Objective: Explain the main cause of earthquakes and their effects.
The main cause of earthquakes is the movement of tectonic plates. The Earth is in a constant state of change, meaning that earthquakes should be an accepted occurrence. However, with increased activities associated with resource extraction, redistribution of materials (e.g. gravel and steel exports), and climate change (increased water volume in the ocean due to ice and permafrost melting) humans have increased seismic activity even in places where earthquakes did not exist before. There have even been reports that the mantel has shifted due to the redistribution of mass on the earth from human activity. (DeWitt)
Sam agrees that more natural events, the weather, earthquakes, violent weather, and other natural occurrences will increase, which results from weather patterns changing, affecting ocean currents causing dramatic changes, which are happening due to climate change. The melting of the permafrost also causes areas that were always frozen to melt, this change has a domino effect, more runoff, changes in landscape, changes in river channels, and a rise of sea levels. Coastal villages in Alaska are undergoing high erosion and some must move. (Demientieff)
Objective: Describe how wind and water alter the Earth’s surface.
Wind and water change the Earth’s surface due to erosion. However, human activity has increased the amount of erosion activity in several ways. With the industrial era, an increase of CO2 has changed the mean temperature of the Earth, the warmer air and water change the way the jet streams and ocean currents behave. With the warmer temperatures, the Arctic has experienced a significantly shorter period and less stable seasonal land fast ice. These trends have also significantly decreased the year-round Arctic Ice sheets. When there is less seasonal land fast ice, storms come in closer and more aggressively erode coastlines. Temperatures are increasing at a rate faster than any time in history and the Earth is warming to a temperature that the human species has not experienced before. Unfortunately, destabilization of the climate is often associated with mass extinctions. (DeWitt)
Sam also gives the example that the warming weather in Alaska and the permafrost melt is greatly affecting the earth. When the permafrost is gone, large depressions, or potholes, form. Trees have started falling into the ground more or leaning in different directions. When the permafrost has melted the forest fires are longer and more intense too. (Demientieff)