Earth Sciences Resources |
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Contents
- General
- Astronomy
- Geology
- Paleontology
- Meteorology
- Oceanography
General |
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- Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois (ESCONI) This organization promotes interest in the areas of geology, mineralogy, archaeology, paleontology, and more. Here you can find the latest developments, resources, photo albums, and more.
- HippoCampus This open resource is full of videos, animations, and simulations for middle and high school students in the areas of Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Sciences, Economics, History, Government, Sociology, English, and World Religions.
- Minute Earth Presents short videos about the Earth.
- Sharing Science The American Geophysical Union presents this forum where scientists can share their findings about the Earth and space with the public.
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Astronomy
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- CosmoQuest Contains articles, podcasts, videos, and more about space.
- Space.Com An excellent resource on the generalities of space and NASA.
- Starts with a Bang Astrophysicist Ethan Siegel and a team of scientists created this site to explain the physics and complex astronomy concepts to the public.
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Astronomers and Astronauts |
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- Armstrong Air & Space Museum Explores the life and career of Neil Armstrong, the first person to step on the moon.
- Buzz Aldrin Presents a biography about the astronaut and the first lunar landing in 1969.
- Claudius Ptolemy: Astronomer and Geographer from Ancient Egypt Tells the story of Greek astronomer who lived in Alexandria, Egypt and noticed that the stars and planets move in a pattern.
- Copernicus: Facts, Model & Heliocentric Theory The History Channel reports on the life of Nicolaus Copernicus who theorized that the Earth and the planets revolve around the sun.
- Edwin Powell Hubble: The Man Who Discovered the Cosmos Profiles the American astronomer who discovered the cosmos and more.
- The Galileo Project From Rice University, this site provides a detailed look at the life and work of Galileo Galilei including the Catholic Church's view of his work.
- Isaac Newton: Facts, Biography, and Laws Summarizes the life and career of Sir Isaac Newton including his improvements on the telescope.
- Jim Lovell: NASA Astronaut and Apollo 13 Commander Tells the story of Captain James Lovell's career in NASA including commanding the Apollo 13 mission.
- Johannes Kepler: His Life, His Laws, His Times NASA delves into the life and accomplishments of German astronomer Johannes Kepler including his Laws of Planetary Motion.
- Profile of John Glenn NASA outlines the life of John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962.
- Sally Ride The National Women's History Museum presents a biography of the first American woman to go up into space.
- Scott Kelly The official website of the astronaut who was the first American to spend 340 days up in the International Space Station.
- Sir Edmund Halley, a British Scientific Giant Chronicles the life of British astronomer Sir Edmund Halley and his discoveries including his study of comets.
- Stephen Hawking Presents a biography of the British physicist who studied black holes and wrote A Brief History of Time and other bestsellers.
- 13 Stories with Captain James Lovell Captain James Lovell tells thirteen stories to the Adler Planetarium about his career as an astronaut.
- Tyco Brahe Highlights the life and observations of Danish astronomer Tyco Brahe.
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Solar System and Planets |
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General
Sun
Mercury
Venus
Earth and Moon
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Dwarf Planets
Asteroids, Comets, and Others
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- If the Moon Were One Pixel Charts out the solar system with the planets and distance in scale with if the moon was one pixel (3478.8 km = 1 pixel).
- The Nine Planets: A Multimedia Tour of the Solar System Explores the planets in our solar system as well as dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, the sun, and more.
- The Planetary Society Founded by Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray, and Louis Friedman, this society has a lot about the solar system, space missions, the night sky, and more.
- The Planets Profiles the planets, dwarf planets, and other objects in our solar system including historical, scientific, cultural and mythological facts.
- The Size of Space Neal Agarwal created this visual graphic that shows the size of planets, moons, asteroids, black holes, and other objects in space.
- Solar System Exploration: Planets NASA explores the solar system including the sun, each planet, our moon, asteroids, meteors and meteorites, dwarf planets, comets, and more.
- Views of the Solar System Presents images of planets, dwarf planets, and other objects in our solar system as well as facts and other usefull information.
