Final Thoughts

Cross Country
Hazard Field
Trip
Group 6

Rising Sea Surface

Temperatures near
Florida

Potential Hazards
Global warming continues to be a
hot topic in the media these days.
Greenhouse emissions and other
atmospheric hazards actually
have a direct effect on the
Earths hydrosphere as well. We
know this affects the polar ice
caps, but it also affects sea
surface temperatures as they trap
excess heat from the atmosphere.
When water heats up, it expands:
as this water expands in takes up
more space. The city of Miami has
seen its share of flooding over the
past five years as the water level
continues to rise. Rising surface
temperature also fuels stronger
storms that combine with rising
sea levels to create powerful
tsunami like storm surges that can
wipe out anything in their path.

The United States of America is a land

of both diverse people and a diverse
landscape. Whether you live on the
West Coast, the Central plains or the
Eastern seaboard, you can find
breathtaking natural views unlike
anywhere else on earth. However
beautiful and unique these locations
are, they still hold the potential to be
great hazards to the people living in
these areas. The most aesthetically
pleasing areas often hide a history of
devastation and destruction that lurk
nearby, waiting for the right conditions
to manifest in a hurry. While fun
continues to be the driving force behind
many scholastic field trips, one should
always be aware of the knowledge they
can learn when they engage the
environment around them. Natural
hazards are everywhere and staying
aware and prepared is the key to safety.

Group 6
David Larson
Charlie Pierce
Emil Mehrabian
Samantha Rodriguez

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2

Tornado Hazards
in Norman,
Oklahoma
The state of Oklahoma is
located in a dangerous stretch
of the country called Tornado
Alley. This location earned its
moniker from the high
occurrence of tornado favorable
weather occurring frequently in
this region. Tornadoes in this
area can be attributed to highly
unstable conditions that are
created when warm weather
from the Gulf of Mexico
interacts with strong cold fronts
from the north. Open flat planes
and prairies that are an ideal
topography for a tornado to
touch ground and cause massive
damage surround Norman like
most of Oklahoma. Debris from
the funnel cloud is often the
most dangerous aspect of a
tornado

Earthquakes near Los Angeles, California

The state of California and particularly
the Los Angeles area are synonymous with
seismic activity in our country. Los
Angeles is in a picturesque location that
nestles the city between the Pacific
Ocean and the San Gabriel mountains.
While this location seems like the best of
both worlds to some, others might
instantly recognize the potential hazard
that lies underneath. The mountains you
see in the background were created when
the Pacific Tectonic Plate subducted
under the North American Tectonic
Plate.This subduction lead to the creation
of a transform fault known as the San
Andreas Fault. This fault line is a sliding
boundary between the Pacific and North
American plates.

Pressure is created under the surface of

this area as the two plates continually
slide into each other. When the pressure
eventually becomes too much of a strain
on the rocks they will break apart,
causing the plates to slip a few feet and
send heavy shockwaves out in all
directions. These waves are what we feel
and know as earthquakes. The hazards
that accompany an earthquake are many.
We always tend to think of buildings
shaking or massive cracks opening in the
earths surface when a major earthquake
happens. The city of Los Angeles could be
devastated if a large earthquake hits
close enough as it is home to over 10
million people. Water, electricity, and
gas lines are likely the first utilities to be
destroyed during a large earthquake.