Chrys Fey's Blog, page 60

U is for Ultraviolet Radiation

My theme for my 2015 A to Z Challenge came from my Disaster Crimes series. Disasters are a theme in each story, so it got me thinking about all the disasters that occur from natural disasters to manmade disasters.
Today’s disaster is...ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION
Ultraviolet is electromagnetic radiation in sunlight. Suntans and sunburns are effects of ultraviolet over-exposure, as is skin cancer. Without the ozone layer protecting Earth, much of the world would be extremely damaged by ultraviolet rays, especially dry lands and the plants and animals that live there.

You may not consider this a disaster, but consider a sudden blast of UV radiation strong enough to scorch the earth and burn you to a crisp. Ouch!
The Sun
Image from Wikipedia
FACT:Some children and young adults with medical conditions (mostly to the eyes) can see ultraviolet wavelengths, although they are usually invisible. Some birds and insects can see near-UV.
We live with both helpful and harmful ultraviolet radiation. The helpful UV radiation offers plant and tree life nutrients to grow, and gives us Vitamin D. The harmful UV radiation causes burns, skin cancer, and cataracts.
Radiation Spectrum
Image from Wikipedia
To protect yourself from ultraviolet radiation you can:1. Use sunscreen daily and frequently when outside for long periods of time.2.Wear UV-protected sunglasses.3.Avoid tanning beds and sun tanning (especially with baby oil).4.Utilize shade.5. Get Vitamin D through a supplement instead. 

QUESTION: Are you a sun person?I live in Florida but the sun and I don't get along.


Disasters:A: AvalancheB: Blizzard and BlackoutC: CycloneD: Drought and Dust Storm
E: Earthquake
F: FloodG: Gas Explosion
H: Hailstorm
I: Ice Storm and Iceberg
J. Judgment DayK: Killings
L: Limnic Eruption and Lightning Storm
M: Mudslide
N: Nuclear Meltdown
O: Oil SpillP: Plague
Q: Quasar Explosion
R: Rockfall
S: Solar Flare and Sinkhole
T: Tornado and Tsunami
U: Ultraviolet Radiation



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Ghost of Death just came out on Wednesday, so I'm adding a little promo for it. I hope you don't mind. :) 

Logline:Dead men may not talk, but dead girls do.
Supernatural-suspense short story of 41 pages.

Book Links:Amazon US / Amazon UK /  NOOK / KOBO

T is for Tornado and Tsunami

My theme for my 2015 A to Z Challenge came from my Disaster Crimes series. Disasters are a theme in each story, so it got me thinking about all the disasters that occur from natural disasters to manmade disasters.
Today’s disasters are...TORNADO and TSUNAMI
A tornado is rotating column of air that extends from a parent cumulonimbus thundercloud and touches the ground. When low pressure at the base warms, moist air from the ground rises and rubs against the cold air, creating the start of a funnel cloud. As air is drawn into the funnel’s center and condenses, it stretches. The moment it touches the ground, it’s no longer a funnel cloud but a tornado. Tornadoes that form over water are known as water vortices or water spouts.
FACT:Places in the West, such as Kansas, have dust devils, which are tornadoes made of dust.
March 22-23 1981 Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak
Image from Wikipedia
Tornadoes are very dangerous and can cause a lot of damage. The wind can pick up cars and rip off rooftops. Because tornadoes are narrow, one area can be completely destroyed while another area close by can be untouched.
FACT:Tornadoes are usually short-lived, covering about 1-2 miles.
F  Scale:F0 65-85mphF1 86-110mphF2 111-135mphF3 136-166mphF4 167-200mphF5 over 200mph
Tornado aftermath.
Image from Wikipedia
Tsunamis are massive ocean waves caused by underwater earthquakes. When the seafloor ruptures, water becomes displaced and rises up and out. As the wave travels toward shore, the size increases drastically.
Image from WikipediaFACT:Tsunamis travel at 310-500mph, and from crest-to-crest its distance is about 125 miles long.
If you’re ever at the beach when a tsunami hits, you’ll likely notice the water draw back much farther than usual as the wave approaches. When the wave gets closer, the water will rush back to shore and rise rapidly while moving inland.
FACT:Tsunamis can lift boats, vehicles, houses, and people.
After about 20 minutes, the water will reverse quickly and strongly, taking debris and people out to sea.
Thailand
Image from Wikipedia

QUESTIONS:Have you ever experienced a tornado? What are your favorite tornado/tsunami movies? I love Twister!

