What Is Chemical Weathering

There are three types of weathering which affect rock: physical, biological, and chemical. Chemical weathering, also known as decomposition or decay, is the breakdown of rock  by chemical mechanisms. How Chemical Weathering Happens Chemical weathering does not break rocks into smaller fragments through wind, water, and ice (thats physical weathering). Nor does it break rocks apart through the action of plants or animals (thats biological weathering). Instead, it changes the chemical composition of the rock, usually through carbonation, hydration, hydrolysis or oxidation.   Chemical weathering alters the composition of the rock material toward surface minerals, such as clays. It attacks minerals that are relatively unstable in surface conditions, such as the primary minerals of igneous rocks like basalt, granite or peridotite. It can also occur in sedimentary and metamorphic rocks and  is an element of  corrosion  or chemical erosion.   Water is especially effective at introducing chemically active agents by way of fractures and causing rocks to crumble piecemeal. Water may also loosen thin shells of material (in spheroidal weathering). Chemical weathering may include shallow, low-temperature alteration. Lets take a look at the four main types of chemical weathering that were mentioned earlier. It should be noted that these are not the only forms, just the most common. Carbonation Carbonation occurs when rain, which is naturally slightly acidic due to atmospheric carbon dioxide  (CO2), combines with a calcium carbonate (CaCO3), such as limestone or chalk. The interaction forms calcium bicarbonate, or  Ca(HCO3)2. Rain has a normal pH level of 5.0-5.5, which alone is acidic enough to cause a chemical reaction. Acid rain, which is unnaturally acidic from atmospheric pollution, has a pH level of 4 (a lower number indicates greater acidity while a higher number indicates greater basicity).   Carbonation, sometimes referred to as  dissolution,  is the driving force behind the sinkholes, caverns and underground rivers of  karst topography.   Hydration Hydration occurs when water reacts with an anhydrous mineral, creating a new mineral. The water is added to the crystalline structure of a mineral, which forms a hydrate.   Anhydrite, which means waterless stone, is a calcium sulfate (CaSO4) that is  usually found in underground settings. When exposed to water near the surface, it quickly becomes gypsum, the softest mineral on the Mohs hardness scale.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hydrolysis Hydrolysis is the opposite of hydration; in this case, water breaks down the chemical bonds of a mineral instead of creating a new mineral. It is a decomposition reaction.   The name makes this one particularly easy to remember: The prefix hydro- means water, while the suffix -lysis means decomposition, breakdown or separation.   Oxidation Oxidation refers to the reaction of oxygen  with metal elements in a rock, forming oxides.  An easily recognizable example of this is rust.  Iron (steel) reacts easily with oxygen, turning into reddish-brown iron oxides. This reaction is responsible for the red surface of Mars and the red color of hematite and magnetite, two other common oxides.

