The Age of the Ocean Floor

The youngest crust of the ocean floor can be found near the seafloor spreading centers or mid-ocean ridges. As the plates split apart, magma rises from below the Earths surface to fill in the empty void. The magma hardens and crystallizes as it latches onto the moving plate and continues to cool over millions of years as it moves farther away from the divergent boundary. Like any rock, the plates of basaltic composition become less thick and denser as they cool. When an old, cold and dense oceanic plate comes into contact with a thick, buoyant continental crust or younger (and thus warmer and thicker) oceanic crust, it will always subduct.  In essence, oceanic plates are more susceptible to subduction as they get older.   Because of this correlation between age and subduction potential, very little ocean floor is older than 125 million years and almost none of it is older than 200 million years. Therefore, seafloor dating isnt that useful for studying plate motions beyond the Cretaceous. For that, geologists date and study continental crust.  Ã‚   The lone outlier (the bright splash of purple that you see north of Africa) to all of this is the Mediterranean Sea. It is the lasting remnant of an ancient ocean, the Tethys, that is shrinking as Africa and Europe collide in the Alpide  orogeny. At 280 million years, it still pales in comparison to the four-billion-year-old rock that can be found on the continental crust.   A History of Ocean Floor Mapping and Dating The ocean floor is a mysterious place that marine geologists and oceanographers have struggled to fully grasp. In fact, scientists have mapped more of the surface of the Moon, Mars, and Venus than the surface of our ocean. (You may have heard this fact before, and while true, there is a logical explanation as to why.)   Seafloor mapping, in its earliest, most primitive form, consisted of lowering weighted lines and measuring how far the sunk. This was done mostly to determine near-shore hazards for navigation. The development of sonar in the early 20th century allowed scientists to get a clearer picture of seafloor topography.  It didnt provide dates or chemical analyses of the ocean floor, but it did uncover long oceanic ridges, steep canyons and many other landforms that are indicators of plate tectonics.   The seafloor was mapped by shipborne magnetometers in the 1950s and produced puzzling results - sequential zones of normal and reverse magnetic polarity  spreading out from the oceanic ridges. Later theories showed that  this was due to the reversing nature of Earths magnetic field. Every so often (it has occurred over 170 times over the past 100 million years), the poles will suddenly switch.  As the magma and lava cool at seafloor spreading centers, whatever magnetic field is present get ingrained into the rock. The ocean plates spread and grow in opposite directions, so rocks that are equidistance from the center have the same magnetic polarity and age. That is, until they get subducted and recycled under less-dense oceanic or continental crust.   Deep ocean drilling and radiometric dating in the late 1960s gave an accurate stratigraphy and precise date of the ocean floor. From studying the oxygen isotopes of the shells of microfossils in these cores, scientists were able to begin studying the Earths past climates in a study known as paleoclimatology.

