In Cave Biologists Shine Light on the Creatures of the Dark by Charles Choi of ouramazingplanet.com, Choi talks about the wonders that scientists have discovered in deep, dark caves. These wonders are the organisms that inhabit these caves. They are characterized by sly movements, colorless skin, multiple legs, and some without eyes. These organisms were examined in Limestone caves in Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Louisiana and lava beds in Nevada. The only source of energy for these organisms are debris that is washed in and debris brought in by other animals, which is usually feces. At the bottom of the cave animals similar to salamanders swim through streams and feed on smaller animals called amphipods. If these creatures were to leave the cave, they would most likely not survive. Because of the cool and wet conditions, these organisms would burn up or dry out(very similar) from the heat outside the cave.

http://www.ouramazingplanet.com/adaptation-of-creatures-that-dwell-in-caves-0806/

Geography.com cited the national Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration saying that they have recently discovered what they call "submarine volcanoes." These volcanoes lay beneath the sea floor and warm the ocean water around it. This warmth provides life to various exotic deep sea marine life. The volcano scientists focused on was a volcano 12,000 feet beneath the earths surface. This location is a 2.3 million square mile area containing 65% of the worlds corral species. Scientists have determined that there are 40% new corral species and 50% new fish species around the volcano. I believe this shows how positively plate tectonics can effect marine life in the ocean. Although if the volcano was ever to sleep then much of this corral and fish will die. These sites are prime locations for scientists to find new and exotic species of the ocean. I wonder if it is possible for volcanoes to have the same effect on land.

http://geology.com/noaa/sulawesi-sea/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505111702.htm

In an article on geology.com republished from The University of Wisconsin-Madison by Jill Sakai, Sakai discusses what may have been responsible for the reawakening of Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano. In a study cited from The Journal of Nature, it is believed that the volcano may have erupted from flowing magma beneath the volcano. It was also found that the volcano swelled from the formation of magma for 11 weeks before it erupted. There are records of an increase of earthquakes from agitation in the mountain as the date of eruption came nearer. Once it had erupted, the volcano maintained its relative size and amount of magma unlike most volcanos that deflate. The volcano then erupted a second time, this time from another ice covered vent. The Eyjafjallajökull volcano is a great example of how an unexpected volcano eruption can prove to be catastrophic. If the a similar incident had been close to a population then many people could have been killed.

http://geology.com/press-release/iceland-volcano-monitoring/
http://www.natural-calamity.info/the-volcano-under-eyjafjallajokull-glacier-eruption-again/

In an article on geology.com, there is news of early life forms being preserved in rock in a remote area in Africa. In the Tables Mountains of South Africa fossilized life forms that are billions of years old have been found preserves with guts, eyes and muscles. The reason for such well preserved fossils are the layers of algae it has been preserved in and a past ice cap that covered the rock it is in. Over the past few hundred years a dry wind has slowly revealed these underlying fossils. Perhaps if geologists kind identify other rock layers with these similar features we may be able to find fossils of this same condition. To go about doing this, we may just look at rock that we know have previously been covered by ice as well. One thing is for sure, when all the glaciers in the world are gone we can look forward to extremely well preserved fossils.

http://geology.com/press-release/soom-shale/

In Ipswich, Massachusetts lays the Ipswich River. 15,000 years ago the Laurentides ice sheet melted and deposited its sediments known as moraines parallel to each other creating the banks of the Ipswich River. These banks are named Jeffreys Neck and Castle hill. Over time the sand and rock that the alpine glacier collected was deposited into the Atlantic. Longshore drift carried this sediment back onto the beaches. As strong winds came in, they blew the finest particles of sand into the grasses above the beach. After many years this has created 1,200 acres of white sand dunes at Castle Neck. So if you were to go here today you would see a large sand dune covered in marsh grass, cranberry bushes and large oak trees. Although still lush with such vegetation, it is very empty compared to what it looked like during the 1600's. During this time oaks populated much of this land but had been almost entirely wiped out when new settlers arrived.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/wenham/news/lifestyle/columnists/x1790524963/A-walk-in-the-Ipswich-dunes

