Plate Tectonics in West USA

Plates map of the world

                 

West USA is located in the North American Plate.

Western North America has two plate boundaries:

-San Andreas Fault; forming the most active part of the broad boundary zone between Pacific and North American plates

-Cascadia Subduction Zone: boundary along which the small Juan de Fuca plate subducts under the North American Plate

North American Plate:

The North American plate includes most of the North American continent, Greenland, and parts of Iceland and Siberia. Its motion can be measured on the order of a few centimeters per year. The edges of the North American plate show each of these three major plate boundary types: transform, convergent, and divergent. The movement of the hot mantle below the lithosphere drives the plate motion.
The North American plate collides and overrides the Pacific plate. It is moving to the west-southwest at about an inch per year away from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
The motion of the plate cannot be driven by subduction as no part of the North American Plate is being subducted.

The Juan de Fuca Plate is still actively subducting beneath N. America. Its motion is not smooth, but rather sticky; strain builds up until the fault breaks and a few meters of Juan De Fuca get slid under North America in a big earthquake. 
These plate motions are the primary source of strain in the lithosphere that lead to earthquakes in our region. In California, much of the strain generated by the grinding of the Pacific Plate against North America is taken up in earthquakes on the San Andres Fault and related structures but the shearing action dosn't end there.

California from one of Tanya Atwaters Plate Tectonics animations 

Volcanic arcs develop to the east of the North American subduction zone and created an ancient mountain range that preceded the modern Sierra Nevadas. Subduction stopped and the plate boundary off the coast of California was transformed from a trench into the modern San Andreas fault. 

The Appalachian Mountains, above in the U.S. state of West Virginia, are fold mountains. Fold mountains form over millions of years

PNW Vector Map

            British Columbia however is part of rigid North America and moves with it. This results in the Puget Lowland being compressed and warped like an accordion with alternating uplifted and down warped terrain shortening the distance between Centralia, Washington, and the Canadia border. Dr. Ray Wells of the USGS developed a model to demonstrate this process and produced the cartoon animation located above the GPS Vector map. Source

Mining

Part A

Shaft mining refers = the method of excavating a vertical/near-vertical tunnel from the top down, where there is initially no access to bottom.

Pro: • allows a mine operation to be 'hidden' having only head frames protrude above the surface, enabling land above zone of mining to be reclaimed for other uses after mining has ceased
       • can mine as deep as the development permits excavation to take place
       • it is not dependent on stripping ratios
       • does not affect physical environment as much
Cons: • safety issue is a big problem
          • underground mines produce significant amount of methane
          • expensive
          • collapses
          • flooding
          • mine explosions
          • miner can die due to lack of oxygen

Open pit mining =  is a surface mining technique of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow

Pro: • increase in efficiency over deep-shaft mining techniques
        • no space restrictions from narrow tunnels and shafts affect the rate at which ore can be extracted
        • sampling each level in an open pit before mining deeper allows surveyors to analyze potential yield and avoid safety hazards
        •  uses larger extraction vehicles, increasing amount of harvest per day
        •  reduced cost
        • safer than shaft mining
Cons: • loss of ecosystem
          • can take decades to recover
          • landslides and rockslides can occur without warning
          • acid mine drainage = serious environmental concern
          • release of dangerous metalloids in groundwater/local streams; polluted water can kill life along water source 

Part B

Spouse of a miner:
Of course I would want my spouse to work in an open pit. It's said to be much safer and at the end of the day that is what's important. I've heard that they end up acquiring more per day which would be beneficial to both the company and the employees, thus meaning it would be better for our family. It doesn't require ventilation and the worse that can happen is a landslide. I would rather have my spouse take those chances than a space collapsing in on itself. 

Owner of a mining company:
I would choose open pit mining. It's cheaper and more efficient. Using this method will sustain my company.  I would be able to harvest more ore or minerals or what have you. Shaft mining would sometimes require digging deeper to find what we're looking for.   Not only that, but it would be better for my employees as it would be safer as well. 

