GEOL1113 – 005
Dr. Glen S. Mattioli
November 10, 2009
Physical Geology Extra Credit Essay
On November 10, 2009, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette published an article entitled “Survivors sought in El Salvador” sourced from the Associated Press and written by Marcos Aleman. In addition, there was a photo published on the front page (also from the AP) by Rodrigo Abd. A link to the AD-G article via the Lexus-Nexus website is shown below. This article is interesting in that it points out how climate and surface geological processes can give rise to natural disasters, which can impact people and property in a very negative way. It does not, however, discuss the source of the mass wasting event or how the flow behaved (that is the velocity and coherence of the flow, etc). Was the event really a “mudslide” as described in the in news article? If so, why, if not why not? Please use at least one published scientific article (peer-reviewed), your textbook, and notes from class to explain the source and behavior of the flow as well as how recent climatic events may have contributed to the triggering of the flow.
All submitted essays must be typed and have a proper bibliography using accepted standard formatting. Please double space and use a font size of at least 12 point and make sure you spell check your text. You may include maps and drawings, as necessary, with proper attribution to source. All essays must be a minimum of 5 manuscript pages long, excluding references.
Grading will be based on coherence, style, and the geological and geophysical analysis of the science behind our current understanding of mass wasting, its impacts and its relationship to external climate events. Essays will only be accepted in class up to Tuesday, December 1, 2009. A total of 50 points will be available for this assignment.
Please note that you are bound by the UARK Honor Code regarding plagiarism, etc. when completing this extra credit assignment.