Sun
- Solar Flare Theory Educational Web Pages NASA explains what solar flares are, how they impact us on Earth, and how they are researched.
- Solar Storms: How They Form and What They Do Explains what a solar storm is and how it can affect the Earth.
- Sun NASA describes the yellow dwarf star that provides us with light, heat, and more.
- Sun Tells about the structure of the sun, views of the sun, and more.
- Sun: What You Need to Know Looks into the structure, origin, and other facts about the sun.
Mercury
- Mercury Examines the planet Mercury including it orbit, images, its use in pop culture, and much more.
- Mercury, World of Extremes The Planetary Society tells about the facts about the small planet closest to the sun.
- The Planet Mercury Discusses Mercury's orbit, mass, size, composition, atmosphere, historical observation, and exploration.
Venus
- Journey through the Solar System: Venus Reports on the planet Venus including how similar it is to Earth, its atmosphere, how the Greenhouse effect has changed its environment, and exploring the planet.
- Venus NASA explores the planet Venus including its orbit, size, atmosphere, temperature, and more.
- Venus, Cloudy with a Chance of Life Discusses how Venus may have had life and how it is inhospitable now.
Earth and Moon
- Earth NASA provides some facts about the Earth.
- Earth: Our Home Planet Presents facts about our planet including its defense system from meteors and more.
- Earth's Moon Lists facts about the moon including size, formation, orbit, surface, and more.
- Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera Explore the surface of the moon with pictures from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
- The Moon Profiles the Earth and explains how the moon affects the tides on Earth.
- The Once Mysterious Phases of the Moon Explained Tells of the eight phases of the moon and why we see it in those phases.
- Planet Earth: Facts about our Home Planet Investigates the size of the Earth, its orbit around the sun, its formation and development, its internal structure, its magnetic fields, its atmosphere, and more.
Mars
- An Introduction to Mars Provides basic facts about Mars but there are links to more depth coverage of the Red Planet.
- Journey through the Solar System: Mars Describes Mars and its two moons: Phobos and Deimos.
- Mars Exploration NASA has designed this fabulous site all about Mars.
- Mars, the Red Planet Explains why we study Mars, facts about the red planet, and exploring Mars.
Jupiter
- Jupiter Tells all about the fifth planet in our solar system with an overview and in depth information, from NASA.
- Jupiter: The Planet with a Solar System of its Own Describes Jupiter and its four moons and why it is important we study the largest planet in our solar system.
- A Quick Tour of Jupiter's Moons Briefly looks into the four moons that orbit Jupiter.
Saturn
- Saturn NASA explores the sixth planet in our solar system.
- Saturn: Planet of Rings, Moons, and More to Explore Introduces the planet Saturn and its unique rings and many moons.
- Saturn's Moons: Facts about the Ringed Planet's Satellites Even though there are over 62 moons orbiting Saturn, this site explores the eight major moons.
- Why Does Saturn Have Rings Around It? Focuses on the rings of Saturn including theories on their origin, what the rings are composed of, and their future.
Uranus
- Moons of Uranus: Facts about the Tilted Planet's Satellites Chronicles the discovery of Uranus's twenty seven moons.
- Uranus Contains facts about Uranus including its orbit, rotation, size, and more, from NASA.
- Uranus: The Sideways Planet Investigates the seventh planet in our solar system which rotates differently from the other planets.
Neptune
- Learn about Neptune's 14 Moons Takes a look at Neptune's moons and defines which are regular moons and irregular moons.
- Neptune NASA describes Neptune including in-depth information, facts, and images.
- Neptune: The Planet of Wind and Ice Discusses how the study of Neptune helps us study planets from other solar systems as well as facts about the eighth planet.
Dwarf Planets
- Ceres Studies the dwarf planet located in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter.
- Ceres: The Smallest and Closest Dwarf Planet Tells about the dwarf planet including its size and distance, history and discovery, and geography.
- Eris Describes the dwarf planet discovered in 2005.
- Eris Facts Contains facts including its size, radius, orbit, how it was discovered, where it is located, name origin, and more.
- Haumea NASA looks into the dwarf planet Haumea located in the Kuiper Belt.