Environmentalist: 

Open pit mining has environmental hazards. Hardrock mining exposes rock that has lain unexposed for geological eras. When crushed, these rocks expose radioactive elements, asbestos-like minerals, and metallic dust. Aside from this contamination of surface and ground waters often generates problems with this method. 

Owner of a nearby ski resort:

I would think underground mining would be better as open pit mining has more leniency space wise. That would not be good for my business and it having a gigantic dug out hole near my ski resort can be an eyesore as well as dangerous to my guests. If any guests want to try skiing in this open pit as well especially if it became abandoned then we would be legally liable for any injuries or harm that may occur.  If it were abandoned then there would just be a gaping hole there.

Part C

Mining is prominent in the USA and has been active since colonial times.
Mining in Alaska has been predominantly for metals such as gold, silver, and zinc. Mined metal is a valuable export and source of cash income for workers, and mining jobs pay above the state average. Major mines are mostly owned by out-of-state corporations, leading most of their profits to be exported. Minerals are one of Alaska’s most important exports.  The total value of metal production and exploration in Alaska was just over $3.4 billion in 2012, representing around 7% of the gross state product, and producing several thousand jobs.  Mining pays a 2% state tax on its revenue.  

Prospectors are actively pursuing new mineral resources in Alaska.

Waste Management - Alaska

Alaska disposes of their waste through: 

ARL = Anchorage (Alaska) Regional Landfill  

CTS = Central Transfer Station

Different Materials and how they can be disposed can be found here

They also have a Hazardous Materials Management

Solid waste disposal presents a challenge for Alaska. Alaska has a population of approximately 710,231 people. 72% of this population live in Anchorage, Juneau, or Fairbanks. The other 28% are scattered throughout the state in rural communities. Many of these communities are only accessible by boat or air travel which means that they have their own landfill since it would not be practical to ship their waste. They "accomadate to the multiple rural community landfills by designating a Class III landfill category. Class III landfills are not connected by road to a larger landfill or are more than 50 miles by road from a larger landfill and must serve fewer than 1500 people." 

Although this is the case, a 2008 article/journal brings attention that circumstances unique to Alaska create challenges for basic waste disposal and recycling that are not experienced in the lower 48 US states or in countries like Japan where space is limited. Programs available to separating recyclables from waste stream are often minimal and varying. 

More disposal facts

Another problem that ensues are the Alaskan Native villages from rural areas that face illegal dumping issues. They struggle to find cost effective and safe alternative to open dumps.

To improve their waste management strategies, I believe they must have viable solid waste disposal options to ensure Alaskan tribe's and village's waste ends up in landfill or municipal solid waste incinerator and not an open dump.  This information and knowledge needs to also be promoted through community outreach to properly ensure that residents, villagers, and tribes are informed of the environmental issues they face by not properly disposing of waste. Problems of disposing food may cause wild animals to rummage through their waste.  Alaska tries to prevent this by encouraging to use and even create your own incinerator for your garbage that you can have in your backyard. I think this one is important as it will harm wildife less. 

Impact of Climate Change in Northwest USA

Resource 1
Resource 2


Impacts of climate change narrow to three areas:
-erratic climate and weather extremes
-altered ecosystems and habitats
-risks to human health and society

Low snowpack prompts power concerns for utilities

Water supply is crucial for energy production, agriculture, and ecosystems in the northwest. Much of this region's supply is stored in winter snowpack in the mountains. The snowpack melts and runs off into streams and rivers in the late spring and summer, times where there is little rainfall. Climate change will threaten this natural storage.  Higher temperatures will contribute to earlier snowmelt and major changes in the timing of runoff. Changing stream flows would strain water management and worsen existing competition for water. Increasing temperatures and population could increase demand and further stress urban water supplies. *Climate change could decrease supply.*
Approximately 70% of electricity in the Northwest is powered by hydroelectricity. Decreasing summer streamflows would reduce hydroelectricity and stress electricity supplies. Meanwhile, rising temperatures would increase electricity demands for air conditioning and refrigeration.




