Principles for Managing Contaminated Sediment Risks at Hazardous Waste Sites [.pdf]
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/resources/principles/9285.6-08.pdf
On February 20, 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an eleven-page memorandum entitled Principles for Managing Contaminated Sediment Risks at Hazardous Waste Sites. Eleven risk management principles are presented, such as "control sources early" and "involve the community." The memo is intended to help guide Superfund National Policy Managers make "scientifically sound and nationally consistent risk management decisions at contaminated sediment sites," while giving an interesting look into governmental policies regarding the nation's most dangerous hazardous waste sites. This site is also reviewed in the March 8, 2002 Scout Report. [JAB]
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The Live Internet Seismic Server
http://www.liss.org/
As part of the US Geological Survey, the Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory is responsible for installing and maintaining a global network of seismograph stations and collecting and distributing the data produced by these stations. The Live Internet Seismic Server (LISS) Web site provides this data free to the public from over fifty stations around the globe and is updated every 30 minutes. The Go Directly to Data link lists all the stations and the accompanying data, and the interactive map page has a map of the world with locations marked of all the stations and recent earthquakes. Anyone involved in related work will find the information provided by this site invaluable. [JAB]
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ProSoil
http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FaoInfo/Agricult/agl/agll/prosoil/default.htm
From the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations comes the Problem Soils Database. The site gives general descriptions of problem soils, and the database, called ProSoil, can be used to search for literature sources that treat problem soils and to identify tables, figures, and case studies related to problem soils. The site and the database are well designed and easy to use, giving those users interested a handy tool for finding the facts they need. [JAB]
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Science News Online
http://www.sciencenews.org/
The weekly free online science news magazine, Science News, covers "the most important research in all fields of science" and currently reaches 200,000 subscribers and 1.2 million readers. For example, this week's issue contains seventeen articles, ranging from how scientists are uncovering the secrets behind avalanches to a report on the current Hubble telescope mission. Users can search the magazine archives, freely print each article, and even subscribe via email for each week's issue. [JAB]
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Optics Notes
http://www.opticsnotes.com
OpticsNotes.com was created for engineers, scientists, technicians, students, and others to find resources, references, and tutorial information available about Optics and Photonics on the Web. This deliberately graphic free site is simple to use and offers an abundant amount of great information on a unique subject. Users can choose from several links that include optics fundamentals, design, components, manufacture, applications, reference, and industry. Other quick links are provided, such as a dictionary, formulas, standards, newsgroups, and more, making this an overall great resource for all you optics lovers out there. [JAB]
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Space Weather Data Online
http://sec.noaa.gov/Data/
From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Space Environment Center (SEC) "provides real-time monitoring and forecasting of solar and geophysical events, conducts research in solar-terrestrial physics, and develops techniques for forecasting solar and geophysical disturbances." The SEC also maintains the Space Weather Online Data Web site, where visitors can access information that is partitioned into five groups -- Alerts and Forecasts, Models, Reports and Summaries, Indices, and Measurements. Each table of data tells how often it is updated, gives a link to the latest and older data, and provides an information link about each particular type of data. [JAB]
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The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
http://www.cfda.gov/
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Web site is a regularly updated database of grants and other federal programs available to State and local governments; Indian tribal governments; domestic public, private, profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals. Visitors can search the database (e.g., a search using the keyword soil brought back 26 results) or browse the available programs by eleven different criteria, such as by agency or by applicant eligibility. Any university faculty or graduate student trying to locate funding for their next research project will find this site to be a valuable resource. [JAB]
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Physics Needs Women
http://physicsweb.org/article/world/15/3/1