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/photo677200.htm

In an article by Neil Bowdler on BBC.co.uk, Bowdler discusses the possibility of the 'snowball Earth hypothesis.' It is believed that 700 million years ago in the cryogenic age, an ice age occurred. Recent evidence shows that there may have been small turbulent oceans that allowed micro organisms to survive such harsh conditions. Deposits of sediment in Australia has been found by researchers that they say suggest turbulent oceans existed there millions of years ago. They have also found a particular kind of bed rock called hummocky cross bedding that they say can only exist where storm waves would have been. The waves that push sand along the ocean of the floor eventually make a type of sand stone. This sandstone has pockets between them which would be a prime location for these microorganisms to survive. Many people speculate this idea with their own belief that the earth was more of a "slush ball," which would better explain how organisms could survive frigid temperatures.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11992299

South Georgia is a small island in the Atlantic off the coast Argentina. What makes this 170 kilometer long island so unique is what occurs on this island. It is here on South Georgia that colossal icebergs that break off of Antarctica land. It is here that they spend their remaining time to melt. Although this is a rare occurrence, it does have substantial effects on the environment. Doctor Mark Brandon from the Open University has been running tests for some time now to see what these effects actually are. With several of his colleagues, Brandon has found that these gigantic icebergs change the current, density, temperature and even marine life of the ocean. The added fresh water into the ocean which changes the ratio of salt to water, making it more dense. This also changes the current. The icebergs also cool the water, allowing plankton to thrive closer to the island of South Georgia. This added plankton has allowed marine life such as seals and penguins to survive on the island.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11913457
http://www.scotford.net/Web%20Pages/Roger_Pics.htm

In an article titled Good Day at Black Rock: 10 Cool Columnar Basalt Formations Author Steve writes about some of the most amazing columnar basalt formations, which he notes are created by lava cooling and cracking in vertical angles. One of the largest of these formations is Devils Tower in Wyoming that stands 1,267 feet tall. Another formation in Scotland called Fingal’s Cave is a large island made of this molten rock that has a 279 feet deep cave. One such formation is located right here near Mammoth, California. Called the Devil’s postpile, this collection of hexagon shaped lava rocks is thought to be around 100,000 and 700,000 years old. A 600,000 year time gap does not narrow down how old these rocks are but I can take their word for it that these rocks are old. Although many of these rocks are great tourist spots for the kids to climb and people to take pictures, but they are also prime rock climbing destinations.

http://webecoist.com/2010/12/07/good-day-at-black-rock-10-cool-columnar-basalt-formations/
http://www.ram.org/ramblings/other/cctrip.html

In an article on Webecoist.com by author Steph titled 12 Fantastic Floating Cities and Artificial Islands, Steph describes some of the most mesmerizing floating cities. Included in these amazing cities is Aberdeen Harbor, a city like cluster of boats off the coast of Hong Kong. Oily Rocks is a man made island city off the coast of Azerbaijan that is made up of overturned boats that serve has the ground. Years ago, this was once a small community with homes and a school that served the oil industry. No Mans Land Fort is a small Victorian style fort off the coast of Britain that was use to defend Britain from the French Navy. This fort, which is now a hotel, has an indoor pool, 21 rooms and a couple helipads. I would love to stay in forts like these. It would be nice to look out and see the ocean all around. But I think at some point it would get old, and going back to society wouldn’t be half bad.

http://webecoist.com/2009/04/27/12-fantastic-floating-cities-and-artificial-islands/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1580973/Battle-for-the-4-million-sea-fortress.html

According to a story titled Tourist Temptation: Anthrax Island by CBS News, since terrorists have started using Anthrax as a weapon in letters, tourists and journalists have begun taking an interest in Gruinard Island in Scotland since 2001. The reason for the interest is that during World War II Britain started testing anthrax on animals on this small little island. Gruinard Island, which is only about 520 acres, was a prime site for testing some of the first anthrax weapons. The animals, particularly sheep, would be grazing on this small little island when suddenly their lunch would be disturbed when suddenly an anthrax bomb would be dropped on them. Once the island was completely wiped out of life the British military dropped 280 tons of formaldehyde over it and called it good as new, hoping that any anthrax on the island would be killed. Now I am not too sure what the tourists and journalists are looking for on this island 70 years later. There is some small life on this island but not much.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/10/29/world/main316169.shtml
http://www.scotclans.com/bletherskite/?p=1185