Projected climate change impacts forests due to higher risks of forest fires. This will result in decreased tree growth and increased insect attacks. The potential reductions in summer soil moisture would contribute to wildfire risk. Drought stress and higher temperatures will impede tree growth, Projected climate changes will likely cause shifts in the composition, range and even existence of Northwest tree species. Decreasing supplies of water irrigation, increasing incidence of pests and disease attacks, and growing competition from weeds threaten Northwest agriculture, particularly the production of fruit trees.
Already known that human activities threaten salmon populations, climate change impacts would further stress these salmon population. Earlier peakflows and higher streamflows due to climate change would damage spawning nests and force young salmon from rivers prematurely.


Climate change, particularly sea level rising, is projected to increase coastal erosion and loss of beaches in the Northwest. Some climate models project that changing wind patterns, combined with sea levels rise could accelerate coastal erosion. Sea level rise could increase risk of landslide on coastal bluffs.



From forests fires and climate change, warmer polluted air affects the environment. A warmer atmosphere increases chemical reactions that form ground-level ozone, aka smog. Smog is a well-known lung irritant and a major trigger for asthma attacks.

Climate and Climate Controls in West USA

Precipitation of the Western United States varies spatially because of the scattered smaller-scale climactic controls placed within larger-scale controls. The distribution of seasonal precipitation shows complex patterns in some areas. Winter and spring precipitation currently supplies most of the water to metropolitan areas; the amounts are important for agriculture and for ski industry.  During the summer and fall, changes in precipitation are less critical. Small fluctuations of precipitation can affect local water budgets, erosion, and the growth of grasses important for cattle raising.
Oregon's Climate can be classified as mild. Two major geographic features dominate the climate in the state: the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Range. The mountains of the Cascade Range act as a division between western and eastern sides of Oregon. An oceanic climate or "marine west coast climate" is predominantly found in Western Oregon, and a much drier climate prevails east of Cascade Range/east of Oregon.
Climate Controls are important to beach and property erosion, flood probabilities, and estuarine water quality.
Climograph, in Eugene Oregon

Hurricane Nora

Hurricane Nora was a third tropical cyclone that reached Arizona as a tropical storm.  Nora occurred in 1997 during the Pacific hurricane season. Hurricane Nora formed on September 16 and dissipated on the 26th. Nora formed over very warm water (29-30 degrees Celsius) Nora developed south of the Mexican coast, intensified into a hurricane, and made landfall over northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States. A high pressure area over northern Mexico forced the storm to move west to northwest. During that period, Nora continued to intensify becoming a Category 1 hurricane. It's highest winds reached 130 mph (215km/h). Hurricane Nora affected Baja, California, and Southwest United States. In the United States, there were no direct deaths blamed on the hurricane. Although this is the case, the California Highway Patrol attributed three or four traffic fatalities in southern California due to weather.  Damage totals from Nora aren't fully discovered. The media summaries of Nora included a loss to agriculture estimated at several hundred millions; approximately $150-200 million (1997 USD).  It is also estimated that $30-40 million dollars in damage to lemon trees occurred. In California, about 125,000 customers lost power in the Los Angeles area with scattered, smaller outages elsewhere. In San Diego, Palm Springs, and Indio, street flooding was reported.

Hurricane Nora's remnants over the Southwestern
United States

Nora rainfall for Mexico and United States

West USA Air Mass

West USA has a Maritime Polar (mP) air mass; it's cool and moist.
Seasons in West USA vary.
The ones closest to us will have similar weather and season patterns. These places include Northern Arizona, Northern New Mexico, Southern Colorado, and Southern Utah. As previously stated, most high country Southwest USA seasons and weather are very similar. The desert areas like Southern Arizona, Southern New Mexico, and California have less distinctive seasons.
Spring and Fall weather for these places are more unpredictable. These times require inhabitants to be prepared as sudden changes are prevalent at these times of the year.

The Global wind that mainly impacts West USA is the prevailing westerlies. Most weather in the United States moves from West to East because of this.

Northwest USA (Oregon, Washington and Southern Alaska) will have orographic precipitation. These places are close to the sea; relief/orographic rainfall occurs when winds pick up moisture from sea as they travel across making the air most.  These places are commonly known for being wet, moist areas.
Southwest USA