Chilean Copper Mine Collapse Report Free Essays

Week 4: Chilean Copper Mine Collapse Report Monique Carr BCOM/275 February 21, 2013 Instructor: Yuvonne Richmond Chilean Copper Mine Collapse Report In the article that I had to research called â€Å"Over 30 workers trapped after Chilean Copper Mine Collapse† (Weik, 2010) it talks about what occurred on August 5, 2010 in which the San Jose mine collapsed trapping approximately 30 workers. The article indicated that prior to the collapse a fatal accident occurred in 2007 which closed the mine for a period of time but later opened in the later part of the year. It also detailed that the rescuers were attempting to locate the workers so they would be able to drill their way into the mine in order to provide the workers with food, water, and oxygen but a second collapse occurred during that process. We will write a custom essay sample on Chilean Copper Mine Collapse Report or any similar topic only for you Order Now The additional articles I reviewed regarding this report did not provide enough detail regarding the status of the minors and their health but stated more about the company reasons to why this event occurred and providing statements such as â€Å"Major mining accidents are uncommon in Chile, the world’s top cooper producer† (Arthur, 2010) and stating â€Å"How Chile is the top copper producer in the world so mining accidents are uncommon in when its monitored so closely by authorities† (Soto, 2010). Basically, the articles never really explained why and how this incident occurred the communication was not very effective. Effective communication is very important regardless of the way it is used to communicate with the audience. Some of the considerations to be given in the different roles and speaking with the different audiences you must consider the communication barrier, cultural diversity, perceptions, and body language of your audience. If the communication is done incorrectly it could possibly affect not alone the families of the workers but also the reputation of the company. The representatives who speak on behalf of the ompany will have to be skilled in knowing what to say, how to say it, and finding the right way to deliver the news to the families, public and etc. The incident that occurred affected many people across the world especially the families that were involved. The families were upset and frustrated because they wanted answers about their loved ones and wondering if they would make it out alive. The mining company must possess some sort of responsibility to make sure the families of the workers are updated on everything that is happening and the precautions they will be taking to ensure the safety of their loved ones. The ways of communication would be to provide detail knowledge of the event by conducting a face-to- face meeting, explaining the different implementations that would be in place to convince them that the company is working night and day to get everyone out with safety and security. Also, providing the families with written confirmation on everything that is being done to take place and explaining that once the miners are rescued what the next steps are to help them mentally and physically. The main aspect of the communication to the families would be offering counseling sessions to prepare the families for any bad news that may happen within the days there loved ones were trapped in the mine and any information relayed by the experts would also be communicated to the families. Another factor to consider is the communication the company must have with the employees of the company and that would also include the workers that are trapped in the mine. The proper communication would be email or setting up a webex which is an online meeting tool that you are able to have updates and presentations presented even to the employees that are out of state or even out the country. The communication should be detailing the safety and well-being the company has for its employees and being mindful of the safety precautions for each individual. Also, the company could set up an employee benefit hot line so counselors are able to speak with anyone day or night that may be affected by this incident. The actions that I would take before and after the message is delivered to the families, employees, and audience is to conduct follow up meetings and communications in email. The follow up process will clarify the things discussed to all parties about the incident and what procedures will take place for the workers in the future. It is very important to send documentation about every timeline of the event that can be stored for legal purposes and company’s records. The Chilean mine incident story captured global attention from many. This rescue is a tribute not only to the determination of the rescue workers and the Chilean government but also the unity and resolve of the Chilean people who have inspired the world,† Obama said in Washington (Wade, 2010). Two Communications from the Mining Company To the families of the Chilean miners, We would like to take this time to first extend our prayers and condolences to each of you and your families. I called a face –to- face meeting with you all so we can answer any questions and provide you all with updates on the process of getting your loved ones out the miner. We are working diligently day and night to ensure the safety of our employees’ and your loved ones. There will be ways of communication given to the miners from the company and to the families. Please do not hesitate to contact us when you have a question or concern by email or phone. To the Chilean employees: I would like to thank each of you for the support and contributions for your willingness to help assist with getting your coworkers released from the mine. In the last few days we have overcome many obstacles and are facing great challenges, however with your prayer and support to the families we will look for a greater response with a great solution in getting our employees home. We will be having daily teleconference meetings and also follow up emails. This is to keep everyone aware of the status of the miners update and also answering any questions or concerns you may have. Last, please do not hesitate to contact the Employee Benefit Help line for counseling. We will get our friends, coworkers, and family home. Thank you. References Wade, T. , (2010, October 13) Chilean miners rescued after 69 days underground. Retrieved from http://www. reuters. com/article/2010/10/13/us-chile-miners-idUSN0925972620101013 Soto, A. (2010) Leading the Rescue of the Miners in Chile. Retrieved from: http://kw. wharton. upenn. edu/wdp/files/2011/07/Leading-the-Miners-Rescue. pdf Arthur, K. , (2010, August 6) Chile mine collapse traps 34 miners. Retrieved from: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/world-latin-america-10897327 Weik, J. (2010, August 6) Over 30 workers trapped after Chilean copper mine collapse. Metal bulletin daily. (224), 65. How to cite Chilean Copper Mine Collapse Report, Essay examples

