August 11 - 15, 2003
Tuesday
Oceanography and Meteorology Day

"The Wonders of the Sea are as Marvelous as the Glories of the Heavens"
(Matthew Maury (1806-73), American scientist)

BCC instructor Kent Short is into oceans. As an oceanographer, he studies the magic of the planet contained in water, its substance reaching everywhere. But Kent is also a meteorologist and he explores a different ocean: the ocean of air in which we live and move. Oceans above and below, with water common to both, whether under the poles or wisp-like throughout the atmosphere...

Yes, water, water everywhere but not always fit to drink, as was the case in Prince William Sound (Alaska) after the Exxon Valdez spilled its crude oil in 1989. Simulating the actual clean up efforts, the campers discovered that mixing water and oil is disastrous, and especially so when the water is teeming with life and is the lifeblood of thousands of people.

Moving on to the ocean above, Kent introduced the camp to meteorology, one of the oldest sciences and perhaps one of the most challenging (just ask the forecasters presently gathered in Seattle for the American Meteorological Society convention). The weather--wind (the oldest voice in the world), rain, lightning (white calligraphy in the sky), etc.--affects everyone and it is our constant companion. In particular, the campers explored weather in extreme action--tornadoes (we made tornadoes in a bottle) and hurricanes (we actually tracked some hot air coming from the A Building but it never got to hurricane force). Again, thanks to our assistants--Tiffany, Liz, David, Janet and Mel.


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