In this lesson, students learn about the structure of the Earth, using a nectarine as a model to represent the crust, mantle and core. The same model can also be used to show how much land on Earth is considered usable. This lesson could be used as an introduction to a unit about the Earth, or the beginning of a series of activites focused on the Earth and environment. Full description.

This collection of animations shows episodic tremor and slip (slow earthquakes) from a subducting plate with locked, slow slip, and no slip zones. The first two show wood blocks being pulled over sandpaper to simulate buildup and release of strain in locked and slow slip zones of a subducting tectonic plate, and to simulate episodic movement of a subducting tectonic plate. Graphs display time versus ... Full description.

Made available by Thirteen Ed Online Master Teachers, these lesson plans use internet as well as classroom resources. Some plans are designed for a single class period while others are for an entire unit. These plans give an overview with objectives for learning, procedures for teachers to put together the lessons, and student organizers to hand out during class. Topics covered include experiment ... Full description.

This activity teaches students how bathymetric maps (topographic maps of underwater landforms) are made by using sonar. Students use a simulated sonar exercise to map something they cannot see and then see how close they were to the actual shape. They produce a bathymetric map and answer questions about this process. Full description.

This site offers information, links and images about the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. The links include: an aurora tutorial with a teacher suggestion page, current geomagnetic conditions from the Australian Space Forecast Centre and the IPS Solar and Geophysical Summary, aurora forecast maps, and how to build an automated aurora detection system. There are photographs of solar flaring and ... Full description.

This resource discusses the relationship between earthquakes and tsunamis, and the connection between the shape of the ocean bottom and the height of the waves. The article is supported by an animation showing the origin and conclusion of a tsunami, a video interview with a tsunami survivor, and three photographs. There are two sidebars, called 'Catching a Tsunami in the Act' and 'Remembrance of Waves ... Full description.

This letter is part of a series in which a participant in the Teachers Experiencing Antarctica (TEA) program shares her work and discoveries with her friend, a glacial geologist. It discusses the many hazards that researchers need to avoid while working in Antarctica including dehydration, hypothermia, frostbite, sunburn of the eyes, and trench foot. She also describes the massive amount of gear they ... Full description.

This article profiles the work of Elise Knittle, whose research specialty is mineral physics. The essay gives an overview of the core, mantle, and crust of the Earth, including what we know about their physical properties. It explains the work of the author, studying the chemical interactions between the metals that make up the Earth's core and the silicate minerals that compose the mantle. The obstacles ... Full description.

This beginning geophysics course is designed for geology majors. It provides a relatively rigorous and homework-intensive overview of the structure and evolution of the Earth and terrestrial planets, at a level higher than a descriptive geology class, but lower than the standard introduction to geophysics for seniors or first year graduate students. Demonstrations are presented with links to a variety ... Full description.

The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is a research division of Columbia University dedicated to understanding how the planet Earth works. Included in this page are the various areas of research the observatory is conducting. This includes research on the oceans climate and environment, solid Earth, and life/biology. A link to data repositories for each of these areas of study is also included. This ... Full description.