The March issue of Physics World and the accompanying Web site Physicsweb.org focuses on women working in the field of physics. The editorial entitled Physics Needs Women explorers this issue and the upcoming first ever international conference on women in physics being held in Paris. Under related stories, visitors can read about Turning Women into Leaders, Mixing Motherhood and Science, PhD's are Worth More for Women, and more. The site also contains links to the Paris conference; IOP Women in Physics Group; and Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology in the UK. [JAB]
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Water Science for Schools
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/index.html
The US Geological Survey education site, Water Science for Schools, provides students a fun and interactive way to learn about the earth's water. Sections include information about the water cycle; how much water there is and where; water properties; water use; and special topics such as urbanization's effects on water, maps, illustrations, and much more. The site seems to be geared towards older grade schoolers, and although is generally easy to navigate, the abundance of information would probably be best tackled with the help of a teacher or parent. [JAB]
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Mammoth Cave: Its Explorers, Miners, Archeologists, and Visitors
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/35mammoth/35mammoth.htm
The National Park Service offers lesson plans through Teaching with Historic Places, a program that "provide(s) a rich opportunity to enhance learning by bringing historic places across the country directly into the classroom." The Mammoth Cave lesson plan explores the history and geology behind the 336-mile cave system, the longest recorded in the world. Each particular subject contains readings, as well as relevant maps, illustrations, and questions regarding the reading. The site is not flashy but does provide a simple and informative lesson plan for students to learn about this unique landmark. [JAB]
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Geologic Explorations [QuickTime]
http://www.ncsu.edu/sciencejunction/
One of the latest offerings from the North Carolina State University's Web site Science Junction (last mentioned in the November 25, 1998 Scout Report) is the Geologic Explorations page. By clicking on the respective coordinates of each location, users can explore twelve areas in the western United States with 360-degree panoramic QuickTime movies and digital photography. Set up as a type of lesson for students, the main page suggests paying close attention to the unique geologic features and gives a few questions to answer about each area. The site is very easy to use and provides some breathtaking vistas of some of the most beautiful areas of the US. [JAB]
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The Physics Classroom [QuickTime]
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/
Hosted by Study Works Online and written by science teacher Tom Henderson, The Physics Classroom is an online physics tutorial written for high school physics students. Through individual lessons and accompanying quizzes, this very informative site includes a physics tutorial that covers everything from Newton's Laws to Refraction. The Multimedia Physics Studio portion of the site gives excellent animations and movies that allow students to reinforce their learning by visualizing what is being discussed. One of the available QuickTime movies shows a simplified roller coaster doing loops and illustrates the varying kinetic and potential energy throughout the ride. [JAB]
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The Periodic Table of Comic Books
http://www.uky.edu/Projects/Chemcomics/
Maintained by F. James Holler and John P. Selegue of the University of Kentucky's Department of Chemistry, the Periodic Table of Comic Books (yes, comic books) provides a undeniably fun way to learn about the elements. Clicking on periodic table elements brings up a page of comic book issues that involve that particular element. For example, clicking H for hydrogen brings up eight links to comic book pages from Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom; Wonder Woman; and others. The Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom page contains an image of the page, a description of the comic book, and what the plot is of that particular issue. Obviously, kids, and probably adults as well, will enjoy this site while learning the basics of elements and the periodic table. [JAB]
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Science and Safety, Making the Connection [.pdf]
http://csss.enc.org/safety
The Council of State Science Supervisors (CSSS), a professional organization composed of science education specialists, has recently released a guide to science safety entitled Science and Safety, Making the Connection. The free, downloadable document covers how to purchase, dispose, and store chemicals; how to clean up spills; safety equipment recommendations; and more. Any educator involved in laboratory work of any kind will find that this document contains very valuable and important information to keep you and your students safe. [JAB]
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Kids Web Japan
http://jin.jcic.or.jp/kidsweb/