- Haumea: Fast-Spinning Dwarf Planet Reports on Haumea's discovery, characteristics, moons, and more.
- Makemake NASA highlights the facts about the dwarf planet Makemake in the Kuiper Belt.
- Makemake Facts Discusses statistics about the dwarf planet and how the discovery of Makemake in 2005 led to the redefining the term "planet" and later the reclassification of Pluto.
- Pluto NASA gives details about Pluto. Once known as the ninth planet in the solar system until it was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006.
- Pluto: The Kuiper Belt's Most Famous Dwarf Planet Discusses what we know about Pluto and its five moons.
Asteroids, Comets, and Others
- Asteroid Belt Facts Studies the region between Mars and Jupiter where a vast number of asteroids are located.
- Asteroids NASA defines what asteroids are, how they are classified, how they are named, and more.
- Asteroids, Comets, and Other Small Worlds Investigates what asteroids, comets, and Kuiper Belt Objects are, why we study them, and more.
- Comets Contains facts about comets including how they were formed, exploring comets, naming comets and more.
- Comets: Facts about the 'Dirty Snowballs' of Space Tells about comets including what they are made of, their orbits, their names, and historical context.
- The Discovery and Characteristics of the Icy, Remote Kuiper Belt Chronicles the origin of the Kuiper Belt, its discovery, and how it is being studied on Earth.
- Kuiper Belt NASA explains what the Kuiper Belt is, where it is located, and more.
- Oort Cloud Defines the region on the outer rim of the Kuiper Belt, from NASA.
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Constellations and Stars |
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- Constellation Guide Learn what the constellations look like, how they got their names, and the stars apart of it.
- The Constellations Explore the 88 constellations in the night sky and their Greek myths.
- Constellations Features the constellations including where they are located, what named stars make up the constellation, the mythology behind the constellation, and more.
- Going Inside a Star to See How It Works Discover how a star works using the sun as an example.
- Life Cycle of a Star: Stages, Facts, and Diagrams Explains the life cycle of stars.
- Portal to the Heritage of Astronomy The UNESCO presents this resource that explores how different cultures interpret the stars and astronomy.
- Stellarium Web Online Star Map View the stars, constellations, planets, satellites, and more. Click on an object to learn more about it.
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Meteors and Meteorites |
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- American Meteor Society Learn about meteors, fireballs, and meteor showers here.
- The Barringer Meteorite Crater Fifty thousand years ago in northern Arizona, a giant fireball hit the earth. Here you can discover the history of the crater and how it was formed.
- Buseck Center for Meteorite Studies Located on campus at Arizona State University, view some of their meteorites, and learn about the types of meteorites, facts about them, their origins, their characteristics, and more.
- How Meteors Form and What They Are Explains what a meteor is, what it is made out of, and more.
- Meteorites from Other Planets Looks into where meteorites come from.
- What Is a Meteor? Defines meteors, shooting stars, meteorites, fireballs, and meteorites, from Geology.com.
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NASA and Space Exploration |
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- About Project Mercury Provides links to reports, an ebook, mission summaries, images, and more.
- The Apollo Missions Lists the Saturn rocket tests, Apollo-Saturn unmanned flights, and Apollo missions with featured stories and mission overviews.
- Apollo 1: The Fatal Fire Discusses the Apollo 1 mission which became tragic when a fire broke out killing all three astronauts aboard.
- Apollo 13 Describes the Apollo 13 mission which ended up to be the most "successful failure" when an oxygen tank blew up causing them to scrap the moon landing and attempt to return home.
- Apollo 17 Compiles audio and video clips of the last mission to the moon.
- Challenger STS 51-L Accident Provides links to documents, videos, and other links relating to the space shuttle Challenger explosion on January 28, 1986, from NASA.
- Chasing the Moon The companion site to Robert Stone's film Chasing the Moon featured on PBS's American Experience. This interactive site explores the road traveled to get a man on the moon.
- Encyclopedia Astronautica Explores the history of space exploration.
- Gemini: Bridge to the Moon NASA complies articles, images, and videos about the Gemini project.