WHATS THAT FISHY SMELL Essays - Trimethylaminuria,

WHAT'S THAT FISHY SMELL? Trimethylaminuria was first discovered in 1970 by J.R. Humbert. It was found in a six-year-old girl with multiple pulmonary infections. A deficiency of trimethylamine-oxidase was shown in a liver biopsy. The mutated gene, which is responsible for the disease, was only recently identified by C.T. Dolphin in 1997 as the gene that codes for the enzyme flavin monooxygenase 3. In a normal person, dietary choline and trimethylamine-oxide are ingested and broken down by bacteria in the intestines, producing trimethylamine. This is then absorbed and transported to the liver. It is oxidized in the liver by FMO3 to trimethylamine-N-oxide, which is odorless. It is then excreted in the urine. In a person with TMA, there is a diminishing FMO3 activity, resulting in the loss of oxidation of trimethylamine. There becomes an accumulation and massive excretion of trimethylamine in the urine and from areas of active sweating. Unoxidized trimethylamine causes the fishy odor of the TMA. Odor problems are such a sensitive topic that many people are wary of talking to a doctor about their symptoms. "The name [fish odor syndrome] contributes greatly to the stigma of this disorder. It is misleading since the odor is variable"(Harry W. McConnell). Because trimethylaminuria is so unknown, it takes suffers years to find out what is wrong, and then even more years to find someone who knows how to properly treat them. Since so little is known by doctors and researchers about this disease, it makes it very hard to treat. Also, the patient's reaction to the types of treatment varies, so there is no real cure for the disease. Trimethylaminuria is only occasionally identified during childhood. "The affected children, however, are likely to become disturbed and even suicidal because of the problems their odor causes in schools." (Ertan Mayatepek). The odor problems in children seem to disappear as they get older. The syndrome seems to occur more in women and researchers suspect t hat it has to do with sex hormones. Some cases have no genetic component: Several patients can develop the disorder after kidney or liver disease. Some studies have suggested that people who carry only one copy of a mutated gene may be susceptible to transient fish-odor attacks during periods of stress or after eating foods that contain large amounts of trimethylamine or its chemical precursors (Stephen C. Mitchell). Challenge tests for trimethylaminuria in England indicate that up to one percent of people worldwide carry at least one copy of a mutated gene for the critical enzyme (Harry W. McConnell). Because people must inherit two copies of a mutated gene to show symptoms of the disease, 1 in 10,000 people would be expected to have the syndrome (Christensen, 317). Researchers believe that equatorial regions have even higher percentages of people carrying the mutated genes (Harry W. McConnell). If mutations in the FMO3 gene are as common as scientists suspect, it might be worth developing a screening test to be used at birth (Eileen Treacy). Treatment starts with an alteration of diet. All foods that contain trimethylamine or choline should be eliminated from your daily intake. Foods that contain these ingredients are eggs, liver, legumes, some grains, some saltwater fish, and many more. For most this change in diet helps with the smell, but for others it goes beyond the diet. Antibiotics are also used to reduce the bacterial load of the gut. People diagnosed with TMA may also suffer from severe hypertension and tachycardia after eating foods containing tyramine (FMO3 also metabolizes tyramine). In addition, there are several other conditions associated with TMA such as dermatological problems and a wide range of neurological symptoms. TMA has also been seen in patients suffering from Noonan's, Turner's, and Prader-Willi syndromes. Researchers suspect that the enzyme breaks down many substances besides trimethylaminuria (Christensen, 317). It has been thought to break down certain drugs such as antidepressants. Since tri methylaminuria causes mental anguish and depression, many patients are on these types of drugs. A few people with the disease reported that they had taken antidepressants, but the drugs did not seem effective and actually worsened their odor (Christensen 317). People that have this dreaded and unheard of disease aren't really looking for a cure any more. Their major concern is

Free Essays on Contemporary Moral Issues - Abortion

Abortion has been one of the most hotly debated subjects of this past decade, with the sentiment conflicting between the groups labelled as â€Å"pro-choice† and â€Å"pro-life†, as if an imaginary line has been drawn in the sand creating an identifiable good or bad person based on the feelings they have towards the status of an unborn child. The vehement protesters for both sides have gone on to create public debate through many different means; some benign, some not. Lines become somewhat blurred when the situation turns them into a principal player in the decision about what is correct, especially if you are the one who is shaking a doctor’s hand after hearing the word, â€Å"congratulations†. I feel that I have a unique perspective on the entire idea of abortion, as I have personally witnessed or assisted with thirty-five vacuum desiccation abortions during my time with various medical facilities. My role in this situation was to provide moral support and simply a comforting presence to the woman undergoing the procedure. Truth be told, I have cried every time that I have been a part of the procedure, as it is extremely unpleasant and psychologically unsettling to the woman who is having the procedure done. Through this, however, I am still very set in my stance that abortion is morally permissible, and often a correct route of action, depending on the circumstances that surround the situation. As such, I also feel that a woman’s rights override those of the fetus. The situations that I am outlining below are situations that I have personally witnessed, and these have led me to be very firm in the opinion that I have, that the rights of a woman fully outweigh the rights of a fetus. First, to decide whose rights are paramount in an abortion situation, there should also be a consideration of the circumstances that brought about the pregnancy. First off, sometimes pregnancies can put a woman in direct physical harm. F... Free Essays on Contemporary Moral Issues - Abortion Free Essays on Contemporary Moral Issues - Abortion Abortion has been one of the most hotly debated subjects of this past decade, with the sentiment conflicting between the groups labelled as â€Å"pro-choice† and â€Å"pro-life†, as if an imaginary line has been drawn in the sand creating an identifiable good or bad person based on the feelings they have towards the status of an unborn child. The vehement protesters for both sides have gone on to create public debate through many different means; some benign, some not. Lines become somewhat blurred when the situation turns them into a principal player in the decision about what is correct, especially if you are the one who is shaking a doctor’s hand after hearing the word, â€Å"congratulations†. I feel that I have a unique perspective on the entire idea of abortion, as I have personally witnessed or assisted with thirty-five vacuum desiccation abortions during my time with various medical facilities. My role in this situation was to provide moral support and simply a comforting presence to the woman undergoing the procedure. Truth be told, I have cried every time that I have been a part of the procedure, as it is extremely unpleasant and psychologically unsettling to the woman who is having the procedure done. Through this, however, I am still very set in my stance that abortion is morally permissible, and often a correct route of action, depending on the circumstances that surround the situation. As such, I also feel that a woman’s rights override those of the fetus. The situations that I am outlining below are situations that I have personally witnessed, and these have led me to be very firm in the opinion that I have, that the rights of a woman fully outweigh the rights of a fetus. First, to decide whose rights are paramount in an abortion situation, there should also be a consideration of the circumstances that brought about the pregnancy. First off, sometimes pregnancies can put a woman in direct physical harm. F...