Managed by the Japan Center for Intercultural Communications, the Kids Web Japan site introduces schoolchildren aged between 10 and 14 to the country of Japan. The main page offers links to information about the physical and cultural aspects of the country, including its nature and climate, history, traditions, daily life, and more. Each subject contains a description, beautiful photographs, and questions that kids can answer. Other features include several maps, games, a cookbook for kids, language lab, and much more. [JAB]
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The Dirt on Soil [Flash]
http://school.discovery.com/schooladventures/soil/index.html
The latest from DiscovorySchool.com (last mentioned in the February 22, 2002 NSDL Life Science Report) is the extensive and very well done Web lesson -- the Dirt on Soil. The Down and Dirty portion of the site describes the different layers of soil, how they are formed, what they usually consist of, soil particle size comparisons, and more. The field guide link contains photographs and descriptions of a creature from each major group of soil organisms, such as the creepy looking Beetle Mite. The last link on the main page is for the unbelievably cool Soil Safari interactive Flash activity. After getting into the Earthship, you navigate through different layers of soil to discover what organisms and soils are within. This really is an excellent activity for kids and adults wanting to learn about soil or just have fun. One additional feature of the site is the very helpful teachers tip link that gives summarized descriptions of the site and advice on how best to utilize it. [JAB]
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Guided Tour on Wind Energy
http://www.windpower.org/tour/index.htm
The nonprofit Danish Wind Industry Association's Web site contains extensive information on everything wind-related. The Guided Tour on Wind Energy page has more than one hundred topics, including global wind effects, wind energy and turbines, various wind related calculators, and more. The well-designed pages include easy-to-follow descriptions and good illustrations and animations to help anyone understand the science behind wind and its possibilities for creating clean, renewable energy. [JAB]
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The Linus Pauling Papers
http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/MM/
Presented in February by the National Library of Medicine, the latest Profiles in Science highlights the achievements made by the chemist Linus Pauling. Pauling won the 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his research into the nature of the chemical bond and its application to the elucidation of the structure of complex substances. He also won the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize, making him the only person to win two unshared Nobel prizes." The site offers visitors a look at a portion of the Linus Pauling Papers that are held at the Oregon State University Libraries in Corvallis and contain a collection of personal and scientific works digitized for online view. The site can be browsed by the online exhibit (which includes a biographical section), alphabetically or chronologically by work, and can be searched by keyword. This impressive collection gives anyone interested in chemistry a chance to learn more about one of the most influential scientists in the field. [JAB]
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Space Movies Cinema [QuickTime, MediaPlayer]
http://vesuvius.jsc.nasa.gov/er/seh/movies.html
NASA'S Space Movies Cinema site contains thirty-four viewable movies relating to space exploration. Ever wanted to see the golf shot that Alan Shepard hit on the moon, the first flag on the moon, or even a morph of an astronaut into a robot or an astronaut suit into body armor? This site has these and more, giving visitors a literal look back at the history of space exploration in the United States with interesting and fun movies. The movies (most of which are only fair quality) come with a short description and a link for either a .mov or .avi file. [JAB]
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Oil and Dependence: An NPR Special Report
http://www.npr.org/news/specials/oilseries/index.html
Presented by National Public Radio's All Things Considered, the special report Oil and Dependence examines America's continued reliance on foreign oil. The articles discuss the global oil market, the domestic supply, and whether the US can move towards increasing energy conservation and less foreign oil dependence. Included are audio files of Christopher Joyce's reports, illustrations, photographs, and other links of interest, giving visitors a unique look at the history and future possibilities of our countries' energy needs. [JAB]
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Interactive Weather Information Network
http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/graphicsversion/rbigmain.html
Offered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Interactive Weather Information Network (IWIN) is a collection of interactive weather maps and satellite images that is updated every five seconds. Visitors can see cloud cover animation loops, NEXRAD Radar images of precipitation, a map of all current weather fronts, and an interactive national map to see information about any particular state. Other information on the site includes a listing of any active weather warnings, a link for world weather data, and more, making this a must-see site for all those users interested in the most current weather happenings anywhere. [JAB]
