edu/
Hosted by Washington and Lee University and funded by the National Science Foundation, the Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues Web site has as a goal to provide a wide range of annotated references for the study of nuclear issues. The site contains annotated references to resources that offer a "broad, balanced perspective on current and historical topics relating to nuclear issues." Alsos can be browsed by people, places, disciplines, warfare issues, and science subjects, or can be searched by keyword. [JAB]
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NationalAtlas.gov
http://www.nationalatlas.gov
"The National Atlas of the United States is intended to provide a comprehensive, map-like view into the enormous wealth of data collected by the Federal Government." Provided by the Department of the Interior, the interactive map generator allows users to view and download maps that include information about agriculture, biology, boundaries, climate, environment, geology, history, people, transportation, water, and more. A unique Web resource, the atlas gives access to valuable information that may be useful in a variety of applications. [JAB]
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National Coastal Data Development Center
http://www.ncddc.noaa.gov/
The National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC) works with Federal, State, and local agencies; academic institutions; nonprofit organizations; and the private sector to create a unified, long-term database of coastal data sets. The NCDDC Web site allows visitors to search by various parameters and offers links to the respective Web pages (if available), a link to view the metadata, and information noting whether there is a fee or not. [JAB]
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Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Gallery [QuickTime]
http://www.gfdl.gov/~jps/GFDL_VG_Gallery.html
Offered by the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), the GFDL Gallery is a collection of visualizations which have been prepared in the course of GFDL's research, and subsequently presented at meetings and in the media. For example, the gallery contains an animated movie of Hurricane Emily from 1993 and a 3D animation of Hurricane Floyd. Other topics include global warming, stratospheric processes, El Nino, and more. [JAB]
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The Essential Guide to Rocks
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/rocks/
As part of the BBC Education Web sites, the Essential Guide to Rocks page contains excellent activities and lessons related to the formation and identification of rocks. A wonderful interactive timeline called Britain's Rocky Past features 4600 million years of continental drift, fossil life, and rocks. Another activity called Walks with Rocks contains ten virtual walks around Great Britain that explores what types of rocks can be found in various places. The third and last section called the Stones at Home activity contains experiments on the rock cycle, the geology of the bathroom, rock art, and more. The site is truly a fun and educational online resource. [JAB]
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The Chemistry Resource Center
http://nobel.scas.bcit.ca/resource/
Maintained by the British Columbia Institute of Technology Chemistry Department, The Chemistry Resource Center Web site bills itself as "on-line multi-media tutor to direct students to find textbook references, interesting WWW links and to guide them to solve Chemistry problems." Among the many activities on the site, probably the most interesting is the "How well do you know your Periodic Table?" link, which helps to teach students the basics of the elements and the periodic table through a unique interactive online exercise. [JAB]
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Virtual Field Trips
http://emerald.ucsc.edu/~jsr/EART10/Trips/index.html
As part of the University of California at Santa Cruz Earth Science department, Professor Justin Revenaugh's Earth 10 - Geologic Principles course Web site offers the Virtual Field Trips link. Here, visitors can explore Natural Bridges State Park, UC Santa Cruz Campus Geology, and the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake through photographs and descriptions. Everything from coastal dunes to campus sinkholes is included in a very easy to navigate and informative site. [JAB]
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Pre-University Chemistry Course [Flash]
http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/vrchemistry/foundation.html
From the University of Oxford Department of Chemistry comes the Pre-University Chemistry Course teaching material Web site. This multimedia learning resource is based on the book Chemistry, Matter and the Universe by Richard E. Dickerson and Irving Geis, and contains more than twenty topics. Users can learn about atoms, molecules, moles, particles, waves, heat, energy, and more through various well-done animated and interactive activities. [JAB]
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The Encyclopedia of the Atmospheric Environment
http://www.doc.mmu.ac.uk/aric/eae/english.html