- A Giant Leap for Mankind Gathers photographs and quotes relating to NASA's Apollo program.
- Historic Spacecraft Richard Kruse tells about the spacecraft used in NASA's history with images and more.
- Hubble Site Explore the Hubble Telescope, its images, its discoveries, and more.
- In Space We Trust Highlights the history of space exploration starting with Sputnik 1.
- International Space Station Go inside the International Space Station on this virtual tour.
- ISS: Iconic Service to Science Examines the history of the International Space Station and its future.
- July 20, 1969: One Giant Leap for Mankind Recounts the mission in which Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to set foot on the moon, with audio and a video, from NASA.
- NASA The official site of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. There's A LOT of great information on here including shuttle launches, historical information, learning resources just for students and more.
- NASA: Apollo 50th Commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the first moon landing with videos, photos, and audio.
- NASA Image and Video Library Collects images, video, and audio from NASA missions, projects, and more.
- National Air and Space Museum The Smithsonian explores flight and space exploration at these two museums in Washington D.C.
- The Right Stuff: When America Met the Mercury Astronauts Life Magazine shares some photos of the Mercury Astronauts as they were training.
- Space Center - Houston Where Mission Control was housed during the Apollo missions, where you can see the Boeing 747 shuttle carrier, and more.
- Space Exploration From Google Arts & Culture, this site explores the history of space with a look at the Apollo program, street views of the International Space Station, profiles of astronauts, and more.
- Space Shuttle Explore the missions and history of the space shuttles Atlantis, Endeavour, Discovery, Challenger, Columbia, and Enterprise.
- Space Shuttle Columbia and Her Crew On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia exploded upon reentry over Texas. NASA has posted biographies of the astronauts on that mission, the investigation reports, and more.
- Space Shuttle Program History Cliff Lethbridge tells the story of the space shuttle program, from Nixon's decision to go ahead with the program, the fleet's design and construction to the final flight.
- Sputnik From NASA, this site explores the Soviet launching of Sputnik on October 4, 1957 and the reaction to it in the United States.
- Voyager Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launched in 1977. Since then, both space craft have been exploring our solar system and beyond.
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Geology
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- American Geological Institute Find out about the latest research in geology and also about careers in the field.
- Geology.Com Get the latest news in the field of geology and articles about rocks and minerals, fossils, gemstones, geological hazards, meteorites, oil and gas, plate tectonics, volcanoes, and more.
- Illinois State Geological Survey Geology Resources Provides resources on caves in Illinois; Karst Landscapes in Illinois; coal, gold, and oil in Illinois; glacial geography in Illinois; rocks, minerals, and geodes in Illinois; paleontology in Illinois, and more.
- Interactive Geology Project The University of Colorado Boulder presents a series of 3D animated videos that explain key geological concepts.
- Joides Resolution: Science in Search of Earth's Secrets JOIDES Resolution is a research vessel that drills into the ocean's floor and collects samples to research climate change, geology, and the history of the Earth.
- One Geology Provides maps, data sets, and more relating to Geology from sources around the world.
- Uniformitarianism: "The Present Is the Key to Our Past" Explains James Hutton's theory that describes the process that has, is and will continue to shape the Earth and the Universe and Sir Charles Lyell's Principles of Geology that formed Uniformitarianism.
- U.S. Geological Survey Provides information about geology including searchable databases of maps and geologic names, and earthquakes.
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Rocks, Minerals, Gemstones |
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- Amethyst Galleries’ Mineral Gallery Defines what minerals, rocks, and crystals are and provides information on a variety of minerals and rocks.
- Everything You Need to Know about Igneous Rocks Describes the types of igneous rocks, their origin, where they form, textures, where they are found, and more.
- Fluorite: Illinois' State Mineral The Illinois State Geological Survey tells about the state mineral, fluorite.
- How Metamorphic Rocks Are Formed Tells about how metamorphic rocks are formed and how they are classified.
- Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art Explore gemstones and artwork using precious stones and minerals. (1220 Kensington Rd., Oak Brook, Ill. 60523)
- Rock Classification Chart Describes how rocks are classified.
- The Rock Cycle This British website from the Geological Society describes the Rock Cycle with and without animation.