10 Facts About Corals

10 Facts About Corals If youve ever visited an aquarium or gone snorkeling when on holiday, youre probably familiar with a wide variety of corals. You may even know that corals play a fundamental role in defining the structure of marine reefs, the most complex and diverse ecosystems in our planets oceans. But what many dont realize is that these creatures, which resemble a cross between colorful rocks and various bits of seaweed, are in fact animals. And amazing animals at that. Weve explored ten things we should all know about coral, what makes them animals and what makes them so unique. Corals Belong to the Phylum Cnidaria Other animals that belong to the Phylum Cnidaria include jellyfish, hydrae, and sea anemones. Cnidaria are invertebrates (they do not have a backbone) and all have specialized cells called nematocysts that help them capture prey and defend themselves. Cnidaria exhibit radial symmetry. Corals Belong to the Class Anthozoa (a Subgroup of the Phylum Cnidaria) Members of this group of animals have flower-like structures called polyps. They have a simple body plan in which food passes in and out of a gastrovascular cavity (stomach-like sac) through a single opening. Corals Typically Form Colonies Consisting of Many Individuals Coral colonies grow from a single founder individual that divides repeatedly. A coral colony consists of a base that attaches coral to a reef, an upper surface that is exposed to light and hundreds of polyps. The Term Coral Refers to a Number of Different of Animals These include hard corals, sea fans, sea feathers, sea pens, sea pansies, organ pipe coral, black coral, soft corals, fan corals whip corals. Hard Corals Have a White Skeleton That Is Made of Limestone (Calcium Carbonate) Hard corals are reef builders and are responsible for the creation of the structure of a coral reef. Soft Corals Lack the Stiff Limestone Skeleton That Hard Corals Possess Instead, they have little limestone crystals (referred to as sclerites) embedded in their jelly-like tissues. Many Corals Have Zooxanthellae Within Their Tissues Zooxanthellae are algae that form a symbiotic relationship with the coral by producing organic compounds that the coral polyps use. This food source enables the corals to grow faster than they would without the zooxanthellae. Corals Inhabit a Wide Range of Habitats and Regions Some solitary hard coral species are found in temperate and even polar waters and occur as far as 6000 meters below the surface of the water. Corals Are Rare in the Fossil Record They first appeared in the Cambrian period, 570 million years ago. Reef-building corals appeared during the middle of the Triassic period between 251 and 220 million years ago. Sea Fan Corals Grow at Right Angles to the Current of the Water This enables them to efficiently filter plankton from the passing water.