The Encyclopedia of the Atmospheric Environment Web site is written and maintained by the Atmosphere, Climate and Environment Information Programme, which is supported by the UK Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs. The site offers nine atmospheric topics such as acid rain and global warming, along with many subtopics. For example, the acid rain chapter contains almost thirty additional links to descriptions about each subtopic, several of which have a more simplified version for younger readers. [JAB]
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SSC Space Physics Tutorial [.pdf]
http://www-ssc.igpp.ucla.edu/ssc/tutorial.html
Provided by the Space Physics Center of the UCLA Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, the Space Physics Tutorial gives advanced high school and college students an introduction to Space Physics. Topics include the magnetosphere, magnetopause, the Pioneer Venus Mission, planetary magnetospheres, and more. Two downloadable papers are also available in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format entitled: Solar Wind and Interplanetary Magnetic Field: A Tutorial and The Solar Wind Interaction with the Earth's Magnetosphere: A Tutorial. [JAB]
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Weather Here and There
http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Edu/RSE/RSEred/WeatherHome.html#Weather
The Global Education Project of the Resource for Science Education Program offers the Weather Here and There educational unit. The Web site consists of six lessons geared for students in grades four through six that cover everything from characteristics of the Earth's atmosphere to forecasting the weather. Each lesson contains the objectives, materials, background information, vocabulary, evaluation, etc. needed to easily prepare and complete each. [JAB]
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Lectures Remote Sensing Basics
http://cgi.girs.wageningen-ur.nl/k075218/default.htm
The Lectures Remote Sensing Basics Web site, maintained by the Wageningen University Laboratory of Geo-Information Science and Remote Sensing, is an online lecture series that corresponds with an introductory remote sensing course. The comprehensive information is contained in hundreds of "slides," which are accessed through a PowerPoint-like presentation that allows users to click next or last on the screen or jump to any topic via the topic index. Higher level students will appreciate what is offered, as well as educators who may want to choose particular topics to explore with their students. [JAB]
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Climate Timeline Tool
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/paleo/ctl/index.html
The Climate Timeline Web site was developed at the National Geophysical Data Center at NOAA's Boulder Laboratory and was designed as an online tool that allows users to examine climate change and variability at different time scales throughout history. The site allows visitors to explore climate history and science from today to over 100,000 years ago through descriptions, illustrations, and other attractive graphics. An interesting and distinctive approach to climate history, this site will appeal to anyone interested in climate, weather, or earth history. [JAB]
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Energy Cost Calculators
http://www.eren.doe.gov/femp/procurement/calc-index.html
Offered by the Federal Energy Management Program of the US Department of Energy, the Energy Cost Calculators Web site allows visitors to calculate lifetime energy cost savings for products at various efficiency levels and hours of operation. Although a bit involved, the tools can help the public educate themselves on energy-saving issues related to such things as refrigerators and showerheads. The related Energy Star Cost Calculator Tools link at the bottom of the page, from the Environmental Protection Agency, offers more simplified calculators on similar appliances. This site is also reviewed in the May 31, 2002 Scout Report.
[JAB]
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ISP Radio and Space Services: Interesting Facts and Educational Material
http://www.ips.gov.au/papers/index.html
A unit of the Department of Industry Tourism and Resources of the Australian Government, Ionospheric Prediction Service's (ISP) Radio and Space Service (which acts as the Australian Space Weather Agency) provides the Interesting Facts and Educational Material Web site. Contained within is a series of articles done by IPS staff and their colleagues on the sun, space weather, sunspots, solar flares, the Earth's magnetic field, meteors, and much more. Although relatively short, the pages contain good descriptions and usually a graphic or illustration that makes browsing and learning about each enjoyable. [JAB]
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Urban Water Resources Management
http://www.gdrc.org/uem/water/index.html
The Urban Water Resources Management Web site is maintained by the Global Development Research Center. The center "carries out initiatives in education, research and practice, in the spheres of environment, urban, community, economy and information, and at scales that are effective." The site contains information and links to topics such as understanding the importance of water; organizations and institutions; documents and information repositories; initiatives, programs, and projects; and more. [JAB]
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The Geology of Virginia
http://www.wm.edu/CAS/GEOLOGY/virginia/
