Plate Tectonics

For this post, we are looking at Earth's Plate Tectonic. This is my second post of the Geology Science Badge. If you haven't seen my last post, 'What's Inside Earth?', check it out. This post is about the crust of the Earth and how Earth's crust moves. What is the Plate Tectonics? It's the Plate Tectonic is the Earth's outer shell that is divided into several plates that move over the mantle. These slow-moving structures interact with each other. Let's see the history of the Plate Tectonics. I hope you like my post. Comment down if you've learnt something new! Have a cool day!! Bye!!

History:

In 1912, a scientist Alfred Wegener proposed the first theory of the continental drift. But Wegener didn't have an explanation of how the continents could move around the planet. Van der Elst said, "Before plate tectonics, people had to come up with explanations of the geologic features in their region that were unique to that particular region."

This video on top is about the history of Earth's Plate Tectonics

This is a video from National Geographic about the Continental Drift

How many plates are there?

According to World Atlas, there are nine major plates. The nine major plates are North American, South American, Eurasian, African, Australian, Pacific, Antartic. The plates are named after the landforms found on them. Do you know what's the largest plate? It's the Pacific Plate with 103,000,000 square kilometres. Most of the plate is located under the ocean. Also, there are other smaller plates around the world. The Pacific plate is moving northwest at a speed of around 7 cm per year.

Plate Boundaries

There are three types of plate boundaries, Convergent boundaries, Transform boundaries, and Divergent boundaries. 

Convergent boundary

There are three types of convergent boundaries. Oceanic-Continental, Continental-Continental and Oceanic-Oceanic. These images are from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergent_boundary

Oceanic-Oceanic

Continental-Continental

Oceanic-Continental

Convergent boundaries form when two tectonic plates collide with each other or two tectonic plates move towards each other (one might dip beneath the other). You can find convergent boundaries at the west coast of South America between the Nazca plate and the South American plate. The collision of the plates was how the Andes Mountains were formed. Did you know that convergent boundaries can also form islands? Did you also know that New Zealand is currently astride the convergent boundary between the Australian and the Pacific Plate? Around 23 million years ago the convergent plate boundary formed Northland. Around 10 million years ago the Coromandel Ranges were formed.

The Alpine Fault line through the South Island
Credit: https://www.gns.cri.nz/

Transform boundary

As the two plates rub against each other, large pressures are set up that can affect portions of rock to break, resulting in earthquakes. These places are called faults. The Alpine Fault is a fault running through the South Island. One well-known example of a transform boundary is the San Andreas Fault in California.

Divergent boundary

Continental-Continental divergent/constructive boundary

Divergent boundaries are different than the other two boundaries. Divergent boundaries can cause by two plates moving away from each other, a new crust is forming from magma that rises upon Earth's surface, by the two moving plates. 

What I've learnt?

• Alfred Wegner had the first theory of the continental drift. 
• The Pacific Plate is 103,000,000 square kilometres big.
• The Pacific Plate is moving northwest at a speed of 7cm per year.
• There are three types of plate boundaries.
• Information about the three plate boundaries. 

What's Inside Earth?

For today's post, we are looking at Earth's core. Also, I'm starting my third science badge, Geology. So for the next posts, I'll post about Geology - Earth. If you haven't seen my last two badges click on the link ➡️ Psychology - Astronomy. So first I'll tell you the layers of Earth's core. I hope that you like this post. Comment down below if you've learnt something new! Have a cool day!! Bye!!

Layer

There are four layers of Earth's core, Crust, Mantle, Outer Core and the Inner Core. Let's start with the Crust.

Crust

https://kidsgeo.com/geology-for-kids/earths-outer-core/

The crust is the outermost structure of the Earth's core. The thin layer is between 0-60 kilometres thick. There are two types of crust, continental crust, and oceanic crust. The Earth's crust is made up of various elements, 46.6% oxygen by weight, 27.7% silicon, 8.1% aluminium, 5% iron, 3.6% calcium, 2.8% sodium, 2.6% potassium, 2.1% magnesium. 

Mantle

The mantle is the widest section of Earth. The layer is basically solid. The layer's thickness is approximately 2,900 km. On the uppermost part of the mantle has rocks like peridotite (no.15 of 26) and eclogite (no.5 of 18). The most exciting thing that gets from the mantle is diamonds.

Outer Core

The Outer Core is about 2.400 km thick. The thickness is less than the mantle but thicker than the inner core. The layer is a liquid state, this is because it is so hot. From this liquid layer, it moves around the inner core. This creates the Earth's magnetism. 