Disasters:A: AvalancheB: Blizzard and BlackoutC: CycloneD: Drought and Dust Storm
E: Earthquake
F: FloodG: Gas Explosion
H: Hailstorm
I: Ice Storm and Iceberg
J. Judgment DayK: Killings
L: Limnic Eruption and Lightning Storm
M: Mudslide
N: Nuclear Meltdown
O: Oil SpillP: Plague
Q: Quasar Explosion
R: Rockfall
S: Solar Flare and Sinkhole
T: Tornado and Tsunami



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Ghost of Death was released yesterday!!! This is a supernatural-suspense short story of 41 pages.

Blurb: Jolie Montgomery, a twenty-one-year-old woman, wakes up in an alley next to her corpse. She has no memories of her murder or the night she died. She didn’t even see the killer’s face before he or she took her life. Wanting justice, Jolie seeks answers in the only way a ghost can...by stalking the lead detective on the case.
Avrianna Heavenborn is determined to find the person responsible for a young woman’s death. She gets closer to the killer’s identity with every clue she uncovers, and Jolie is with her every step of the way. But if they don’t solve her murder soon, Jolie will be an earth-bound spirit forever.
Book Links:Amazon US / Amazon UK /  NOOK / KOBO

P.S. Witch of Death is available for pre-order. Click here.

S is for Solar Flare and Sinkhole

My theme for my 2015 A to Z Challenge came from my Disaster Crimes series. Disasters are a theme in each story, so it got me thinking about all the disasters that occur from natural disasters to manmade disasters.
Today’s disaster are...SOLAR FLARE and SINKHOLE
Solar Flares are sudden flashes of brightness on the Sun’s surface or the Solar Limb, and are powered by the magnetic energy store in the Sun’s corona. The energy release is about a sixth of the Sun’s total energy output each second. In other terms, it’s equivalent to 160,000,000,000 megatons of TNT.
The flare ejects a cloud of electrons, ions, and atoms through the corona of the sun into space. These clouds typically reach Earth 1-2 days after the solar flare. X-Rays and UV radiation emitted by the flares can affect Earth’s ionosphere and disrupt radio communications.
Image from Wikimedia
FACT: The first solar flare was observed by Richard Christopher Carrington (and independently by Richard Hodgson) in 1859.
Small solar flares can occur several times a day when the Sun is active to once a week when it’s quiet. In 2012, Earth barely missed a massive and potentially damaging solar superstorm.
FACT: There is an estimated 12% chance of another massive solar superstorm occurring between now and 2022.

Have you seen the movie Knowing with Nicolas Cage? It's an odd movie and at the end *SPOILER* the Earth is destroyed by a solar flare. 
Image from fotopedia
Sinkholes are holes in the ground caused by a collapse of the surface layer, such as from an earthquake. They can be anywhere from 1 to 600 meters long as well as deep. They can form gradually or suddenly all over the world. In the United States, Florida (especially the most central part) is known for having frequent sinkhole collapses.
Sinkholes can open up under houses and roads, swallowing cars and even burying people alive. A few years ago, I heard a report of a sinkhole opening beneath a house in Florida, right under a bedroom. At the time, a man was sleeping in bed and was lost.
FACT: For centuries, sinkholes have been used as disposal sites for waste.
Image from Flickr

QUESTION: Have you seen Knowing? Do you live in Florida? I do...and I'm in the central part. *gulps* Have you ever seen a sinkhole? I haven't and hope I never do!

Disasters:A: AvalancheB: Blizzard and BlackoutC: CycloneD: Drought and Dust Storm
E: Earthquake
F: FloodG: Gas Explosion
H: Hailstorm
I: Ice Storm and Iceberg
J. Judgment DayK: Killings
L: Limnic Eruption and Lightning Storm
M: Mudslide
N: Nuclear Meltdown
O: Oil SpillP: Plague
Q: Quasar Explosion
R: Rockfall
S: Solar Flare and Sinkhole



I'm a member of Tremp's Troops!
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I normally wouldn't do this, but Ghost of Death is OUT TODAY!!!! This is a supernatural-suspense short story of 41 pages.

Blurb: Jolie Montgomery, a twenty-one-year-old woman, wakes up in an alley next to her corpse. She has no memories of her murder or the night she died. She didn’t even see the killer’s face before he or she took her life. Wanting justice, Jolie seeks answers in the only way a ghost can...by stalking the lead detective on the case.
Avrianna Heavenborn is determined to find the person responsible for a young woman’s death. She gets closer to the killer’s identity with every clue she uncovers, and Jolie is with her every step of the way. But if they don’t solve her murder soon, Jolie will be an earth-bound spirit forever.
Book Links:Amazon US / Amazon UK /  NOOK / KOBO

P.S. Witch of Death is available for pre-order. Click here.

