Abstract
This paper discusses how climate governs the entire ecological structure of the planet earth. The author examines how climate, in relation to the topography and latitudinal location, determines the vegetative types, the hydrology, soil, agriculture and various human activities.

From the Paper
"Climate represents a long term average of various weather features such as temperature and precipitation. The World Meteorological Organization uses 30-year averages to define climatological "normals" for these various features. Climate determines how resources such as water and vegetation are distributed and, until the onset of technology, climate also determined where people lived and worked. Many factors, such as topography, proximity to large bodies of water, and latitude affect a particular location's long-term climate. It is important to note that because a region's climatology is a 30-year average, significant year to year variability is likely. For example, a particular location may have a dry, warm winter one year and a record snowfall the next year."

Tags:major, factor, determining, climate, location, north, south, equator, global, air, circulation, pattern

Abstract
This paper defines what global warming is and gives an in depth analysis of its long term affect. It describes what we can expect if the temperature of the Earth continues to rise. Between flooding and coastal erosion, severe weather, disease, loss of farming, hunting and grazing land and the loss of inhabitable territory, the very existence of the human race would be threatened. Although we do not expect to feel the effects for at least another 200 years, examples of natural disasters in recent history are linked to possible effects of global warming.

From the Paper
"Scientific speculations about the possibility of global warming have been ongoing for years. During the last two decades, the truth about global warming was frequently called into question, and hotly debated. Conservatives, big business, and even many well-intentioned and intelligent scientists all proclaimed such scientific prophecies to be at best an error in computation, or at worst outright deception. Many condemned the prophecies as just another attempt by radical anti-technology, anti-human environmentalist-wackos to stifle everyone's fun."

Tags:atmosphere, greenhouse, effect, gases, weather, erosion, planetary, warming

From the Paper
"The following research is on the subject of the tornado. A tornado is a storm that moves rapidly and leaves considerable destruction in its wake. This meteorological event happens several times each year in the continental United States, and the cost in life and property is usually high. The tornado is the msot violent weather phenomenon. The wind speed is greater than that in the worst tropical cyclone. The most affected American states are Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Iowa. In no other region of the world are the conditions so favorable to the formation of tornadoes, nor are they as frequent when they do occur. They usually occur in the spring and summer, accompanied by thunderstorms..

Tornadoes are revolving storms which turn counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. They have a small diameter and a ... "

Abstract
This paper looks at the economic and environmental effects of the Hurricane Andrew, comparing it to other hurricanes throughout the United States.

From the Paper
In August of 1992, hurricane Andrew swept through Florida and Louisiana causing more than 26 billion dollars in damage and claiming the lives of more than 60 people. Hurricane Andrew was by no means the largest hurricane to hit the United States, but what it lacked in size it made up for tenfold in power, making hurricane Andrew the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history ("Florida", Encarta Online; Rappaport).

Tags:natural, disasters

Abstract
The paper presents facts supporting the theory that global warming is occurring and it then presents facts indicating that global warming is only a perception. The paper analyzes these facts and concludes that the evidence does suggest that global warming is a threat.

From the Paper
"One of the main pieces of evidence global warming is based on is a rise in surface temperature over the last twenty years. The evidence for global warming according to Justus and Fletcher is based on the temperatures from 1980 to 2000, with 12 of these years being the warmest years "since historical records have been kept." While this may initially seem like significant evidence, closer analysis shows one major problem. The phrase "since historical records have been kept" suggests that these twenty years are being compared to a long length of time. However, in reality, these temperature records only refer to around a century of data."

Tags:temperature, weather, debate, technology, man

Abstract
The growing population of humans on Earth has led to some undesirable outcomes, namely a population of industrial producers. This paper looks at some of the scientific data that supports the idea that the Earth's temperatures are rising. The paper shows how greenhouse gases produced by humans can be held accountable for at least some of these drastic changes to the environment. Today global warming is one of the most discussed and debated environmental concerns. Global warming concerns every life form on earth, and can cause major ecological disruptions. The paper discusses how the ozone layer forms and breaks up continuously and how there are several pollutants that can cause ozone to breakup more rapidly than it does naturally. It shows how the most drastic changes in the ozone layer are visible over the Antarctic continent, where a hole in the ozone has formed.