Policy Paper Gmos Are The Problem ! - 1493 Words

Policy Paper: GMOs are the Problem! When grocery shopping, we are faced with the question, â€Å" Do we choose organic or the conventional products?† For some people, this may be an easy question depending on how much you want to spend, or if you choose organic products regardless of the price. However, no matter what an individual chooses, we will always be skeptical of the quality difference in grocery produce. Is organic milk that much different? Is it healthier than the conventional milk in the isle? Will it protect you from pathogens? These questions are foreign to the grab and go set of individuals, however King Corn, a documentary based on the overproduction of corn, gives readers an insight on how chemicals and GMOs in our food supply are affecting people all over the country. While there are positive aspects of producing and consuming conventional food, we should carefully investigate what is in our food system and how we can identify the differences between certified organic and conventional. When purchasing organic produce, one might notice that there are noticeable physical differences between organic and non-organic produce. For example, when looking to purchase a banana, most of the organic ones come in various shapes and sizes whereas the non-organic ones look relatively the same. The explanation for the variety of shapes and sizes is unprocessed produce that is treated with growth enhancing substances. While the U.S Department of Agriculture overlooks theShow MoreRelatedShould We Stop The Use Of Gmos?1403 Words   |  6 Pagesbe done. Just banning the use of GMOs though, is probably not the best option and may cause many farmers to retaliate. These superweeds most likely will not stop the use of GMOs and will further the distance between people for and against these modified crops. The overuse of herbicide can be a problem. So can having one and only one plant distributed around the world as well as having large corporations having a patent on these plants. All these are true problems that need to be addressed. HavingRead MoreAn Unbiased Report On The Regulating Of Food1125 Words   |  5 Pagesin the last century going from small-scale farms with a variety of crops to â€Å"megafarms† with just one crop. He touched on the GMO foods and the lack of labeling. He also tapped into the history of organic farming that had its origins in the 1970’s, but did not get regulated until the 1990’s and had a strong following because of GMO foods. He brought out that the policies of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are very lax and their strong opposer the Center of Food and Safety (CSF), continuallyRead MoreEssay921 Words   |  4 PagesIn Daniel W. Drezner’s journal article, he discusses about regulatory issue that generates high adj ustment costs, which are treatments for GMOs. The author argues that despite globalization, the power of national governments regulates their own economies, and continue to dominate international regulatory regimes. These regulatory goals are driven by their own domestic interest. In the case of genetically modified organisms, they raise regulatory concerns in regard to consumer health and safety, andRead MoreIt Was Only The Beginning Of The Late 20Th Century, When1269 Words   |  6 Pagescorrectly, could help shape the world into a different place. However, even at this moment, people still question its integrity and proper use. Along with genetic engineering, the choice to regulate mandatory laws for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is disputed. The question concerns whether the government should require labels on all genetically modified foods or let the food companies decide. Our choices on the matter could shape consumer knowledge and the schema of the market. GeneticallyRead MoreGenetically Modified Organisms And Its Effect On The Consumer1284 Words   |  6 Pagesor commonly abbreviated GMOs, are plants that have had their DNA genetically altered to create amicable, or abolish undesirable traits. As previously said in the statistic sourced from gmo-compass.org, GMOs are dominant to their counter-product, organic foods. On the topic, many effects are produced from GMOs, not only health effects upon the consumer, but economic effects, and inflated population rates. Elaborating upon the the economic, as well as population effect, GMOs are modified to have a higherRead MoreA Mass Scale Biotech Agricultural Experiment1682 Words   |  7 PagesResearch paper Did you know you are participating in a mass scale biotech agricultural experiment? That s right! Since the mid 1990 we have been consuming Genetically Engineered (GE) foods or foods that contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) without enough research that proves its long time effects on humans. According to the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), agency responsible for protecting the public’s health and safety, â€Å"genetic engineering is the name given for certain methodsRead MoreGenetically Modified Organisms And The Food System1684 Words   |  7 Pages GMOs GMOs, or â€Å"genetically modified organisms,† are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals. These experimental combinations of genes from different species cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding. There are currently eight Genetically modified organisms available in grocery stores across America, they are cotton, alfalfa, papaya, squash, soybeans, canola, corn and sugar beets. Many believe puttingRead MoreMarketing Schemes Of Monsanto, Major U.s. Pharmaceutical Corporations And Food Manufacturing Companies1572 Words   |  7 Pagesof the American people want to know if they are consuming food or using products containing Genetically Modified Organisms, GMO, according to the consumer reports organization. GMOs are organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering, or GE, according to the non-GMO project website. (nongmo pro ject, what is a gmo) Scientist insert, delete, or switch the DNA in certain organisms. Those organisms may be able to live longer, speed up theRead MoreGenetically And Genetically Modified Organisms1188 Words   |  5 Pages Genetically engineered crops or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are plants in agriculture and the DNA that has been modified using genetic engineering techniques. The goal of this type of bioengineering is to add new traits to a plant which doesn’t occur naturally in the species. Farmers have adopted the technology. The first genetically made crop was manufactured in 1982 which was an antibiotic-resistant tobacco plant. In 1986, the first free trials were in Europe and the USA and were madeRead MoreThe Issue Of Genetically Modified Organisms1752 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"Genetically modified organisms†, or more commonly known as GMOs, are â€Å"organisms that have been created through application of transgenic, gene-splicing techniques that are part of biotechnology.† (www.justlabelit.org/). GMOs entered the market about twenty years ago, and people are still in the dark about if the food we feed our families contain GMOs. â€Å"In 1992 the FDA’s policy statement defined â€Å"material† as the ability to be sensed by taste, smell, or other senses.† (www.justlabelit.org/) According