- Sedimentary Rocks: Rocks Formed by Stratification Explains how to identify sedimentary rocks, the types of sedimentary rocks, and the stories they tell.
- Types of Gemstone Lists 4 precious stones and 17 semi-precious stones.
- What Are Minerals? Delves into the four qualities needed in order to be a mineral.
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Quakes, Eruptions, and Other Natural Phenomenon |
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- Avalanche Awareness Examines the causes of an avalanche, anatomy of an avalanche, tips on how to survive, and more.
- Earthquake Hazards Program From the U.S. Geological Survey, here you can learn about earthquakes, what to do during one, where they occur, and more.
- Eruptions, Earthquakes, and Emissions Maps out volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and sulfur dioxide emissions from May, 1960 to January, 2017, from the Smithsonian.
- Faultline: Seismic Science at the Epicenter Explains why earthquakes occur and revisits the earthquakes that shook San Francisco in 1906 and 1989.
- Learn about the History and Principles of Plate Tectonics Defines Plate Tectonics and theories that explain the movement of the continents.
- Plate Tectonics The Geological Society explains plate tectonics, including profiling pioneers in the field and mapping out the plates.
- Seismic Illumination Plots out seismic activity over time focusing on the Pacific Rim of Fire.
- Tsunami! Explains what a tsunami is, how it is created, and ways to survive one.
- USA Wildfires Maps out where wildfires are burning in the United States and where smoke is blowing.
- Volcano Live There are web cams of volcanoes around the world that you can look out. You can also find out where there are volcanoes erupting at this moment.
- Volcano World Information on volcanoes including current eruptions and some really neat images.
- What Causes Wildfires?: Understanding Key Risk Factors Lists factors that can start a wildfire.
- What Is a Landslide and What Causes One? The United States Geological Survey explains what a landslide is and causes of a landslide. There are links to why it is important to study landslides and more.
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Paleontology |
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- Common Types of Illinois Fossils Lists the types of fossils that could be found within the state of Illinois.
- Digital Atlas of Ancient Life The Paleontological Research Institute presents this online resource about fossils including field guides, digital encyclopedia, and more.
- EPICC Virtual Field Experiences The University of California Museum of Paleontology explores fossils found in California.
- Fossils The British Geological Survey defines what fossils are, why they are important to study, and explains the four ways a fossil is preserved.
- Fossils: What They Are, How They Form, How They Survive Defines what fossils are and how they are formed.
- Fossils and Dinosaurs The Courtenay and District Museum explores fossils and dinosaurs with marine fossil videos, fossil casting, and more.
- Fossils, Facts and Finds Reports on what fossils are, how they are formed, how to identify them, what geological time is, and examples of invertebrate, plant, vertebrate fossils.
- The Virtual Fossil Museum Covers fossils, geological time, and evolution.
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Meteorology
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- Human Odyssey Map The California Academy of Sciences maps out the history of human migration and the role climate played through out the journey.
- Mount Washington Observatory Researches the weather and climate of the Earth in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
- NOAA Climate.gov The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration brings together information relating to the climate of the United States including news, maps and data, lesson plans and activities, and more.
- Our Four Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn Explains why we have four seasons in a year.
- Weather Dictionary A great dictionary for weather terminology.
- Weather Spark Describes the typical weather for cities and nations including average high and low temperatures, average hourly temperatures, average monthly rain/snowfall, humidity, and more.
- Why Do Heat Index and Wind Chill Temperatures Exist? Reports what the heat index and wind chill are, when they go into effect, and more.
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Atmosphere & Clouds |
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- Cloud Classification The National Weather Service gives details on the types of clouds and how to identify them.
- Clouds Discusses how clouds are formed, the different kinds of clouds, and more.
- Earth's Atmosphere: Facts about Our Planet's Protective Blanket Tells about the Earth's atmosphere: its composition, layers, and more.
- National Wind Institute The National Wind Institute at Texas Tech University has information on wind energy, storm shelters, wind damage studies, and more.
- Northern Lights Centre: Northern Lights Looks into the Northern Lights: what they are, what causes them, when they can be seen, and more.
