Mrs. Hostetler's Computer Lab: January 2022

Sunday, January 30, 2022

Fun Fact Monday Jan 31

Magnificent Mount Everest!

image from iStock

Every year mountaineers travel to the Himalayan mountains between China and Nepal to attempt to climb the highest peak on earth: Mount Everest.

Mount Everest's peak is 29,029 feet above sea level. It is so high that some people who climb it have to use bottled oxygen to survive. For comparison, the highest peak in Missouri - Taum Sauk Mountain - is 1,772 feet above sea level.

image from Summit Climb

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first men to reach the peak of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953. It was a tremendous accomplishment, and one that set the world on fire with excitement.

image from NZHistory

In 1924, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine attempted to summit Mount Everest. They were last seen near the top, but they disappeared from view by passing clouds. When the clouds finally cleared, there was no sign of either man again. Mallory's body was found in 1999, but Irvine's body has never been discovered. No one knows if they reached the top before they disappeared.

image from Wikipedia

Everest from Start to Summit:

https://youtu.be/4kRycxdU2nA

New measurement for Mount Everest

Time Lapse of Khumbu Icefall

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Fun Fact Monday Jan 24

Great Rolling Icebergs!

image from TripAdvisor

Beautiful blue and white icebergs float in the frigid waters of the oceans. Only 90% of an iceberg is what we see on top of the ocean. Here is what the full iceberg looks like:

image from iStock

Snow falls in very cold places where it does not melt - even in the middle of summer. This snow builds up level by level, turning to ice, and forming an ice shelf or glacier. Pieces of the glacier break off and float on its own in the water - this is called an iceberg. Like an ice cube in a glass of water, the top of the iceberg is seen above the liquid - the rest is underneath.

This is why icebergs can be so dangerous to ships. The sailors can see the top of the iceberg, but they do not know how big it is under the water. The RMS Titanic hit an iceberg and sank, even though they tried to steer around it.

image from Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This is believed to be the iceberg that sunk the RMS Titanic. One side of the iceberg had a red smear of paint near the waterline of the iceberg, indicating that something had recently collided with the iceberg.

Sometimes icebergs will "roll over" if they are unstable. Gravity always pulls the iceberg, so if it rolls enough in the ocean, it may be pulled enough to roll completely over. Here is a video of an iceberg rolling over in Greenland:

Ilulissat Icefjord

Monday, January 17, 2022

Fun Fact Monday Jan 17

Tunnel Ahead!

image from iStock

This is the start of the Lærdal Tunnel in Norway. This tunnel is a little over 15 miles long, and it is all underground, running through a mountain range. It takes about 20 minutes for a vehicle to travel from one end to the other.

The tunnel is so long, the builders were concerned that drivers would get tired and make driving mistakes. They therefore included three large mountain caverns in the tunnel which breaks up the monotony of the drive. Colorful lights and places to pull over provide some beauty and refreshment for tired drivers.

image from GeoTech Rijeka

Video

This information was found in the Lightbox book, Tunnels. You can find a video of the drive through the Lærdal Tunnel and other interesting information about tunnels in general. Let me know if you need help finding Lightbox :)

Martin Luther King Jr

You can find a great video about Martin Luther King Jr on BrainPop and BrainPop Jr in your CPS portal. Check it out sometime today!