Earthquakes

Earthquakes and man will never reconcile. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions can be different with almost equal destructive power. They usually occur along the boundaries of tectonic plates.

The super heated interior of Earth produces a layer of molten rocks under the plates which move by the convection currents in the layer. When two currents meet each other rapidly, they result in buckling and create mountains as a result. The action makes one go under the other. The subsequent subterranean slippage along what are called fault lines, it is called tectonic earthquake. Most land thus reclaimed is located worldwide. Either in the form of mountain ranges or flat land — Pakistan has both of them.

Earthquakes release a tremendous amount of energy. In the last 25 centuries or so, hundreds of millions of lives have been lost to temblors of all intensities or their deadly after-effects. Forget the losses to crops, property, as well as domesticated animals who have nowhere to go, injuries on a large scale besides. During any 24-hour period, more than 100 quakes of varying intensity are recorded worldwide. The large earthquakes are said to release energy equal to 1,000 atomic bombs.

The largest quake ever recorded was the 8.9 magnitude (on Richter measuring scale) that hit Japan in 1933 (popularly coined: Two Minutes to Noon) having struck at 11:58 hours when most kitchen fires were raging, accentuating losses. Our own of 2008 was tragic beyond repeating.

Eclipses

As the Sun, Moon and Earth move in space, light from the Moon and Sun is periodically obscured by the intervention of Earth between the Sun and the Moon, causing lunar (moon) eclipse or the intervention of the Moon between the Sun and Earth (called solar eclipse). Of the various eclipses, probably the most spectacular is the total solar eclipse.

The moon is 400 times closer to us than the sun, as well as 400 times smaller. Sun’s mass, however, is much more than just 400 times. Thus the moon completely covers the sun, obscuring the sunlight almost totally. It is another matter that the moon still appears to us as a coppery disc due to light from the sun which is reflected from the Earth. Interesting, isn’t it?

The total or near total solar eclipse called annular eclipse can cause confusion among birds. They think the night has arrived earlier than usual and they scamper to their nests in a hurry only to return to the wild soon.

Ecology

There is a relationship between organisms and their environment. The study of the interconnection between all life forms shows that living organisms are in all cases interdependent. Take for example, the bees and plants. Bees pollinate the plants, which in turn provide food to the plant. Study of ecology is important in modern times to find out who depends on whom, and how much. There is much more to know about dependence of various life forms upon each other, and then move to provide the beneficiary the best conditions so that they thrive ideally.

So much for now. Look after yourself, your siblings and parents, goodbye, till we meet again. God bless.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 19th, 2015