- NOVA Labs: Cloud Lab Explores how clouds develop and learn how to identify different types of clouds.
- Overview of El Nino and La Nina Defines what El Nino and La Nina are and how they affect the climate.
- Understanding Winds Examines winds: the forces that control them, measuring winds, terminology and more.
- What Is Wind Shear? Focuses on what wind shear is and how it affects hurricanes and aviation.
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Storms |
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- Hail: Summer's Ice Storms Gives details about what is hail, how it is formed, how big it can get, and more.
- How Do Thunderstorms Form? Illustrates the seven stages of the life cycle of a thunderstorm.
- Hurricanes: Science and Society Accumulates data about hurricanes including history, science, technology in forecasting, impact on society, and more.
- Hurricanes and Tropical Storms NASA provides information about tracking tropical storms and hurricanes and historical hurricanes. Includes videos about hurricanes and images of hurricanes taken from space.
- Lightning Safety and Resources The National Weather Service provides tips on how to be safe when lightning appears.
- Live Storm Chasing View videos of weather events taken by storm chasers.
- National Geographic: Natural Disasters National Geographic explores natural disasters such as tornadoes, volcanoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes with neat interactive graphics, videos, and more.
- National Hurricane Center/Tropical Prediction Center If you are doing any type of research on hurricanes or tropical storms, this should be the first site you visit.
- NSSL: Severe Weather 101 Provides answers to common questions about thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, lightning, hail, damaging winds, and winter weather.
- The Online Tornado FAQ Answers questions about tornadoes such as how they are formed, how they are forecasted, and more.
- Ready.Gov Prepares citizens for natural disasters such as earthquakes, winter storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, and floods.
- The Science of Snowflakes Explained Highlights eleven facts about snowflakes including how they are formed, how their shape is determined, and more.
- Severe Thunderstorm Safety Discusses the difference between a severe thunderstorm watch and a severe thunderstorm warning, how to prepare for a severe thunderstorm, what do during a storm, and how to remain safe after a severe thunderstorm.
- Storm Events Database A database of storm data for states and counties from 1993 to date and more.
- Tornado Safety Tells the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning and ways to prepare for a tornado and what to do during and after a tornado.
- What Causes Lightning and Thunder? Investigates how lightning and thunder are formed.
- What Is Lake Effect Snow? Maps out what is needed for lake effect snow to occur.
- Winter Storm Safety Presents how to prepare and stay safe in a winter blizzard and how to prevent pipes from freezing in your home.
- Winter Storms & Extreme Cold Contains information about winter storms including terminology, what to do to prepare for them, and more.
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Weather Forecasting |
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- AccuWeather Provides weather forecasts and weather-related news.
- How to Read a Barometer Discusses what atmospheric pressure is and how a barometer is used to measure it to forecast the weather.
- Illinois Real-Time Precipitation Data Collects data on rainfall or snowfall in various areas in the State of Illinois, from the U.S. Geological Survey.
- National Weather Service Provides data on water and climate, forecasts the weather, and issues alerts to the public of dangerous weather events.
- Precipitation Education NASA explores the water cycle, weather and climate, and the technology being used to study rain and snowfall.
- 6 Tools Our Meteorologists Use to Forecast the Weather Describes the tools meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use to forecast the weather
- Weather.com This is the official site of the Weather Channel where you can get local weather forecasts, (as well as international), weather advisories, watches, or warnings, and more.
- Weather Underground Find weather for any city, state, zip code or country. You can search for historical weather conditions by date.
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Oceanography
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- American Oceans Explore the marine life and marine ecosystems of North America.
- The Deep Sea Neal Agarwal designed this site that takes you down to nearly 11,000 meters from the surface seeing a variety of sea life on the way down.
- National Geographic: The Ocean Explore the ocean with National Geographic.
- An Ocean of Story Maps Gathers fifty story maps relating to oceanography, ocean conservation, history, and more.
- Oceanography Contains an extensive list of links from around the world relating to oceanography.
- Oceans Initiative Learn about dolphins, whales, ocean noise, and conserving our oceans.
