Valcanoes Essays - Volcanology, Igneous Rocks, Plate Tectonics

Valcanoes Essays - Volcanology, Igneous Rocks, Plate Tectonics Valcanoes The distructive power of a valcano is one of the most violent and deadly of all natural forces. In a short period of time, these massive explosions of the earths crust can shatter whole communities. Valcanoes are very distructive no matter how big or how small they erupt at. They cause the highest amount of deaths and the greatest amount of damage. Of the two major types of Volcanoes, andestic and basaltic, the two typical volcanoes begin life when a mass of low-density magma forces its way to the surface. When the density of the rising magma is the same as that of the surrounding rock, it gathers in a magma chamber. Any rise in pressure in the chamber may now push the magma upwards through cracks in the overlying rock. As the magma traveling up a crack approaches the surface, the pressure from the overlying rocks reduces; gases are released from the magma and expand so suddenly that an explosion rips open a funnel shaped vent (called a diatreme) to the surface. The lava that blasts out of the vent then cools, to form cinders, ash and dust - all referred to as Tephra. A ring of tephra collects around the vent and, as the eruption subsides, this blocks up the diatreme. Volcanoes have erupted in many different places. Volcanoes have erupted in The Philippines, Java, Papua New Guinea & Hawaii and many other places. The Ring of Fire, located around the Pacific Ocean, is 20 or so places with active volcanoes in them joined by one big imaginary line that forms a circle (or Ring) when scaled down to the size on a map. Somewhere in the world an eruption occurs at least once a month. Whether it be big or small it doesnt really matter at all. If it kills 1 person or 1 000 people it is still counted as an eruption. In some countries volcanoes are common and erupt frequently as in Hawaii. But in other countries like Australia there are no eruptions at all. That could be because all the volcanoes are dormant or there are simply no volcanoes at all. In 1815, the most devastating eruption ever recorded, killed approximately 92 000 people. 10 000 people died directly from the volcano and a further 82 000 died from famine. The volcano is located at Tambora, Sumbawa in Indonesia. Recently a volcano erupted in Monserrat, West Indies. It devastated farms, houses and streets became rivers of lava. Bibliography Just about valcanoes, it's kinda lame but oh wel

What You Need to Know About Biomes

What You Need to Know About Biomes If you want to learn about ecology, the first thing you need to understand is how all of living organisms in the world live with one another. A biome is an ecosystem or group of ecosystems that can be characterized by its vegetation, plant  and animals life, climate, geology, elevation, and rainfall.   Biomes are large ecosystem units. So while a puddle may be considered an ecosystem, the Pacific Ocean would be considered a biome. In most cases, the plants and animals in a biome will have special adaptations that make living in that community most successful.   So when ecologists study a particular plant or animal, they generally study its entire biome to have a better understanding of the role that species plays in its community. There are five basic types of land biomes and two categories of aquatic biomes. Each biome can then be broken down into a number of sub-biomes or zones that all have their own unique set of  geographic characteristics. Here are the defining characteristics of the worlds biomes: Land Biomes Tundra: A tundra is a treeless biome that is characterized by long, cold winters and short tepid summers. The word tundra  comes from the Russian word for uplands.   The cooler temperatures and shorter growing season limits the types of plants that are found in tundras to grasses, mosses, lichen, low shrubs, and a few flowering plants.   The three main types of tundra are the arctic tundra, alpine tundra, and Antarctic tundra.Grassland: As the name suggests, grasslands are characterized by the predominance of grasses and grass-like plants, such as sedge and rush.   Savannas are a type of grassland that also include a few scattered trees. Grasslands can be found on every continent in the world except for Antarctica.Forest:  In the forest biome, large groups of trees live together in close relationship with each other and with the other living things in the environment.    In general, the trees in a forest are so abundant that their tops touch or overlap, shading the ground .   Tropical rainforest, boreal forest,  and temperate forest are a few  types of forest biome. Desert:  Rainfall -  or the lack of it- is the defining characteristic of the desert biome.   Deserts get less than 10 inches of rainfall per year.   Because of this, many deserts have little to no vegetation while others have a few scattered low shrubs or grasses. Deserts are usually classified as hot or cold or  semi-arid or coastal.   Ã‚  Mountain: Every continent on Earth has a mountain biome.   Mountains are land masses that are usually found in groups called chains or ranges although some do exist on their own.   A single mountain may have many ecosystems  within it, starting with a desert at the base, changing to a forest as the elevation rises, and topped off with a tundra.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aquatic Biomes Water biomes make up over 75 percent of the Earths surface. They consist of freshwater ecosystems such as  ponds and lakes, streams and rivers, and wetlands, as well as marine regions such as  coral reefs,  oceans,  and estuaries.Marine biomes are distinguished from freshwater by the presence dissolved compounds - usually salts - in the water. The amount of salt - or salinity - varies within each of the marine ecosystems.  Ã‚   Biomes play a critical role in the understanding of ecology because they help scientists study not only a specific plant or animal but also the role it plays in its community and the characteristics that it has developed to live in its environment.

The Lego Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Lego Company - Case Study Example The Lego Company was founded by Ole Kirk Christiansen in 1932. The firm has a wide range of product lines including video games, board games, education items, Lego mindstorms, pre-school products, bricks, and play themes. In addition, Lego group offers numerous community-based and other services for the benefit of children, particularly disadvantaged children. In the United States, the organization mainly focuses on Lego Imagination Centers, which are large stores that contain displays of Lego sculptures and a bricks play area; and as of 2002 data, the Lego Group operates 68 stores (including stores soon to be operated) in the North America (Lego stores, n. d.). Lego uses strategic risk management approach to drive its growth; and its strategic planning model has assisted the company to be successful throughout its corporate history. Mission Statement & Vision Statement The firm’s mission and vision values greatly benefit the organization in achieving its desired and end state . Lego’s mission statement is to â€Å"inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow†, and its vision statement is â€Å"inventing the future play† (A Case Study of the Lego Group, n. d.). ... Since these values contribute to Lego’s market reputation, the firm may easily achieve its desired and end state. Internal Analysis & External Analysis Evidently, Lego has a range of competitive internal strengths such as global presence, long market experience, a globally recognized brand, famous Lego bricks, and numerous popular video games to accomplish its goals and objectives set in their previous strategic plans. Market trends indicate that demand for colorful bricks is likely to remain stable over the next decades. In addition, emerging markets like Brazil, India, and China would contribute to the Lego’s efforts for meeting its strategic goals. Finally, the steadily growing toy industry would also improve Lego’s ability to respond to various internal and external challenges quickly and effectively. Long Term Objectives Brand value creation is one of the major long term objectives of the Lego Group. The company also gives particular emphasis to global expan sion and market share growth in the long term. As Jenson (2012) points out, zero waste is the ultimate long term goal of the company. Strategy Analysis and Choice It is recommendable for Lego to choose cost leadership strategy to achieve and maintain competitive advantages over its market rivals. Currently, the company has spread across the globe and it has numerous potential capital sources to invest significantly in production assets. The organization possesses better product designing capabilities and high level expertise in manufacturing process engineering. In addition, Lego maintains efficient distribution channels. Furthermore, this generic strategy is beneficial for the organization to defend new entrants effectively. Similarly, the market development grand strategy is best for the