From the Paper
"Planet Earth is able to support life with the help of trapped radiation from the sun. Known as the greenhouse effect, radiation is absorbed by the Earth's surface warming the oceans and land. Varying season to season, the sun heats the Earth creating sustainable temperatures for life. This sustainability has developed an overabundance of life, and helped human population soar. The growing population of humans on earth has led to some undesirable outcomes, namely a population of industrial producers. There is much scientific data that supports the idea that the Earth's temperatures are rising. Greenhouse gases produced by humans can be held accountable for at least some of these drastic changes to the environment."

Tags:atmosphere, carbon, dioxide, gases, greenhouse, ozone

Abstract
This paper explains how a hurricane forms, looks at the special and unlikely circumstances which led to the devastating effects of Hurricane Andrew, and describes the damage caused in various states and why faulty building techniques were partially to blame.

From the paper:

"David Fisher?s book on hurricanes describes a Category 5 hurricane as the ?scariest place on Earth, and Andrew was a Category 5 hurricane when it hit both south Florida and Louisiana.
A hurricane is a giant heat pump (Fisher, p. 61). Both the heat of the sun and the heat generated as evaporated moisture condenses contribute to the development of the hurricane. As the spinning winds contract, they speed up, much as a skater speeds up by pulling her arms in more tightly to her sides. Organization of the storm also requires an upper level high over a lower-level low, which allows the tropical depression to organize into a well formed, rotating tropical storm. If these conditions persist, the tropical storm may strengthen into a hurricane."

Tags:pressure, clouds, ocean, wind, damage, storm

Abstract
An examination of the climatic global changes taking place. The author discusses the types of climatic changes occurring and their effects on certain geographical areas and on the environment. Also, a look at their long term impacts on society as a whole.

From the Paper
"Since the mid-1970's, scientists reported, the average global surface temperature has increased at a rate of about 3.5 degrees per century -- about the same rate estimated for the 21st century if emissions of waste industrial gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are not reduced. By comparison, the world has warmed by 5 to 9 degrees since the depths of the last ice age, 18,000 to 20,000 years ago."

Tags:geography, environment

Abstract
This paper discusses whether or not the greenhouse effect is really responsible for the earth's warming over the last century. It brings up the theory that perhaps this a part of the earth's natural cycle. This paper then discusses the Milankovitch Cycles which details the natural changes that the earth undergoes and the effect of these changes on the environment. The author feels that this theory, as presented in the article, disproves the greenhouse effect theory.

From the Paper
"The same happens in reverse in a time of high temperatures.
The ocean circulation systems redistributes heat better and this accounts for the speed of the ice melting in the Antarctic.
Milankovitch Cycles are than able to explain the temperature differences noted in the Antarctic. The ice melting is a direct result of this rise in temperature. The higher temperatures effecting the ocean circulation system also adequately explains why the ice melts at a fast rate."

Tags:melting, milankovitch, temperatures, cycle, earth, climactic, change, orbit, latitudes, rise

Abstract
This paper differentiates between the dangerous slab avalanche, and the often harmless powder avalanche. It explains what weather conditions contribute to the worst avalanches. It also examines the significant impacts avalanches have on the environment and shows certain preventative techniques to protect and limit the damages and deaths caused by avalanches.

From the Paper
"There are two types of avalanches; powder avalanches and slab avalanches. In very cold, dry weather, light powdery snow grains don't stick together. If this snow is pushed down the slope, it forms a powder avalanche, which swirls along like an enormous white cloud. Normally these avalanches aren't that dangerous as there isn't much snow in them, they are also easy to get away from, most of the time. The slab avalanche is the most dangerous, and causes the most damage. A slab avalanche starts off as a solid chunk of frozen snow about the size of a soccer field and about 30 feet thick ( McClung, David and Schaerer, Peter, 129). It usually forms on sunny days that are followed by frosty nights and snow that melts and freezes again. These slabs are cracked, commonly by the edge of a ski, and break into many different thick pieces that haul down the slope, taking out whatever is in its path."

Tags:avalanche, disasters, disasters, natural, related, weather