This site describes the structure and dynamics of plasma particles in the immediate vicinity of the Earth. The boundary between the Earth's magnetosphere and the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), called the magnetopause, is described. It includes polar cusps, neutral points, and magnetic reconnection as proposed by James Dungey in 1961. Also mentioned is the bow shock due to the high speed of the ... Full description.

After participating in this activity, students will be able to explain the process of conduction using a molecular model and explain that different materials conduct at different rates. They will also be able to identify air as a poor heat conductor (an insulator). The instructor guide contains detailed background material, learning goals, alignment to national standards, grade level/time, details ... Full description.

This resource provides information about acid rain, a widespread term used to describe all forms of acid precipitation. The sources, nature, and chemistry of acid rain are discussed, along with its impact on buildings, soils, freshwater lakes, trees, and wildlife. Other topics include measuring, modeling, and monitoring acid rain; and vehicle and industrial emission controls. The problem of airborne ... Full description.

This resource describes the depletion of ozone in the upper atmosphere, which filters out incoming radiation in the cell-damaging ultraviolet (UV) part of the spectrum. Other topics include a detailed description of the chemical interaction between chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and ozone and a list of other ozone depleting chemicals. Information is also available on the ozone layer, ozone holes above ... Full description.

The Sun appears to shine at a constant rate. However, its magnetic field is actually constantly changing, and this affects energy output. These variations cause effects that extend throughout the solar system. This video segment, adapted from a NOVA television broadcast, introduces viewers to some of the effects of the sun's magnetic field, such as sunspots, auroras, and variations in the sunspot ... Full description.

This United States Geological Survey (USGS) on-line publication highlights the controversy surrounding the age of Cinder Cone volcano in Lassen Volcanic National Park. This report follows the beginning of the controversy in the 1870s through recent discoveries about when the volcano was formed. Early geologic studies are covered, as well as the recent findings through paleomagnetism, field and laboratory ... Full description.

This Classroom Connectors lesson plan discusses the structure and constant changing of the ocean floor. Students learn about sedimentation, continental drift, major structures on the ocean floor, and life forms at each level of the ocean. The site provides goals, objectives, an outline, time required, materials, activities, and closure ideas for the lesson. The Classroom Connectors address content ... Full description.

This instructor guide provides background material for a two-part activity in which students observe convective currents in water and learn that air can behave as as a fluid. Students will understand that temperature changes can cause density changes in water, learn that the same phenomenon happens in air, and understand that temperature-driven density changes will produce currents in a fluid medium. ... Full description.

This online magazine offers news articles on topics including: the search for extrasolar planets that resemble Earth; mapping the dark matter of the cosmos; black holes; current space missions; the relation between the magnetic cycles of the Sun and climate change on Earth; and the discovery of stars made of new matter denser than nuclear matter. There is also a daily update describing the night sky, ... Full description.

For hundreds of thousands of years, lava flows have created intricate patterns on the slopes of Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano. Until the mid-1970s, it was impossible to know when each of the flows occurred. However, as this video segment describes, a researcher has discovered a way to date the flows by determining the age of carbonized plant remains that they covered. The segment is four minutes thirty-three ... Full description.