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  • Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm rep...Read more

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    Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm

    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well. The level of atmospheric greenhouse gases continues to increase, now over 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution began. For more on the Keeling Curve, see http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/. Find out more about greenhouse gases and warming.
  • Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Io...Read more

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    Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley

    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. On May 20th, a massive tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, devastating communities - destroying over 100 homes and hitting two elementary schools and a hospital - with many casualties and deaths. Our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues suffering from these storms. For more on the May 20th storms, see the NOAA Storm Prediction Center Storm Report.
  • Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read more

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    Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education

    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.

Common Silicate Minerals

Mineral Chemical formula Type of rocks that they are commonly found within Picture How People Use Them

Olivine (Mg, Fe)2SiO4 Ultramafic igneous rocks Click for full size A gemstone!
Pyroxene group (Mg, Fe)SiO2 Basaltic igneous rocks (coming soon!) .
Amphibole group (example: hornblende) (Ca2Mg5)Si8O22(OH)2 Andesitic igneous rocks Click for full size .
Micas Biotite:
K(Mg, Fe)3Si3O10(OH)2
Muscovite:
KAl3Si3O10(OH)2		 Andesitic igneous rocks Click for full size Colonial Americans used sheets of mica as window glass.
Feldspars Orthoclase: KAlSi3O8
Plagioclase:
(Ca, Na)AlSi3O8		 Granitic igneous rocks Click for full size Important for making ceramics and glass
Quartz SiO2 Granitic igneous rocks Click for full size Quartz is the raw material for glass and helps clocks keep time.

* Click on images above for full size.

Last modified April 18, 2003 by Lisa Gardiner.

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