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Question of the Week

July 26, 2010

Is there such a thing as earthquake weather?

In the 4th Century B.C., Aristotle proposed that earthquakes were caused by winds trapped in subterranean caves. Small tremors were thought to be caused by air pushing on the cavern roofs, and large ones by the air breaking the surface. This theory lead to a belief in earthquake weather, that because a large amount of air was trapped underground, the weather would be hot and calm before an earthquake. A later theory stated that earthquakes occurred in calm, cloudy conditions, and were usually preceded by strong winds, fireballs, and meteors.

However, there is no connection between weather and earthquakes. They are the result of geologic processes within the earth and can happen in any weather and at any time during the year. Earthquakes originate miles underground. Wind, precipitation, temperature, and barometric pressure changes affect only the surface and shallow subsurface of the Earth. Earthquakes are focused at depths well out of the reach of weather, and the forces that cause earthquakes are much larger than the weather forces. Earthquakes occur in all types of weather, in all climate zones, in all seasons of the year, and at any time of day.

Source: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/faq.php

Past Questions of the Week

July 19, 2010

What color is a polar bear's skin?

Although it appears to be white, polar bear fur consists of hollow, colorless hairs. These conduct heat to the polar bear's skin, which is black and therefore a highly efficient heat absorber. The coat becomes more yellow in the summer and with age.

Source: International Wildlife Encyclopedia, 3rd ed., 2002.

June 28, 2010

What is the definition of the word draconian?

Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Draco, archon at Athens in 621 B.C., or the severe code of laws said to have been established by him; rigorous, harsh, severe, cruel.

Source: The Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, 1989.

June 21, 2010

Where can I look up the RN number on a clothing label?

RN stands for Registered Identification Number. It is a number issued by the FTC to U.S. businesses that manufacture, import, distribute, or sell products covered by the Textile, Wool, and Fur Acts. Businesses can use this number on product labels in lieu of the company name.

The Federal Trade Commission provides a RN database for searching located at:
https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/TextileRN/wrnquery$.startup

Source: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/rn/index.shtml

June 14, 2010

What is the currency in Iran?

Rials

Source: World Book Encyclopedia, 2010

June 7, 2010

What is heat index?

Heat index (HI) is sometimes referred to as the "apparent Temperature". The HI, given in degrees F, is a measure of how hot it feels when relative humidity (RH) is added to the actual air temperature.

Source: The National Weather Service http://www.crh.noaa.gov/jkl/?n=heat_index_calculator

June 1, 2010

Do you have local yearbooks?

Yes. We have yearbooks for:

Palmdale High School 1965, 1970 - present
Highland High School 1990 - present
Knight High School 2004 - present
Eastside High School 2006 - present
Lancaster High School 1996 - present
Littlerock High School 1990 - present
Quartz Hill High School 1989 - present
Paraclete High School 1982 - present
AV High School 1980 - present

Source: http://iii.palmdalelibrary.org

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