The Pacific Coasts of South America, North America, and Asia are on the infamous Ring of Fire of volcanoes. The Ring of Fire is also associated with large earthquakes, which like the volcanoes, result from the interactions between tectonic plates. On April 16, 2016, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked the tiny country of Ecuador, causing destruction in many cities and towns and over 650 deaths nationwide. Earthquakes like this one occur when a dense, heavy oceanic plate (the Nazca Plate) “subducts” or slips below a less dense continental plate (the South American Plate). Subduction zones are one of the three main types of plate boundaries and are hosts to the largest earthquakes.
Archives for April 2016
Issue 30: Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake in Ecuador
April 26, 2016 by
Issue 29: Earth Day 2016!
April 17, 2016 by
Earth Day began in 1970 when Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin decided to raise awareness of environmental issues. There was very little environmental consciousness in American society at the time and Earth Day is often considered the beginning of the modern environmental movement. Although environmental issues are hotly debated politically today, the initiation of Earth Day was supported by both parties, rich and poor, rural and urban populations, etc. Overtime, it has grown into a global movement celebrated around the world.
Issue 28: Evidence Found for Skin Color in Ancient Snake Fossil
April 10, 2016 by
When you are at a museum, ever wonder how scientists know the color of an animal that lived a long time ago? Well, scientist are working hard to figure this out so they don’t have to guess! Some animals, including fish and reptiles, have groups of cells called chromatophores that give skin its color. For the first time ever, scientists found chromatophores in the fossil of a snake that lived 10 million years ago. By comparing the shapes of chromatophores found in fossilized snake to those of snakes living today, scientists were able to figure out what colors the ancient snake was! Different combinations of 3 types of chromatophores – iridophores (iridescent and white), xanthophores (yellow), and melanophores (dark brown/black) – produce many colors. The scientists found that the ancient snake had different shades of green on top and its underbelly was probably a light yellow. These colors, and their pattern, are interesting because they suggest the snake had evolved to have good camouflage. This research leads the way for determining skin pigment of other animals such as dinosaurs!
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