Website Defacement Stuxnet

Question: Discuss about the Website Defacement for Stuxnet. Answer: Introduction The creation of Stuxnet virus is unknown but the adverse effect of this are the most terrifying in the digital world. Stuxnet virus was made in such a way that it would affect the systems which can meet its requirements and not others. In order to attack, it needs to get .Ink file and later create a rootkit to hide itself from any antivirus so it becomes very difficult to remove it from the system. Threat Profile Stuxnet is a Trojan virus which basically targets any system running on WinCC SCADA software. As it a Trojan, it just needs to launched over the internet and it can spread on its own. With the help of CVE-2010-2568 code, it allows arbitrary code execution via a crafted .ink file. This virus is noted to spread from systems to systems with the help of removable USB drives (Edwards, 2014). Threat name The name of the threat from which many countries suffered in many ways is Stuxnet which was first discovered in the year of 2010. Previously it was named Rootkit.Tmphider. Later it changed to W32.Temphid which later again changed to W32.Stuxnet (Kushner, 2013). System it Attacks Stuxnet usually does not attack every system. It is meant to attack the system which met the specific requirement for the Trojan to attack. Among its main target, it includes Windows Operating system, Siemens PCS 7, WinCC and Step7 industrial software applications that usually runs on Windows and Siemens S7 PLCs are its main target. It can also attack any system which contains the Remote Code execution vulnerability present (Hagerott, 2014). Threat Performance Stuxnet is declared as the most advanced and the most engineered form of malware that ever to be created. The main purpose of Stuxnet is to take control of the industrial facilities. However usually a virus is meant to attack any computer who runs the software but in case of Stuxnet, it can spread like wild fire and attack a system which has Remote Code Execution Vulnerability present in it. Due to this attack, it gets an advantage as it can be controlled by the hacker from any part of the world (Kushner, 2013). In order to start its work, it firstly needs two different legitimate certificates signed by well known companies so that it does not get detected by any antivirus. After it makes its way into the system, it first exploits the .Ink vulnerability to run and after this it installs a rootkit so that it can make itself well hid in the system (Lindsay, 2013). Mitigation Techniques There are several mitigation techniques that can be applied in order to avoid the Stuxnet before hitting the system. Some are mentioned below: Isolating command and control networks from shared public networks so that it may not come into the system as public networks are shared by many people so Stuxnet can be easily deployed and can get access to any system. Password and access control should be changed on a regular basis and giving access control to unknown application should be avoided. If the access is permitted, then there is no need of changing the password as it is remotely accessed by some other users (Hagerott, 2014). Patching and Compliance is also important as companies should try to provide patch for the computer systems in order to fix any vulnerability that is present. Anti-virus should be updated always as with every new antivirus definition, it can detect any vulnerability that is present in the system. Intrusion detection system should be installed over the network so that it can stop the virus even before entering the users system (Lindsay, 2013). Laws and Regulation Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Data Quality Act Consumer Data Security and Notification Act International Scope Stuxnet has greatly affected many countries in many ways. As it is a Trojan, it sends all the information to the creator. It has affected Iran when it was injected to in their nuclear facilities and due to this it crippled the whole system. Reflection The origin of Stuxnet is still a mystery. It is the most engineered form of virus that ever to be created and is the most complicated one that still haunts many users worldwide. If Stuxnet hit any system, it becomes impossible to remove the virus and the system can be accessed by someone remotely. Risk Calculation Stuxnet has hit many countries including Iran, India, Pakistan, United States, Indonesia and many other countries. It is so dangerous that it can cripple down any system or worse the system will be in control of someone who can access all its files remotely. Conclusion The creation of Stuxnet is considered to be the work of a marksmanship as it does not affect every computer. It is intended for specific computers and their main targets are the Windows system and the systems which have Remote code execution vulnerability present in them. Due to this vulnerability, hackers can access the victims computer remotely and get information without even notifying them. Removal of Stuxnet is nearly impossible and without proper tools, it will just multiply itself within the system. References Edwards, C. I. P. M. (2014). An analysis of a cyberattack on a nuclear plant: The stuxnet worm.Critical Infrastructure Protection,116, 59. Hagerott, M. (2014). Stuxnet and the vital role of critical infrastructure operators and engineers.International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection,7(4), 244-246. Kushner, D. (2013). The real story of stuxnet.ieee Spectrum,3(50), 48-53. Lindsay, J. R. (2013). Stuxnet and the limits of cyber warfare.Security Studies,22(3), 365-404.

The Aztecs free essay sample

The U. S has the highest murder rate of any industrialized country in the world. Does this surprise you? Well, although it is a fact, and most people would think this is unethical. This should also be true for Aztec society. Which deserves the Greater Emphasis? Human Sacrifice, or Aztec Agriculture? I believe historians should focus more on human sacrifice because, even though the Aztecs were resourceful and well organized in agriculture, they were barbaric when it came to human sacrifice. They killed off 2,300 men who were prisoners of war. We have to take into consideration that these sacrifices had families and lives and people who cared about them that were cruelly ripped away from them. The Aztecs couldve showed the love and dedication for their gods another less violent way. What the Aztec did to the sacrifices was in-humane. When they killed the sacrifices, they would rip of their hearts, throw the hearts to the shrine dedicated to the gods and let the dead bodies roll down the temple steps bathed in its own blood. We will write a custom essay sample on The Aztecs or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Even though other groups of people did human sacrifice, the Aztec were ruthless and held no remorse for their victims. Aztecs sometimes just went to war with another group of people just to capture people and make them sacrifices, called flower wars (Doc. D). What the Aztec did was just horrible and I think historians should focus more on human sacrifice than agriculture. There was a humungous scale of sacrifices, as well as spiritual importance, and they surprisingly didn’t kill these people with evil eyes or hatred. The Aztecs hade feeling toward sacrifices. The Aztec sacrificed a huge scale of people! In one day they would sacrifice 2,300 prisoners (Doc. D). That is the same population of an average school! Not only did they sacrifice so much of population, they also gave up resources and the best people to sacrifice! If this wasn’t a factor, could you imagine how much more advanced the Aztec agriculture could become?