- Smithsonian Ocean Portal The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History provides a wealth of information about the oceans including data on ocean life, currents and waves, volcanoes, ancient ocean life, conservation issues, and more.
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Ocean Research Institutes and Organizations |
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- Aquarius Aquarius is the undersea research laboratory for the Florida International University. Here you can explore the seas with their live webcams, learn about their missions, and more.
- Joides Resolution: Science in Search of Earth's Secrets JOIDES Resolution is a research vessel that drills into the ocean's floor and collects samples to research climate change, geology, and the history of the Earth.
- MarineBio The MarineBio Conservation Society focuses on educating the world about ocean life, marine biology, and marine conservation. Its site is full of resources about the ocean, ocean life, ocean geography, conservation, and much, much more.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Reports on its research on the ocean and improving technology used to study the ocean.
- National Ocean Service Contains facts about oceans and information on various topics relating to oceans such as ocean life, transportation, currents and tides, and more.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration This government agency studies the climate, weather, ocean, and coasts.
- The Ocean Cleanup Discusses the pollution and garbage in oceans and rivers and efforts to clean it up.
- Ocean Conservancy This organization works to improve conditions in the ocean. See on this website how they are confronting climate change and protecting the Artic and the Florida coast.
- Oceana Works towards improving the ocean. Website contains a Marine Life Encyclopedia.
- Seacoast Science Center Located in New Hampshire's Odiorne Point State Park, this science center explores the ocean and ways to keep it healthy.
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Discover our oceans including topics such as hydrothermal vents, hurricanes, climate change, tsunamis, currents, ocean life, and more.
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Waves, Tides, and Currents |
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- Currents, Waves, and Tides The Smithsonian Institute reports on the different kinds of currents and how they are formed; the anatomy of waves, types of waves, and how waves are formed; and what causes tides and more.
- How Do Tides and Waves Work? Tells how tides occur and how waves are formed in the ocean.
- The Major Ocean Currents of the World Discusses ocean currents: water movements, tracking and measuring ocean currents, how marine life depends on them, and names of major ocean currents.
- Ocean Currents The NOAA explains ocean currents and their impact on the world.
- Ocean Waves: Energy, Movement, and the Coast Takes a look at the parts of a wave, the different kinds of waves, its movement and energy, and their impact on the coast.
- What Causes Ocean Waves? The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution explains what causes ocean waves.
- What Causes Tides? The NOAA explains what tides are and how the moon and sun affects tides.
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Ocean Floor Geography |
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- Beneath the Waves From the Western Australian Museum, this interactive documentary explores the Kimberley coral reef.
- Coral Reef Research Foundation Discover coral reefs, how weather affects them, marine life that call coral reefs home, and more.
- David Attenborough's Great Barrier Reef Explore the Great Barrier Reef with British broadcaster and natural historian David Attenborough.
- Living Oceans Foundation: World Reef Map Maps out the coral reefs around the globe.
- Underwater Volcanoes Explains what volcanoes are and how underwater volcanoes can affect the globe.
- What Are Seamounts? Tells about underground mountains below the sea level.
- What Is A Mid-Ocean Ridge? Studies the mountain ranges under the ocean.
- What Is an Abyssal Plain? Describes the plains 20,000 - 30,000 feet below sea level.
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Plankton |
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- Holoplankton Illustrates several species of holoplankton including the Blue Sea Slug, Pteropod, Salps, Arrow Worms, Portuguese Man-of-War, and more.
- Jellyfish and Other Zooplankton The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution investigates what zooplankton are and what makes up a jellyfish.
- Krill Guide: What They Are and Why They Are So Important Examines what krill are and why they play a vital role in our oceans.
- Understanding the Definition of Plankton Discusses what is plankton, the types of plankton, its sizes, where it stands in the food chain, and more.
- What Are Diatoms? HIghlights what diatoms are and their importance on land and in the water.
- What Are Phytoplankton? The National Ocean Service defines phytoplankton and their vital role in the ocean.
- Zooplankton Looks into the tiny animals and larvae that are considered as zooplankton and their characteristics.
