Essays and Research Papers on Earth & Physical Sciences

A 5 page overview of the gemstone known as a diamond. Includes information on diamond structure and geologic formation, including its presence in kimberlite formations. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page review of the gem stone garnet. Includes information on its geology, associated species of minerals, and its processing. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page paper discussing the origins and chemical composition of this sedimentary rock used in so many diverse applications even today. For the soil as well as the sulfur-emitting furnace, limestone is applied as small particles no larger than good-sized dust particles, often the result of quarrying activities. Calcium, the primary component ...

A 5 page overview of the two forces and their interaction. Centrifugal force is that fictitious force that imparts a general feeling of weightlessness for astronauts and is also the force by which washing machines extract excess water from wet clothes. The Coriolis effect holds that an object which moves in a straight ...

A 5 page paper discussing the basic aspects of laminar and turbulent pipe flows as related to fluid movement through channels. For all the diversity in mechanical and industrial systems in operation and in design phase today, they all have in common the incorporation of some application of fluid dynamics within them. Liquids and ...

A 5 page research paper that examines how geology has been a powerful influence on human civilization. The writer argues that geology is the prime consideration that controls where human civilization can exist, for how long, and what activities it might be engaged in relative to land use. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

5 pages in length. Reviews two articles, one on black holes, and one article on cosmology. The review and discussion of each article are included in this paper. In the first article analysts speculate something unusual is happening at the center of the Milky Way, near Sagittarius. The theorists believe there ...

A 7 page discussion of the processes which go into mountain formation. Defines cordillera orogony. Utilizes the Northern Highlands of Scotland as an example of the geologic process of plate tectonics which is responsible to a large degree for this phenomenon. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 18 page paper provides an introduction to the issue of water pollution and water quality in Victoria, British Columbia, and determines the nature of the issue and possible ways of addressing the problem. This paper takes an active or process oriented view of the problem, and defines the importance of the issue in the future. Bibliography lists ...

A 16 page paper discussing the strengths and weakness of the views of the creationists and the evolutionists. While evolutionists present a single group, creationists come adhering to all manner of ideas and theories. The most vocal group are the young-earth creationists, who maintain the earth likely is 6,000 years old and certainly no ...

A 5 page comparison of the theories of catastrophism, neptunism, uniformitarianism and plutonism or volcanism. Describes the contentions of each and concludes that contemporary thought recognizes a combination of Neo-Catastrophism and uniformitarianism as being the most logical explanation of the forces which shaped the earth. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 7 page report discusses Hawaii’s volcanoes and their geological features, age, and historical patterns. The various stages of development of the volcanoes also reflect the development of the Hawaiian islands. While there is rarely great destruction or loss of life related to Hawaii’s active volcanoes, it should be noted that Kilauea’s continuous state of eruptions have, since 1983, resulted ...

5 pages in length. The Enlightenment was one of the central tasks where the major thinkers and scientific societies of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries established themselves. What this means in terms of the manner in which philosophers and scientists looked at the broader scope of existence lies within the works ...

This 9 page paper provides an evaluative look at Newton's experiments with color, and criticisms of this outcomes. This paper outlines the central elements of Newton's discoveries as well as the comparative perspectives of theorists like Goethe. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

6 pages. It seems most of the scientific community has accepted the Big Bang Theory as the creation of the universe, but since that time Hoyle has always refused to follow that line, arguing that the Big Bang has not lived up to its early promise, and that his revised Steady State theory, that ...

An 8 page overview of the societal and environmental legacy of the 1945 development and testing of the Atomic Bomb. Outlines the impacts to the ecologies of these areas as well as to the human inhabitants. These impacts have been both environmental and community-based. An entire community grew up around the Los ...

A 7 page overview of the processes which impact deserts. Summarizes geologic, climatological and biological processes which interplay to both shape desert environments and which are shaped by those environments. Outlines the importance of topography, substrate characteristics, precipitation, vegetative cover (both type and extent), radiation, and cloud cover in particular and concludes that each of these factors ...

A 9 page paper that argues that life on other planets, and therefore the existence of Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs, is not only possible but also probable. Discussed are the 1947 events surrounding what has become known as the Roswell Incident and the private sector interest and investigation into the existence of UFOs ...

This 8 page paper provides an overview of the process of glaciation, especially alpine glaciation, though a comparison with various types of glaciation found in Yosemite and the Sierra Nevadas. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

5 pages in length. Scientists have studied Neptune's moon, Triton, for many years, but have only recently discovered new information about this fascinating planet. Triton is not well known outside of astronomy circles, but it has many intersting facets which bear study. It is interesting to note that planetary scientists are only now realizing that Neptune's moon Triton, ...

A 5 page paper. Mono Lake has been called a geologists paradise. It is a unique region that incorporates 14 different ecological zones, more than 1,000 plant species and at least 400 vertebrate species. Volcanoes surround the lake. It is only one of three lakes on the continent that acts as host to productive ecosystems ...

This 5 page report discusses technological and intellectual advances that have taken place in the 20th century and whether or not such an expansion of knowledge has been due to great new ideas suddenly appearing on the intellectual horizon or a technological evolution of ideas that has led to such commonplace realities as photocopy machines, personal computers, and jet travel. It ...

This 20 page report discusses the technological dependency of the industrialized world on fossil fuels and the ways in which those fuels have steadily degraded the Earth’s environment. The general public’s concern about the environment, the multiple efforts of environmental activists, along with fresh ways of thinking by scientists and resource managers, has led to a new philosophy regarding the ...

A 10 page paper which discusses Geographic Information Systems technology and illustrates how it can be used for wildlife conservation. The paper discusses the general uses of GIS and clearly indicates its usefulness in the field of wildlife conservation. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

A 5 page paper that examines the environmental problem of the depletion of the ozone layer. The opposing views of this issue are discussed, along with the initial goals and objectives set by the Montreal Protocol in 1987 and the present lapse in the fulfillment of those goals and objectives. Bibliography lists 4 ...