R is for Rockfall

My theme for my 2015 A to Z Challenge came from my Disaster Crimes series. Disasters are a theme in each story, so it got me thinking about all the disasters that occur from natural disasters to manmade disasters.
Today’s disaster is...Rockfall
Rockfall is when rocks fall freely from cliff faces and bounce, roll, slide, or fall down vertical slopes. Weathering, ground and surface water, freeze-thaw, root-wedging, bedrock fractures, erosion, earthquakes, and tectonic stresses can cause rockfall. Sometimes the rocks falling from the cliff will dislodge other rocks, creating a mass wasting process much like an avalanche.
FACT:More than 1,000 rockfalls have occurred in Yosemite Valley in the past 150 years.
Image from geograph.org.uk
And another side to rockfall...

In 2013, two Utah Boy Scout leaders purposely toppled over an ancient rock formation in Goblin Valley State Park. When I heard about this I was shocked, because Boy Scouts are taught to honor nature. These two men found it terribly hilarious, though, and even filmed their “victory” and posted it on Facebook. On top of that, they were leading a group of teenage boys at the time.


Rockfall
Image from Wikipedia
The mushroom-shaped sandstone formation, they destroyed was over 170 million years old. Why did they do it? The Boy Scout leaders said they did it because they thought it was loose and feared it was dangerous. Anyone here buy that? When they destroyed the formation, they cheered.
I was going to add the video of it, but it's no longer on Youtube.

QUESTIONS: Have you ever witnessed rockfall? Could you condone these men for destroying the rock formation?

Disasters:A: AvalancheB: Blizzard and BlackoutC: CycloneD: Drought and Dust Storm
E: Earthquake
F: FloodG: Gas Explosion
H: Hailstorm
I: Ice Storm and Iceberg
J. Judgment DayK: Killings
L: Limnic Eruption and Lightning Storm
M: Mudslide
N: Nuclear Meltdown
O: Oil SpillP: Plague
Q: Quasar Explosion
R: Rockfall



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Q is for Quasar Explosion

My theme for my 2015 A to Z Challenge came from my Disaster Crimes series. Disasters are a theme in each story, so it got me thinking about all the disasters that occur from natural disasters to manmade disasters.
Today’s disaster is...QUASAR EXPLOSION
I've got a space disaster for you today!

Quasars are compact regions of luminous electromagnetic energy, including radio waves and visible light located in the centre of distant, young galaxies surrounding supermassive black holes. (Can you say that three times fast?) 

In short terms, they are bright galaxy cores with a black hole in the middle. Their luminosity, which is created by material being sucked into the black hole, can be 100x greater than the Milky Way which has 200 – 400 billion stars.
Artist's Impression
Image from Wikipedia
FACT: In 2012, a quasar known as ‘SDSS J1106+1939’ emitted the greatest high energy explosion ever observed. This blast was some 2 trillion times more energetic than the sun!
Galaxies only act as quasars during the early stages of their lives, which could last for billions of years. When a quasar dies, only the black hole remains.

QUESTION: Who here is fascinated by space science? *raises hand*

Disasters:A: AvalancheB: Blizzard and BlackoutC: CycloneD: Drought and Dust Storm
E: Earthquake
F: FloodG: Gas Explosion
H: Hailstorm
I: Ice Storm and Iceberg
J. Judgment DayK: Killings
L: Limnic Eruption and Lightning Storm
M: Mudslide
N: Nuclear Meltdown
O: Oil SpillP: Plague
Q: Quasar Explosion



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P is for Plague

My theme for my 2015 A to Z Challenge came from my Disaster Crimes series. Disasters are a theme in each story, so it got me thinking about all the disasters that occur from natural disasters to manmade disasters.
Today’s disaster is...PLAGUE
Throughout history plagues have ravaged the world. I’m going to highlight a couple here.
Yellow Fever: an acute viral disease passed by mosquitoes with symptoms of fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains and headaches. This fever often caused liver damage which resulted in yellow skin and eyes, and “black vomit” from stomach bleeding. The first major American epidemic occurred in Philadelphia in 1793. At the time, Philadelphia had been the most cosmopolitan city in the United States.
FACT: 5,000 out of a population of 45,000 died and another 17,000 fled Philadelphia.
Yellow Fever Virus
Image from Wikipedia
READING: I read a great YA book about this: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. I highly recommend it to all!
The Black Death: one of the deadliest plagues in history. The origins of this plague is still unknown. Symptoms were the appearance of buboes (swelling of the lymph nodes) that oozed pus and bled. This was followed by a fever and vomiting of blood. Most people died within 2-7 days after infection. 75,000 – 200,000 people worldwide died from the Black Plague. 
FACT:Because the causes were unknown, religious persecutions followed the Black Plague, which resulted in the destruction of 60 major and 150 smaller Jewish communities in Europe.
Zennor Plague Stone near Zennor, Cornwall Britian
Image from geograph.org.uk

QUESTIONS:Have you read Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson? What plagues do you recall from history? Do you live in Philadelphia? 

