Need Help/Input/Ideas

“I have to write a case study of "geological or environmental significance" for my geology class.

First, I'm trying to figure out what exactly a case study is (as opposed to a research paper).

Second, I'm brain storming on ideas for the paper (topics/issues).

Any help with either of these two would be much appreciated!”

“I believe a case study involves people. Each person is a case.”

“You should have gone to the Rutgers Geology Museum Open House Saturday - four great lectures - pick any one.”

“How about Mt. St. Helens? It had both a geological and an environmental impact.”

“Here's a link to a paper on the Case Study method. You should check with your prof though as to what he/she considers a case study.

For a topic, pick something hiking-oriented, like why are there so damn many rocks in Pennsylvania, or why Katahdin rises so high above the surrounding plain.”

“Transgression of the Mediterranean into the Black Sea between 7,500 and 8,500 years ago presented by Dr. Walter Pitman of Lamont Doherty was the bestest of the bunch.”

“The way I interpret a case study is that it is a real world example of something. For example, you could write a research paper about erosion and point out different causes and ways to prevent it ext. In a case study would take this background information and write about a specific example where one type of erosion occurs. In it you would be able to state what caused or prevented the erosion to occur.

I hope this helps some.”

“To add to Lumberzac's example there are people on the Pacific coast whose houses have fallen into the sea with erosion.

Talking regular erosion here not hurricane related. Houses built near cliff tops, erosion brings the cliff edge nearer and nearer until oops.”

“Oooo Geo - I read an article on that a year or so ago - it was fascinating - they talked about the various layers of fossils, etc.. Wonder if that would count?

I also read an article debating what the core of the earth is made of - think it debated iron vs. uranium”

“I'm retarded.

here's what I actually have to do:

Pick a case study of geological or environmental significance and write a PAPER discussing the central issues (covering the problem, methodologies, and outcome).

Dope! I was making it much harder than it is.... :)”

“I just bought a used copy of Pitman's 1999 book from amazon.com's used books vendor for $8.39. Should arrive in a week or two.

His methodology was unique, owing chiefly to post cold war naval realities.

They got cross sections of the Dardenelles and Bosperus passages from the Turkish Navy somehow. These showed a flood channel in the bottom, clearly and unmistakably a flood channel and not a tectonic fault.

They were invited by the Russian Navy to join a coring expedition. The Russians wanted funding for the expedition they wanted to conduct to look for signs of radiation leakage from Chernobyl.

So they pigabacked the expeditions together and Pitman got his cores and the Russians found out what they needed to know.

The cores showed that there was a layer of sediment, but under the layer of sediment were tilted beds of rocks that had, at one time, been exposed to weathering at the surface. All the cores showed basically the same thing with slightly different features.

They concluded that the water rose at the rate of a foot a day, with the Dardenelles and Bosperus channels becoming a raging torrent.

There would also have been a large waterfall at some point in the passage, based on their work and a report Ballard made for National Geographic.

It is fascinating stuff. I am planning to write it up for my weekly earth science column.”

“BUDDUR is yo Geo man!”

“Yeah, it's great stuff Geo! I think I read articles in Geographic and Discover and maybe, Nature.


Here is what I think I will write about: reversal of the earth's magnetic field polarity (suggested causes) ..... or maybe the sun's reversal of magnetic field polarity

Wonder if there's some relation?

What about other planets and moons and stars?

Where are all the really smarty TT'ers out there?”

“What does this have to do with backpacking?.......or boobs?

Only those two subjects must be discussed here!
Stikky will get mad if you don't. ;-)”

“I don't know what you could say about causes of magnetic pole reversal, since nobody has a clue why.”

“But it is an interesting question. There was a lecture at Rutgers some years back where the differential between the rotation of the inner core and outer core was the topic, inferred from seismic studies. Conjecture was that it has much to do with the magnetic field, acting as a dynamo.”

“I'd just write about aero. He's both a geologist and a case.”