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Marine Plants |
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- Seagrass and Seagrass Beds The Smithsonian tells about seagrass: its characteristics, growth and reproduction, its value to the ecosystem, threats, and more.
- What Is Kelp? Kelp is not a plant but actually brown algae. This site explains more about kelp and how important it is to marine life.
- What Is Sargassum? The Ocean Conservancy explains what sargassum is.
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Marine Animals |
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- American Lobster Describes the heaviest crustacean in the world including its appearance, lifespan, reproduction, habitat, diet, and more.
- Anemones The National Aquarium provides information about anemones including where they can be found, diet, how big they can get, and more.
- Atuna Reports on the tuna fishing industry. Includes a species guide, tuna fishing new and statistics, tuna farming news, and more.
- Facts about Clownfish Describes the clownfish and its habitat, diet, reproduction, and more.
- How Are Seashells Made? The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution explains how a mollusk builds it shell and how the shell grows with it.
- Manta Ray Advocates Full of information about manta rays.
- Marine Species Identification Portal Classifies thousands of species found in the oceans and seas including corals, fish, mammals, mollusks, and more.
- Mollusks Discusses the seven groups of mollusks, the life cycle of mollusks, how the acidification of the oceans are affecting mollusks, and more.
- National Marine Mammal Foundation Find out the various studies and projects this foundation does to help learn about and protect marine mammals.
- Octopus Facts: Habitat, Behavior, Diet Profiles the octopus including types, characteristics, habitat, diet, conservation, and more.
- Sarasota Dolphin Research Program This program has been studying dolphins in the Sarasota, Florida area since 1970. Site contains facts about dolphins and explains more about the program.
- Sea Anemone The Seattle Aquarium briefly introduces sea anemone including their characteristics, habitat, its alliances, and more.
- Sea Sponges Discusses what sponges look like, anatomy, habitat, diet, lifespan, reproduction, threats, and more.
- Seafood Watch Monterey Bay Aquarium discusses how our choices in seafood con help or harm our oceans and helps determine how we can keep our oceans healthy by what fish we choose to consume.
- Seahorse or Seadragon: What's the Difference? The Shedd Aquarium compares and contrasts seahorses with seadragons.
- The Seahorse Trust Provides facts about seahorses, conservation, and more.
- The Shark Research Institute Learn about sharks and how to protect them. Also includes the Global Shark Attack File.
- Sharks & Rays Profiles a variety of sharks, skates, and rays.
- Sharks World Provides data on general characteristics of sharks and species information.
- Types of Coral Lists 20 types of coral found around the world.
- Virtual Urchin From the University of Washington, this site explores the world of sea urchins.
- WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation An excellent site about different species of whales and dolphins and what’s being done to protect them.
- What Are the Different Kinds of Dolphins Explores the different types of dolphins besides the popular bottle-nosed dolphin.
- What Are the Most Common Types of Crab Describes a variety of crabs including the King Crab, Horsehair Crab, Hermit Crab, and the Horseshoe Crab.
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Marine Pollution and Climate Change |
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- Climate Change Indicators: Oceans The Environmental Protection Agency describes the indicators that climate change is affecting our oceans.
- How Is Climate Change Impacting the World's Oceans The United Nations lists the consequences of climate change on our oceans.
- Marine Traffic Around the World See where ships are at all around the globe.
- Ocean Pollution MarineBio takes a look at the effect pollution and ocean dumping puts on the ocean and our environment.
- Ocean Pollution and Marine Debris The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports on the billions of pounds of trash and other pollutants that enter our oceans every year and how it affects the ocean as well as our health.
- Our Shared Seas Contains reports, charts, PowerPoints, and more relating to ocean conservation, climate change, marine fisheries, aquaculture, pollution, and other topics relating to the ocean.
- Plastic Ocean Pollution The Ocean Foundation takes a in-depth look at how plastic, especially microplastics are affecting the ocean's ecosystem.
- Surging Seas A collection of interactive maps showing how climate change is affecting sea levels.
- Trash Island: Garbage Patches in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Explains how ocean currents are creating garbage patches in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and how these trash islands are affecting the ocean.
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