Does Earth science matter? The power outage experienced by residents in New York City on 10/30/2012 due to Hurricane Sandy demonstrates the interconnectedness of our society, and the power of the Earth system. Every person should have an understanding of how the Earth system works so they can live better lives, protect those they love, and make wise choices. Earth science education is critical!<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Hybirdd, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.</em></small></p>Anti-crepuscular rays are beams of sunlight that appear to converge on a point opposite the sun. They are similar to crepuscular rays, but are seen opposite the sun in the sky. Anti-crepuscular rays are most frequently visible near sunrise or sunset. This photo of anti-crepuscular rays was taken at sunset in Boulder, Colorado. Crepuscular rays are usually much brighter than anti-crepuscular rays.<p><small><em> Image Courtesy of Carlye Calvin</em></small></p>This historic image is the first ever taken from a spacecraft in orbit about <a href="/mercury/mercury.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/water_watersheds.html">Mercury</a>, the innermost planet of the solar system. Taken on 3/29/2011 by <a href="/space_missions/robotic/messenger/messenger.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/water_watersheds.html">MESSENGER</a>, it shows numerous craters across the <a href="/mercury/Interior_Surface/Surface/surface_overview.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/water_watersheds.html">surface</a> of the planet. Temperatures there can reach over 800F because Mercury is so close to the Sun and rotates so slowly. MESSENGER entered orbit around Mercury earlier in March 2011.<p><small><em>NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington</em></small></p><p>You don't normally see <a href="/space_weather/space_weather.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/water_watersheds.html">space weather</a> forecasted on the evening news, but it does impact life on <a href="/earth/earth.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/water_watersheds.html">Earth</a> in many ways. What are the threats posed from all of these natural disasters and how can we work to mitigate those threats beforehand? </p> <p>Check out the materials about natural disasters in <a href="/earth/natural_hazards/when_nature_strikes.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/water_watersheds.html">NBC Learn Videos</a>, and their earth system science connections built up by the related secondary classroom activities.</p><p><small><em>NBC Learn</em></small></p>Scientists at the University of Michigan have found that <a href="/earth/polar/cryosphere_permafrost1.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/water_watersheds.html">permafrost</a> in the <a href="/earth/polar/polar_north.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/water_watersheds.html">Arctic</a> is extremely sensitive to sunlight. Exposure to sunlight releases carbon gases trapped in the permafrost, including <a href="/earth/climate/earth_greenhouse.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/water_watersheds.html">climate-warming</a> <a href="/physical_science/chemistry/carbon_dioxide.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/water_watersheds.html">carbon dioxide</a>, to the <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/overview.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/water_watersheds.html">atmosphere</a> much faster than previously thought.<p><small><em>George Kling, The University of Michigan</em></small></p>As permafrost thaws, the land, atmosphere, water resources, ecosystems, and human communities are affected. Coastal areas and hillsides are vulnerable to erosion by thawing of permafrost. Thawing permafrost also causes a positive feedback to global warming, as carbon trapped within the once-frozen soils is released as <a href="/physical_science/chemistry/methane.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/water_watersheds.html">methane</a>, a powerful <a href="/earth/climate/cli_greengas.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/water_watersheds.html">greenhouse gas</a>. Watch the NBC Learn video - <a href="/earth/changing_planet/permafrost_methane_intro.html&edu=elem&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/water_watersheds.html">Thawing Permafrost and Methane</a> to find out more.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of the USGS</em></small></p>


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Video About Ocean Dead Zones

Oceanographers are using robotic undersea "gliders" to study "dead zones" in the seas. View this video from the National Science Foundation ...Read more
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Clouds are an important part of Earth's weather and climate. Scientists use computer models to study our planet's climate ...Read more
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Animations, images, and videos portraying space weather and solar activity. Watch sunspots form and see aurora shimmer and dance across the skies ...Read more
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Galileo Galilei was an Italian astronomer and physicist who lived between 1564-1642. He was the first person to use a telescope to look at the sky. He discovered sunspots, craters and peaks in the moon ...Read more

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Mars, the Red Planet, is like Earth in many ways. Mars has huge volcanoes, gigantic canyons, and polar ice caps. The fourth planet from the Sun, Mars is smaller, colder, and drier than Earth ...Read more

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