America and Eurasia 'to meet at north pole'

America and Eurasia will crash into each other over the North Pole in 50-200 million years time, according to scientists at Yale University.

They predict Africa and Australia will join the new "supercontinent" too, which will mark the next coming together of the Earth's land masses.

More here:
America and Eurasia to meet at north pole



When was the last time this happened?
What is the evidence for the theory of plate tectonics?
What might be the impacts of the continents joining?

Prehistoric Dinosaur discovered

A newly described species of ancient crocodile with a strange, shield-like skull may have chowed on 13-foot (4-meter) -long fish in Cretaceous-era rivers.

Prehistoric Crocodile Discovered

Could Oil Shale be the answer?

Oil Shale - the next fossil fuel?

As we start to fear that oil and gas reserves are running low, and the cost of exploiting these fossil fuels becomes too great, is it possible that Oil Shale could be a viable solution that should not be dismissed?

From the link above - "By all accounts this resource base is enormous. The largest and highest quality oil shale deposits are in sparsely populated areas of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, and the potentially recoverable oil from Western U.S. oil shale deposits is estimated at more than 800 billion barrels, or nearly three times the proven oil reserves of Saudi Arabia (267 billion)."
"Several technologies have been developed around the world to make oil shale commercially viable in countries including Brazil, China and Estonia."

What is Oil Shale?
What are the environmental and Economic impacts of exploiting Oil Shale?
How does Oil Shale form?

2011 - a year of climate extremes.

According to NOAA scientists, 2011 was a record-breaking year for climate extremes, as much of the United States faced historic levels of heat, precipitation, flooding and severe weather, while La Niña events at both ends of the year impacted weather patterns at home and around the world.

Report of US Climate Extremes

But it wasn't just the States that experienced extreme weather events. From droughts in Texas, to floods in Bangkok, 2011 was book-ended in Europe by extreme cold weather and record snowfall.
The IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) prepared for criticism in November as it posed a theory that linked the extreme weather events to Global Warming.

Extreme Weather caused by global warming?

What is the link between these events and global warming?

Year 11 Climate Change Homework

•• –

Congratulations! You have just been elected as the Minister for the Environment. There are a series of pressing matters that need your attention. Your first priority is to reduce number of greenhouse gases produced by your country.

As Minister for the Environment you must come up with a plan to reduce your countries CO2 emissions.

Consider the folowing things:

What are you going to do?

–How will it work?
What other effects might your plan have? (environmental, economic, social)

We will review this after half term.

What's erupting?!

Did you know that across the globe there are currently 35 volcanoes erupting?! With nearly double that number showing signs of 'unrest'.

A regularly updated list and map can be found here:
What's erupting?

What do you notice about the pattern of volcano locations?
Are the most active volcanoes clustered together? Why?

New Theory Emerges for Where Some Fish Became Four-Limbed Creatures

I know, I know, you've spent the Christmas break pondering high-brow questions such as what is the core of the earth really made of, did dinosaurs have feathers, how did fish begin to walk on the land.
Well, you may realx, at least partly, I can now offer some explanation for one of these issues. An eminent Geologist from the University of Oregon has come up with an alternative theory.
For years we have accepted that plucky fish crawled on stumpy fin-like legs from one shrinking desert pond to another in amazing feats of derring-do. But new research has called this into question and offered an alternative theory.

More information here;
Fish become Amphibians