What Information Can You Gather From A Bleeding Glacier?

In Antarctica, in the Dry Valleys, is a Glacier that is "Bleeding". In the article, "Glacier "Bleeds" Proof of Million-Year-Old Life-Forms", researchers are analyzing the falls to figure out why they are red. "Mikucki and colleagues captured and analyzed a bit of the extremely salty, iron-rich liquid—which seems to be concentrated seawater—fresh from Taylor Glacier. In the samples were tell-tale proteins apparently from microbes. " It is believed that these microbes were captured in the glacier long ago and have been stuck inside with no means of food or light. It is believed that these microbes eat the iron which is ground out of rocks by the moving glacier. The iron is what gives the falls their color. They also studied the sulfur that was found. It is believed that it is from the ocean approximately 700 million years ago.

This would be an amazing site to see! When you think of falls, you think of water falls, not ice running out of a glacier. The only time you can get into the Dry Valleys area is from October until March and that is only by helicopter. During those periods of time, this may really help the economy of the closest town and those businesses that give the tours. The restaurants and hotels would benefit from all the tourists staying and eating at their places. Another site showed that the town went from 250 people to 1100 people during this time. Also, the scientists discovery of what is in the falls could answer a lot of questions about the earth millions of years ago. The data can be compared with earth's current conditions to see how earth is changing. This could give us information about global warming and how fast or slow our earth is changing. Finding the microbes also tells us what existed way back then.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/04/090416-blood-falls.html

Inman, Mason. "Glacier "Bleeds" Proof of Million-Year-Old Life-Forms." National Geographic News April 16 2009 Web.19 Apr 2009. .

Devastating Tornados in Tennessee

To have such a severe storm move across the Midwest in April is unusual, but it has happened before. Tornadoes usually result from a very large thunderstorm. Cold air and warm air combine, and the cold air goes down as the warm air rises. This warm air eventually twists into a spiral, forming a funnel cloud.

In the article "Searchers look for more victims of Tenn. tornado" they believe 3 to 5 tornadoes touched down and the wind speed was around 136 mph! They experienced hail and heavy rains too. There was so much damage that most businesses were closed also. It is amazing, however unfortunate, that only 2 people were killed while 41 were injured. The line of storms moved across Georgia, where there was damage also, and continued across the east coast. The governor was surveying the storm damage as emergency crews continued to go house to house and building to building to check for injured people in the ruble.

We are fortunate that we don't get a lot of tornadoes in this area. This line of storms was fore casted to move over our area, however, the mountains helped to break up the storms before getting to Apex. It would be very scary to be in a tornado. It doesn't seem like you get much of a warning, if any at all. I prefer the hurricanes where we know it is coming for days and have lots of time to prepare or move to a better location. The town of Murfreesboro is not only trying to deal with the devastation, but they are trying to figure out how to rebuild.

When natural disasters strike, we always feel lucky that it didn't happen to us. However, every disaster not only effects the area in which it struck, but us as well. The town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee is losing approximately $2000.00 in sales tax every week that the businesses are not open, while they have to spend money on fire, emergency and police services. That is why most towns ask the government for disaster relief when something like this happens. The money that the government gives these towns to get back on their feet is from people like our families that pay taxes. Another way that it effects each of us is if these businesses make items that are shipped across the United States and are unable to manufacture their items, then the reduction in quantity may effect us in our consumption of that item. An example is if it effects farming communities it would effect the food that is available for us to purchase.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jW-BndswWuhgPAPXOK4Q6TCQsANQD97G89V00