Disasters:A: AvalancheB: Blizzard and BlackoutC: CycloneD: Drought and Dust Storm
E: Earthquake
F: FloodG: Gas Explosion
H: Hailstorm
I: Ice Storm and Iceberg
J. Judgment DayK: Killings
L: Limnic Eruption and Lightning Storm
M: Mudslide
N: Nuclear Meltdown
O: Oil Spill
P: Plague



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O is for Oil Spill

My theme for my 2015 A to Z Challenge came from my Disaster Crimes series. Disasters are a theme in each story, so it got me thinking about all the disasters that occur from natural disasters to manmade disasters.
Today’s disaster is...Oil Spill
Oil spills are a form of population and occurs when oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters by tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs and wells. Oil spills can travel for hundreds of nautical miles, endangering marine life and contaminating fish and swimming water if the spill reaches beaches. 

When spilt oil touches a bird’s feathers or the fur of mammals, it reduces their insulation and makes them vulnerable to temperature changes as well as making them less buoyant in the water. Many birds, mammals, and other marine life die.
Image from Wikipedia
FACT:Animals that rely on scent to find their babies or mothers can’t because of the odor of the oil. Many babies starve and die because of this.
Cleaning up oil spills can take weeks, months, even years. It is especially hard to contain oil spills on the ocean. Controlled burning on water can be done to reduce oil. A few other techniques can also be implemented.
Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig
Image from Wikipedia
In April 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 people and caused the rig to sink. Days later, knowledge got out that the BP pipe was leaking gas and oil on the ocean floor. An estimated amount of 4.9 million barrels leaked into the Gulf by the time the well, located 5,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, was capped...in July, a full 87 days later.
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
Image from Wikipedia

FACT: The Gulf Oil Spill is the worst oil spill in US history. And the Gulf still isn’t oil-free.


QUESTION: Do you remember the Gulf Oil Spill?



Disasters:A: AvalancheB: Blizzard and BlackoutC: CycloneD: Drought and Dust Storm
E: Earthquake
F: FloodG: Gas Explosion
H: Hailstorm
I: Ice Storm and Iceberg
J. Judgment DayK: Killings
L: Limnic Eruption and Lightning Storm
M: Mudslide
N: Nuclear Meltdown
O: Oil Spill



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N is for Nuclear Meltdown

My theme for my 2015 A to Z Challenge came from my Disaster Crimes series. Disasters are a theme in each story, so it got me thinking about all the disasters that occur from natural disasters to manmade disasters.
Today’s disaster is...Nuclear Meltdown
Nuclear Meltdowns occur within a nuclear reactor when the core melts due to extreme heat. Cooling systems are used to keep the temperatures of nuclear reactors from going above their limits, but sometimes things go wrong with these cooling systems. A loss of coolant, pressure, or a low flow rate can lead a nuclear reactor to reach its melting point. An external fire or failure to any part of the system can lead to a meltdown.
When a core melts, the area is contaminated by radiation and radioactive gases can then enter the environment, endangering humans and wildlife.
Nuclear Power Plant in France.
Image from Wikipedia
FACT: The worst US nuclear power plant accident in history was when the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor in Pennsylvania had a partial meltdown in 1979. The cleanup cost about $1 billion.
When a nuclear meltdown occurs, zones close to the power plants will be evacuated. People will be urged to stay indoors and farmers will be asked to keep livestock under cover in precaution of radiation poisoning. Usually the only damage to occur lies within the reactor though, which causes damage to the reactor and the permanent shutdown of the plant such as was the case with the Three Mile Island plant.
FACT: In 2011, after an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, the Fukushima Daiichi power plant suffered meltdowns to three of their six reactors. Most of the fuel in reactor No. 1 melted.
Fukushima Fallout.
Image from globalresearch.ca
QUESTION: Do you live near a nuclear power plant?



Disasters:A: AvalancheB: Blizzard and BlackoutC: CycloneD: Drought and Dust Storm
E: Earthquake
F: FloodG: Gas Explosion
H: Hailstorm
I: Ice Storm and Iceberg
J. Judgment DayK: Killings
L: Limnic Eruption and Lightning Storm
M: Mudslide
N: Nuclear Meltdown


I'm a member of Tremp's Troops!