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Utah Geology
http://www.ugs.state.ut.us/utahgeo/index.htm
Utah Geological Survey's Web site, Utah Geology, offers a variety of interesting geological information about the state. Good descriptions, illustrations, and photographs can be accessed on earthquakes and hazards, dinosaurs and fossils, rocks and minerals, oil and energy, and more. For example, the Rocks and Minerals page contains everything from how to stake a mining claim to downloadable summaries of mineral activity in the state. There is quite a bit of information within the site, and anyone interested in geology will find themselves exploring these pages for quite a while. [JAB]
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Earthquakes
http://www.thetech.org/exhibits_events/online/quakes/
The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California is a hands-on technology museum whose companion Web site is currently offering the online exhibit Earthquakes. By clicking on the "next" link, users continue through the exercise, which covers plate tectonics, faults, seismographs, the science behind waves, the earth's interior, the history of earthquakes, and more. Each page gives a clear and simple description and is accompanied by a photograph, illustration, or graphic. The site gives anyone interested a fun and interesting introduction to earthquakes and how they effect us. [JAB]
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The Tennessee Valley Authority
http://www.tva.gov/index.htm
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) official Web site contains an abundance of information. Born out of the Great Depression in 1933, the TVA strives to "support sustainable economic development, supply affordable, reliable power, and manage a thriving river system." The site contains information about the history of the governmental agency, as well as current and future objectives. Of special interest is the River Systems link, which tells of the extensive work and research that has taken place on the streams that the TVA manages. [JAB]
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Tornados
1. The Online Tornado FAQ
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/
2. The National Severe Storms Laboratory Collection
http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/nssl/index.html
3. Tornado Project Online
http://www.tornadoproject.com/
4. Numerical Forecasts
http://www.met.utah.edu/models.html
5. Tornado Safety Tips Brochure
http://www.fema.gov/library/tornadof.htm
6. Tornadoes
http://www.fema.gov/kids/tornado.htm
7. Make a Tornado!
http://www.ucar.edu/40th/webweather/tornado/tornadoes.htm
8. Gallery of the Atmospheric Modeling Group at NCSA and the
Convective Modeling Group at DAS/UIUC
http://redrock.ncsa.uiuc.edu/AOS/home_images.html
As one of the most powerful naturally occurring phenomena, tornados cause significant damage to people and property each year. Although twisters cause such destruction, or perhaps because of this, people's fascination with them continues.
The Web reflects this by offering very good and interesting sites about tornados, the first of which is offered by Roger Edwards of the Storm Prediction Center of NOAA (1). This site offers basic information about tornados, describing what they are, how they form, how meteorologists forecast them, tornado damage information, and a lot more. Another site from NOAA is the National Severe Storms Laboratory Photo Album (2), which contains breathtaking photos of twisters in action, organized into an easy-to-use photo album format. The next site is Tornado Project Online (3), which describes itself as "a small company that gathers, compiles, and makes tornado information available to weather enthusiasts, the meteorological community and emergency management officials." The site has information about tornados that have occurred all over the world, as well as unique things such as Tornado Myths and Oddities links. From the University of Utah's Department of Meteorology Web site entitled Numerical Forecasts (4) comes a collection of forecasting model links. They are grouped into three categories: NCEP Models, MM5 Models, and Others. The site offers over thirty sites maintained by organizations conducting research. The next two sites are from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The first is entitled Tornado Safety Tips Brochure (5), which offers advice for people, such as what supplies you should have in case of a tornado and what to do if there is a tornado watch or warning. The next FEMA site is for kids and is entitled Tornadoes (6). This site is a fun and interactive way for kids to learn all about tornadoes and tornado safety. The next site, from the National Center for Atmospheric Research's Web site, Web Weather for Kids, is entitled Make a Tornado! (7). This hands-on experiment explains how to make your own tornado out of simple objects from around the house. The last site, from the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (8), offers a gallery of animations and movies of tornado activity. The page called Gallery of the Atmospheric Modeling Group at NCSA and the Convective Modeling Group at DAS/UIUC (9) has very cool animations and video clips of tornados doing their thing. [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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