know how much the Earth?
Protection Earth, our place in the universe.
Do you really know our planet?
In the 70's, one of the major environmental concerns was the ozone hole and now it is global warming.
While current environmental issues have been widely disseminated in the media and people seem to have a greater degree of awareness how their own use and consumption habits affect the stability of ecosystems in which we live, problems such as global warming and climate change seem to be far from resolved.
Cosmo News (via BBC) joins initiative to celebrate Earth Day by inviting you to participate in a question and answer game to test your knowledge on the environment. The answers you will find at the bottom of the page.
The crux of the planet
1 - What percentage of the world's fresh water is in the form of ice?
A) 10% B) 25% C) 50% D) 70%
2 - What proportion of the Earth's surface is currently covered with trees?
A) 11% B) 31% C) 51% D) 61%
3 - What is the country that emits more greenhouse gases?
A) China B) India C) USA D) United Kingdom
4 - And in Latin America, who tops the list of countries with more emissions?
A) Brazil B) Venezuela C) Mexico D) Chile
5 - How many deaths per year, the World Health Organization attributed to climate change?
A) 1,500 B) 15,000 C) 150,000 D) 1,500,000
6 - After the carbon dioxide and methane gas which is the largest contributor to the greenhouse effect?
A) Nitrous oxide B) Helio C) Uranium D) Butane
7 - In the year of biodiversity, scientists around the world concentrate their efforts on saving the tiger population, one of the world's most endangered species. How many copies remain in the wild in the world?
A) 500 B) 1,200 C) 2,500 D) 3,200
Replies:
1: D
About 70% of fresh water found in glaciers, ice shelves, on the summits of eternal snow and permafrost (the floor of the polar regions that is frozen year round). As the ice melts by increased temperatures, decreased water supplies in mountainous regions, home to one sixth of the world population.
2: B
Overall, almost 31% of the planet's surface is covered with forests. Although a recent report indicated that the loss of forests globally had declined sharply in the last decade, the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that the forested areas continue to decline at an alarming rate. In recent years, the greatest loss of trees were recorded in Brazil, Indonesia and Australia.
3: A
In 2006 / 7 China surpassed the United States and became the largest emitter CO2. China and U.S. are responsible for about 20% of emissions of greenhouse gases generated from coal, natural gas and oil. The European Union gives 14%. Russia and India followed with 5% each.
4: C
According to a report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) of 2007, which took into account emissions from the energy sector is Mexico's leading emitter. It is followed by Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina and Chile.
5: C
According to WHO, climate change causes an average of 150,000 deaths per year. This estimate takes into account extreme weather events like droughts, heat waves, decreased food production for weather events and increased vector-borne diseases such as malaria or dengue.
6: A
is nitrous oxide, which is also known as laughing gas. Is generated by the controlled thermolysis of ammonium nitrate or by reaction of ammonia with nitric acid. But also under anaerobic conditions from mineral fertilizers in the soil. It is estimated that stays in the atmosphere for 100 years.
7: D
is estimated to total about 3,200. In the last hundred years the tiger population was reduced by 95%. This is due mainly to the Asian continent, its area-wide distribution of traditional Chinese medicine uses various parts of your body to treat disease.
Predicting arrival on Earth of solar storms
In today's world, totally dependent on electronics, it is essential to predict the arrival of a powerful solar storm to Earth.
Many of the discussions at the meetings solar National Astronomy Meeting focused on predicting the weather and the effects of solar eruptions on Earth. This "space weather" can damage power grids and communications on Earth who are vulnerable and are therefore a vital area of \u200b\u200bspace research.
In a talk, scientists at the University of Leicester presented a technique to predict when solar wind to Earth, Venus and Mars, using satellites STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) and ACE (Advanced Composition Explorer ) spacecraft.
The team focused on Coronal Interaction Regions (CIRs), high solar wind pulses that occur when fast-moving particles from the solar wind emerging from a coronal hole expelled reach a slower flow going forward and compresses the plasma. When these CIRs collide with the upper layers of the planetary atmosphere, involving high levels of activity manifested as areas of high density plasma followed by a region of higher wind speed.
Using the twin STEREO spacecraft, the solar tracking ACE satellite, Mars Express and Venus Express, the Leicester team followed up about 30 events CIRs during the period of July 1, 2007 until August 31, 2008, on his journey from the Sun to Venus and Mars, tracking their speed and direction.
"Our estimates from ACE and STEREO are consistent with data from Mars Express," said Anthony Williams, who presented the results. "However, at the time these measurements were made in situ, the CIRs and were crossing the Earth's orbital path. To develop a prediction system, we must be able to track the characteristics much closer to the Sun." The team has already begun to develop this system to shape the path of the CIRs near the Sun using measurements of ACE, and comparing maps constructed from images HI.
In a separate talk by Katie Turnbull on behalf of a team of scientists from the University of Lancaster and the British Geological Survey, discussed the effect of magnetically induced currents (GICs) in power networks in the UK and how to predict them. The team has developed a new model using magnetic field measurements around the UK with a 3D model of how to conduct electricity in the country field.
then able to estimate the currents induced in about 250 locations nationwide network of high voltage. Interestingly, work not only showed that the induced currents are dependent on the severity of the solar storm, but also the network configuration. The model is used to understand how the network could meet the UK to harmful space weather events, such as the Carrington flare known as 1859, the most powerful solar storm in recorded history.
costs Capable of causing billions of dollars, understand the Sun's interaction with the human technologies we rely on today, is vital.