M is for Mudslide

My theme for my 2015 A to Z Challenge came from my Disaster Crimes series. Disasters are a theme in each story, so it got me thinking about all the disasters that occur from natural disasters to manmade disasters.
Today’s disaster is...MUDSLIDE
Mudslides (or mudflows) are a form of mass/slope movement, a process by which sand, soil, rock, and regolith move down slope. This usually occurs due to gravity but water, such as melting snow, heavy rainfall, floods and groundwater, can play a major role.
FACT: Mass movement has happened on Mars, Venus, and Jupiter's moon Io.
Because of the clay in most mudslides, they can travel far and even across areas with low slope angles. They can devastate villages and countrysides. The hills around Los Angeles are often affected by mudslides.
2010 Madeira Floods and Mudslides
Image from WikimediaFACT:Because mudslides are a lot like floods, they can move houses off their foundations and even bury them.
Areas that are at risk of mudslides have steep slopes and are located where surface runoff is directed. Places with channels along streams/rivers, destroyed vegetation from wildfires or construction, and of course places that have had landslides in the past are also at risk.
FACT: The world's largest landslide occurred during the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, a volcano in Washington, USA.
2006 Mudslide Southern Leyte
Image from Wikipedia
Check out these recipes for Mudslides (alcoholic drink): Drinks Mixer

QUESTIONS: Has anyone ever tried the Mudslide drink? Do you live at the bottom of a steep slope (hills/mountains)?


Disasters:A: AvalancheB: Blizzard and BlackoutC: CycloneD: Drought and Dust Storm
E: Earthquake
F: FloodG: Gas Explosion
H: Hailstorm
I: Ice Storm and Iceberg
J. Judgment DayK: Killings
L: Limnic Eruption and Lightning Storm
M: Mudslide



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L is for Limnic Eruption and Lightning Storm

My theme for my 2015 A to Z Challenge came from my Disaster Crimes series. Disasters are a theme in each story, so it got me thinking about all the disasters that occur from natural disasters to manmade disasters.
Today’s disasters are...LIMNIC ERUPTION and LIGHTNING STORM
A Limnic Eruptionis a rare natural disaster that occurs (possibly due to earthquakes, and volcanic activity) when dissolved carbon dioxide erupts from deep lake water, also called a lake overture, which suffocates nearby wildlife, livestock and humans.
Fortunately, this phenomenon has only been recorded twice; once at Lake Monoun in 1984 killing 38 people and Lake Nyos in 1986 killing a staggering 1,700 people and 3,500 livestock. (Both in the Cameroon region of Central Africa.)

Surtsey Eruption
(This is an underwater volcanic eruption. There's no pictures of limnic
eruptions. Sorry but this is the closest I could find.)
Image from Wikipedia
A Lightning Storm (also known as an electrical storm) is a storm that produces a significant amount of lightning. Lightning can travel from cloud to cloud, from a cloud to the ground, and from a cloud to itself.
FACT: Lightning occurs approximately 40–50 times a second on earth. That’s nearly 1.4 billion flashes per year.

Difference between a lightning storm and a thunderstorm: A lightning storm is when lightning is visibly seen striking the earth several times during a storm. Thunderstorms are when you mostly here thunder and maybe see flashes of lightning. Lightning storms are actually a phenomena.

Image from PetaPixel.com
Grand Canyon
Some Science For You: In a lightning storm, the clouds are charged like batteries. The top of the cloud is positive and the bottom is negative, which is caused by charge separation when rising moisture collides with ice or sleet. When there is charge separation there is also an electric field. The strength of this electric field depends upon the amount of charge build up in the clouds. The electric field then breaks down the surrounding air, creating a conductor of electricity, and creates a conductive path to the earth’s surface. Objects on earth’s surface respond to the electric field and reach out with purplish streamers. When the two connect and the current flows you get lighting. The air around the strike becomes extremely hot and explodes, and that’s yours thunder. So the more charge separation in a cloud, the more lightning there is.
Image from Wikipedia
Sydney
QUESTIONS: Do you like thunderstorms? Or do you hide under your covers like I do? Have you (or someone you know) ever come close to getting hit by lightning?

Disasters:A: AvalancheB: Blizzard and BlackoutC: CycloneD: Drought and Dust Storm
E: Earthquake
F: FloodG: Gas Explosion
H: Hailstorm
I: Ice Storm and Iceberg
J. Judgment DayK: Killings
L: Limnic Eruption and Lightning Storm



I'm a member of Tremp's Troops!