Inner Core

The inner core is the most innermost part of Planet Earth. The inner core is believed to be made up of an iron-nickel (metal) alloy. It was once believed that the inner core was liquid, but in 1936 a seismologist, Inge Lehmann proved in theory that the inner core was solid and the outer core was liquid. The inner core's temperature is hotter than the Sun's surface temperature.

What I've Learnt

• The crust is between 0-60 km thick.
• In Earth's crust, there are several elements,
• The Mantle is the widest section of Earth's core.
• There are rocks and diamonds in the Mantle.
• From the liquid layer, it moves around the inner core.
• It was believed that the inner core was liquid.

I Know More Now!!

A few weeks ago we started a new reading program, Reading Plus. This program makes you learn more about Reading. This reading program has made my reading level higher than before. In this reading program, it helps with three things on your reading, SeeReader - Reading, ReadAround - Vocabulary and iBalance - Visual Skills. Now I'll tell you what are my scores now...

My Reading Rate

I am reading with a score of 179 words per minute.

My Words Read

I've read 26,340 words in SeeReader

Next Steps

My Reading Rate

My next step is to read with a score of 191 words per minute.

My Words Read

My next step is to read 50,000 words in See Reader.

I really like Reading Plus and hope you like it too. I hope you like my post. Comment down below!! Have a cool day!! Bye!!

Parker Solar Probe

Today's post we are looking at a solar probe launched a few days ago, named Parker Solar Probe. Parker Solar Probe was launched on 12 August 2018. If you haven't seen my last post, It's Here!, check it out. My last and first probe was for the Voyagers, for my Astronomy badge, check it out if you haven't! First I'll talk about the launch of the solar probe. Let's go!

Launch

The liftoff of the spacecraft, Parker Solar Probe on the mission to the sun.
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

NASA's Parker Solar Probe was launched on Sunday 12 August 2018 from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force, Florida.
Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls 

As you know the launch was on 12 August 2018 at 6:31 AM ETC (7:31 AM UTC). The rocket was launched into the sky from John F. Kennedy Space Centre, Cape Canaveral, Florida. The rocket was launched on Delta IV-Heavy with Upper Stage.

It has been 5 days, 14 Hours, 0 Minutes, 0 Seconds (On 17/8/18, At 5:31 PM)

There hasn't been enough information because the spacecraft had been launched a few days ago. So here is some information. First are some videos of the launch and information of the spacecraft.

This is a video of the launch of the Parker Solar Probe (video from NASA)

This is a timeline video of the Parker Solar Probe (video from SciNews)

This is NASA's video of the Parker Solar Probe in detail - NASA TV (video from SciNews)

This is a diagram showing the planned route of the Parker Solar Probe Mission
Credit: http://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/
NASA/Johns Hopkins APL

Venus Flyby: 2 October, 2018 at 7:45 PM EDT (23:45 UTC)

7 Venus gravity assist flybys

After the three final orbits, Parker Solar Probe will fly around 6.2 million kilometres of the Sun's surface. The space probe will be more than seven times closer than the current record holder, Helios 2 spacecraft, which came 43 million kilometres in 1976.
Credit: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/

This is a timeline of the Solar Wind and Corona Timeline
Credit: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/

References:

http://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu - Parker Solar Probe Website
https://www.nasa.gov/ - NASA's website
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/ - Jet Propulsion Laboratory Infographics
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpGTA7wMEDFhjou2ZaH6sRCOGUpW9UVAD - Youtube - SciNews (playlist of the videos of the Parker Solar Probe) [SciNews might publish more videos]


I hope that you like my post. Hope you learnt something new. I'll try to post another post of the spacecraft if there is more information. Comment down below what I need to go next. Have a cool day!! Bye!!

It's Here!

Yesterday, I posted about the lunar eclipse. At this time the moon has been covered by Earth's Umbra. I've been watching the moon change its shape. At 6:15 AM I woke up to see the lunar eclipse. That time the eclipse didn't start. After a few minutes, the moon changed a bit. The eclipse had started. Every few minutes the moon had changed.

Half an Hour later...

The moon had passed the halfway and it looked like a tongue. After passing halfway, Earth Umbra went slower, so it took more time to finish.

After 10 minutes...

The Final White Part at the South-West Part

The sun had risen and the moon was just about to disappear. There was the final white part at the south-west part.

Some seconds later...

The Earth's Umbra covered the moon in seconds. It was really fast and we all saw it. The moon had disappeared. The sun had risen. We tried to look around and we couldn't see the moon.

