W is for

Wide, Whale, Water, and Wear

A Wide Sitka Spruce

Rain Forest Monarch

The temperate rain forest is dominated by Sitka Spruce. Except where it penetrates valleys such as Hoh, the Sitka Spruce grows along a narrow coastal strip from northern California to Alaska.

High rainfall, fog, and ocean moderated temperatures create optimum growing conditions for these monarchs. This is one of the largest Sitka Spruce trees in the United States.

Height……………………......... Over 270 feet
Diameter at chest height… Over 12 ½ feet
Age………………………........... ~ 525 years

Martha was having a hard time measuring it.

Whale Breaching
Alaska

Around 90% of the body clears the water before the whale turns to land on its back or side. "Belly flops" also occur but are less common. In order to achieve 90% clearance, a Humpback needs to leave the water at a speed of eight metres per second or 29 km/h.

Water and Wear

With a little help from lichens

Living organisms may contribute to mechanical weathering as well as chemical weathering. Lichens and mosses grow on essentially bare rock surfaces and create a more humid chemical microenvironment. The attachment of these organisms to the rock surface enhances physical as well as chemical breakdown of the surface microlayer of the rock. On a larger scale seedlings sprouting in a crevice and plant roots exert physical pressure as well as providing a pathway for water and chemical infiltration. Burrowing animals and insects disturb the soil layer adjacent to the bedrock surface thus further increasing water and acid infiltration and exposure to oxidation processes.

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Troy and Martha