Effect of Technology Development on Management Consulting Profession Essay

Effect of Technology Development on Management Consulting Profession - Essay Example In addition, as technological innovations become available, possibilities increase and so does the cost but what technological advancements has given to management analysts, that not only has helped them in boosting their managerial skills by analysing and proposing alternatives to improve an organisation's structure but has also enabled management consultancy to acquire a division that would help reorganize the structure of the firm and eliminate technological complexities. Information technology cannot by itself change the inherent inflexible nature of its tools but any profession particularly on the management side whether it be financial management, strategic management or consultant management by using the developing trend of information technology can change its effect with respect to any organization infrastructure in such a way that they use these tools in two ways. "First, by reengineering the way that existing tasks are carried out. Second, by creating new tasks and opening up consultancy opportunities that were not previously possible. Changes in various management use of computer technology have enabled technological developments to be implemented in general". (Margetts, 1999, p. 17) If we consider the development of technology from management point of view, it is obvious that today organisations of all kinds have taken on new functions and new techniques that would otherwise have not been possible without merging and cooperation of information technology. Information technology in private sector companies is now widely recognised as a crucial element in a company's business strategy and the reason is transparent for the way technology has boosted the growth of consultant management, is incredible. "It is now a truism that information technology has transcended its established administrative support functions and has moved towards playing a more central role in business operations' that has not only modified its organisational structure but has also taken part in increasing the ratio of contended customers". (Margetts, 1999, p. 23) Let us take an example of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI): "EDI has made it possible for two trading partners to exchange their information of trade or business transactions such as orders and invoices which otherwise would have taken umpteen effort and time. Today EDI has been widely accepted as an essential business tool used to facilitate inter-organisational transactions and sometimes to enhance internal operations by integrating internal and external systems". (Chen, 1998, p. 68) It has potentially reduced the transaction costs by eliminating duplication of effort involved in re-keying documents generated by computer in the first place. In this aspect, the development in technology started in 1980s, which first brought a dramatic increase in the use of the Internet, a global research network, consisting of a loose confederation of inter-connected networks providing services such as file transfer and electronic mail. After Internet the vast technological change was felt and re alised by the then consultant management when the use of databases, online and offline processors for report writing and interactive communication was introduced. "Prior to this, it was the consultancies who set the

What is spanglish Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

What is spanglish - Case Study Example Languages are alive and they are constantly changing. Incorporating new words that are generally used is part of the logical evolution of a language. But languages are also part of the cultural heritage of a country that must be respected. Language is part of a country's identity.The use of Spanglish in formal institutions must not be allowed,much less tolerated.Its inclusion in school curriculum in the interest of studying it as a social phenomenon is acceptable but only with the purpose of understanding today’s society. The major values of a nation are expressed by its language. The first thing people identify with is the language of their country and it is the means by which they express their ideas, their values and their feelings. Language is very powerful in that sense, as well as the accents of each region, but this is a characteristic that Spanglish will never have. Spanglish first appeared near the border of America and Mexico, where both languages lived together. The term Spanglish was coined by Salvador Ti' in 1940. Although the number of people speaking Spanish in English-speaking countries is increasingly high, this does not mean that English can disappear. Learning a language must be an enriching experience, which promotes diversity as well as nationality. Both English and Spanish are languages with a historic root, but Spanglish is just a mixture of two languages, which uses both in the same sentence, combining words from one and other or creating new words from the fusion of the two. A result of the collision of two languages, Spanglish takes different forms. The most basic form is "code-switching," where words are substituted or inserted from one language into the other. For example, Spanglish might sound like "Vamos a la store para comprar milk" to mean, "Let's go to the store to buy milk." A bit more complicated form is the making up of words, or basically switching between languages within a word, by translating a word or phrase literally. In all cases, the resulting language or product does not bear the generally acceptable correctness of grammar rules and word usage. Spanglish is completely random. This will only lead to the bad use and the degradation of both languages. Moreover, countries influenced by English and Spanish have the big advantage of being bilingual, and it makes no sense renouncing it to this. Mexicans usually see Spanish as a symbol of colonization. But, does Spanglish have something to do with rejecting domination, or is it more like a trendy use of language' In some cases, Spanglish is the language of poor illiterate population trying to adapt to the changing situation. In other cases it is a matter of being part of the majority and using the same words as the major part of the population but, in fact, they are submitting to this majority instead of enriching their differences. The proliferation of a hybrid street language like Spanglish in dominantly English-speaking United States poses a serious threat not only to the socio-cultural aspect of the country's development, but also to its economic and political growth. Why is Spanglish a threat to the overall development of the U.S.' Foremost, the language of politics and commerce is English. In a highly globalized economy of nations, there is only one language used: English. It is in no way, therefore, that a mangled and fake English in the form of Spanglish can help facilitate the nation's coping and rising above the challenges brought about by globalization. Secondly, it is culturally unwell for any nation, much less the U.S., to uphold and encourage the proliferation of "languages" like Spanglish as doing so would show the people and the world as a whole a lack of healthy cultural identity. While it is understandably necessary to allow Spanglish to be used in places and in instances where it is the most convenient to use, given the growing diversity of communities in the United States, it is very important that the long-term benefits and losses from allowing it to prosper be considered over and above everything else. For instance, the use of Spanglish must be confined to the streets, where it actually originated and developed. It can also be used by people in their multicultural homes and neighborhoods