From the College of William of Mary Department of Geology comes the Geology of Virginia Web site. From the Appalachian Plateau to the coastal plain, visitors can explore the geology and physical characteristics of the diverse landscape of the commonwealth of Virginia through simple descriptions and well designed graphics. Even if you dont live in the area, the site does a good job of capturing the interest of anyone looking for quality material on the presented subjects. [JAB]
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Follow a Fossil
http://www.dmns.org/denverbasin2/fossil/
The Follow a Fossil Web site is presented by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. It documents the prospecting, evacuation, preparation, curation, research, and exhibiting of vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant fossils. The site is simple and effective, giving a good introduction to the process of finding and using fossils for learning about the past. [JAB]
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The Ozone Hole Tour
http://www.atm.ch.cam.ac.uk/tour/index.html
Offered by the University of Cambridge Center for Atmospheric Science, The Ozone Hole Tour Web site gives visitors an introduction to the discovery and science of ozone and its effects. The four modules include descriptions, illustrations, graphics, and links to further information, and can be viewed in English, French, and German. [JAB]
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The Weather Doctor
http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/doctor.htm
Published by Spectrum Educational Enterprises, The Weather Doctor Web site is maintained by meteorologist Keith Heidorn. Visitors to the site will find everything from the joys of weather watching, to making rain, to weather history, to much more. Coming from someone who clearly enjoys what they do, this site explores unique aspects of weather including weather people, weather history, and weather and arts. [JAB]
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Oil
1. Fossils into Fuel: Where have Crude Oil and Gas Come From?
http://www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/4/chemistry/fossils/index.html
2. Oil: Our Untapped Energy Wealth
http://www.fe.doe.gov/education/gen_oil.html
3. Picture an Oil Well
http://www.consrv.ca.gov/dog/well.html
4. Stacey Visits an Offshore Oil Rig
http://www.mms.gov/mmskids/explore/explore.htm
5. Especially for Kids
http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/kids/kids.html
6. EPA: Oil Spill Program
http://www.epa.gov/oilspill/
7. How Oil Refining Works
http://www.howstuffworks.com/oil-refining.htm
8. CSMs Picture Gallery
http://www.ticam.utexas.edu/Groups/SubSurfMod/
The first site, offered by the Institute of Petroleum, is called Fossils into Fuel (1). It describes how oil and gas are formed and processed, as well as offering short quizzes on each section. The second site (2) is maintained by the Department of Energy. Visitors can learn about the history of oil use, how its found and extracted, and more. The next site, called Picture an Oil Well (3), is a one-page illustration and description of the workings of an oil well, offered by the California Department of Conservation. The fourth site, hosted by the Minerals Management Service, is called Stacey Visits an Offshore Oil Rig (4). It tells the story of a girl taking a field trip on an offshore oil rig and what she finds when shes there. The Especially for Kids Web site (5) is presented by NOAA and explores facts about the effects of oil spills. Kids can do experiments, get help writing a report, find further information on the provided additional links, and more. From the Environmental Protection Agency, the sixth site is called Oil Spill Program (6), and it also delves into the topic of oil spills. It provides information about the EPA's program for preventing, preparing for, and responding to oil spills that occur in and around inland waters of the United States. The next site, offered by How Stuff Works.com, is called How Oil Refining Works (7). Descriptions of crude oil, fractional distillation, chemical processing, and more is presented in a succinct but informative way. The last site is from The Center for Subsurface Modeling (CSM) of the Texas Institute for Computational and Applied Mathematics and is called CSMs Picture Gallery (8). After clicking the Gallery link, visitors will find animations and images that represent CSMs work such as oil spill simulations, discontinuous galerkin, the tyranny of scale, contaminant remediation, etc. [JAB]
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Below are the copyright statements to be included when reproducing annotations from The NSDL Scout Report for the Physical Sciences.
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From The NSDL Scout Report for Physical Sciences, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2002. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
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Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-2002. The Internet Scout Project (http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/), located in the Computer Sciences Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides information about the Internet to the U.S. research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. The Government has certain rights in this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the entire Scout Report provided this paragraph, including the copyright notice, are preserved on all copies.
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