According to an article on reuters.com titled Climate change fans deep-burning fires in Alaska by Deborah Zabarenko, climate change in Alaska has caused longer fire seasons and deeper burning fires. The forest fires, which have been caused by lightning and human intervention, have been occurring more often due to the longer summer season caused by the earths' warming. This longer fire season starts to burn not only the ground cover but also the carbon that is stored in the soil as deep down as 26 feet. This emission of stored carbon, which is called peat, has caused Alaska to become a major contributor of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. According to Zabarenko, a forest fire in Alaska in 2004 emitted more than 56.7 million tons of carbon in 90 days. This amount of carbon emissions is astounding since this is more than the U.S. electrical generating plants produced in 90 days.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6B41QS20101205
http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/forest-fire-in-alaska-3297-pictures.htm

I became very curious about Cortes Bank after Professor Harmon mentioned it in one of his lectures. I had never heard of it and being from Southern California I felt I should have. My first search brought up a video of the Worlds biggest wave ever surfed . I never would have believed that a wave that big could exist if i had not seen it with my own eyes. All of my information on Cortes Bank came from the Youtube video How Cortes Banks Works by SurflineTV. Cortes Bank is a seamount about 100 miles off the coast of California near San Diego. A seamount is a rising piece of land made by a volcano that never quite reaches the surface. The highest point on Cortes Bank is 6 feet below the service. This point is named Bishop rock. Because the Bank is so far off the coast, it can gets swells coming from every direction. When the swell hits the bank, it shoots off of it and create giant waves. Cortes Bank is also one of the last places where white abalone can be seen because they are at risk to becoming extinct. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz97moE41Xo&feature=BF&list=FLsJVkKoYUP8o&index=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nS_aR8XX_U&feature=BF&list=FLsJVkKoYUP8o&index=2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seamount

http://swfsc.noaa.gov/textblock.aspx?Division=FRD&id=1289

According to the NewsOK, the U.S. geological reported that an earthquake of magnitude 4.2 hit central Oklahoma Wednesday evening and again an hour later with a 3.2 magnitude. Then on Thursday, a 2.5 magnitude earthquake hit near the town of Arcadia followed by a 2.8 magnitude earthquake immediately after. When I first read the article, I came across the term "epicenter" and believed that it was the name of a stadium in Oklahoma. My next thought was that "there really must not be too much to do in a desolate state like Oklahoma if their "State's Most Trusted News" reports how far away a rare earthquake was to its treasured sports stadiums." Once I came to realize that my ignorance had lead me to believe this conclusive thought, I looked up epicenter and learned it is a geological term for the point on the surface of the Earth above the focus of the underground earthquake.

http://newsok.com/small-earthquakes-rattle-arcadia-luther/article/3518457
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicenter
http://www.glynn.k12.ga.us/BHS/Juniorprojects/Hopkins01/miguelo23724/Epicenter.gif

On the West coast of New Zealand's North island, Mount Taranaki, an active volcano has reportedly been eroding at a constant and dangerous rate. Aerial pictures show that between the years 1995 and 2007, approximately 14.3 million cubic metres of loose rock and sand has eroded away from the mountain. At the first sign of recent rockslides, locals believed that this was a sign of an eruption from the dormant, yet active volcano. Although there has not yet been a threat of an eruption, locals still have another problem on their hands. The erosion from the mountain has dropped rock and sand down its side disturbing the "sources of domestic water supplies." I was not sure what they meant by domestic water supplies, but I can insinuate that they perhaps mean that the sediment has blocked passages where water once flowed. This would mean that water is no longer distributed to certain wells along the plain.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10691052