Comment down if you've watched the Lunar Eclipse!! I hope that you like my post about the Lunar Eclipse. Have a cool day!! Bye!!

We will be seeing it!

Today (Friday 27 July), will be the longest lunar eclipse of the century. The eclipse would be tomorrow (Saturday 28 July) for around Australia and New Zealand. The lunar eclipse will be visible for Eastern Africa, and Central Asia, seen rising over South America, Western Africa, and Europe, and setting over Eastern Asia, and Australia. This lunar eclipse is a Total Eclipse. On January 31, 2018, was the latest lunar eclipse. So here are Facts about the lunar eclipse. 

Facts:

1. It's the longest lunar eclipse of the century.
2. It's the second lunar eclipse of the year.
3. The eclipse is going on for 1 hour and 43 minutes. 
4. The eclipse is the 17th lunar eclipse since 2001.
5. Earth is further than the Sun called an Aphelion. (Link of my 'Why Don't We Feel Earth Orbiting' video)



A Micromoon Eclipse
Credit: timeanddate.com

6. It's A Micromoon Eclipse.

For New Zealand viewers: 

Christchurch: 

The eclipse will start at 6:24 AM. The maximum (when the eclipse reaches at the greatest magnitude while the entire moon is above the horizon) will be at 7:42 AM. The moon will set at 7:50 AM. The total eclipse will end at 9:13 am. 

Auckland: 

The eclipse will start at 6:24 AM. The maximum will be at 7:22 AM. The moon will set at 7:50 AM. The total eclipse will end at 9:13 am. 

Wellington:

The eclipse will start at 6:24 AM. The maximum will be at 7:32 AM. The moon will set at 7:35 AM. The total eclipse will end at 9:13 am.  

For Australia viewers: 

Melbourne:

The eclipse will start at 4:24 AM. The moon will set at 7:29 AM. The total eclipse will end at 9:13 am.

Sydney: 

Lunar Eclipse in 2015
Credit: https://www.forbes.com/ 

The eclipse will start at 4:24 AM. The maximum will be at 6:21 AM. The moon will set at 6:55 AM. The total eclipse will end at 7:13 am.

Brisbane: 

The eclipse will start at 4:24 AM. The maximum will be at 6:21 AM. The moon will set at 6:35 AM. The total eclipse will end at 7:13 am.

Adelaide: 

The eclipse will start at 3:54 AM. The maximum will be at 5:51 AM. The total eclipse will end at 6:43 am. The moon will set at 7:19 AM.

Perth: 

The eclipse will start at 2:24 AM. The maximum will be at 4:21 AM. The total eclipse will end at 5:13 AM. The moon will set at 7:17 AM.

After 8 hours and 13 minutes (9:00 PM), the Lunar Eclipse is going to Start!
I might be posting at 6:20 AM before the Lunar Eclipse starts! So stay tuned!

Comment down below if you are going to look at the Lunar Eclipse! I hope you like my post. Have a cool day!! Bye!!

At the Mountains!!

On Saturday, we went to Mt Hutt. It was really exciting. We went with my family and friends. Comment down below if you've been to Mt Hutt before. I hope you like my post. Have a cool day!! Bye!! So this is what happened...

At 7:15 am we went on the bus. I sat with my friends at the back. After everyone sat down we left and headed off to Mt Hutt.

At 10:00 am

Snow Sledding
Credit: https://www.odt.co.nz/

We arrived at Mt Hutt. The bus parked in the parking and we went to the cafe. We got everything that we needed and went to the snows. We went to the place where there were only sledges allowed because I had my snow sledge with me. When I arrived there, there weren't many people there. When I was climbing up, I saw people skiing below. I sat down on my sledge and went down. It went fast and straight.

After some rides, I went on the edges and I'd had to turn with my hands and feet. Doing that has a chance to fracture your hands or feet. There was heaps of snow on the gloves and pants. I had to take it off every time. It was really fun to do it.

After 15 times doing it...

My fingers were freezing so I went to the cafe and made myself warm. I stayed in the cafe for 10 minutes. After getting warm I went back and stayed there. I didn't ride anymore, I just didn't want to. At 1:50 pm we all went back to the cafe and ate some food. The bus was coming at 2:30 pm. I ate White Chocolate ice-cream. There were 15 minutes left until the bus came. I didn't know what to do.

After 15 minutes...

The bus came and we sat in the back again. We all sat on the bus and went back to Christchurch. When we arrived in Christchurch it was 6:00 pm.