SciGirlsII 2016 Day 8

Day 8 was another fun filled day! We studied two different fields of science today, Engineering and Meteorology. We started with The Environmental and Geotechnical Specialists (EGS) at the lab this morning. Audra Hayden, with EGS, and 2 FSU College of Engineering students, Kristine Obenour and Ashley Solek talked about engineering. They discussed different structures, the building and planning of them, and how EGS helps with engineering emergencies. After a short power point, our girls were given a paper towel roll challenge. In groups of 3-4, they had to build a sound tower that could stand and withhold weight. After an hour of building, each structure was tested for its durability. Using books as weights, our winning tower held 85 pounds of books before crumbling! We then discussed why some of the structures were more sound than others. After lunch, we visited the College of Engineering to see a concrete canoe and steel bridge which was built for the ACI-ASCE-FES ASCE Student Chapter for the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) competition. It was truly amazing to see these structures, and believe it or not, the concrete canoe really floats! We were then off to the National Weather Service on FSU's campus. National Weather Service uses satellites and weather balloons to gather data and use that to forecast the weather. This information is used to issue warnings and information for local stations to make their local forecasts. We visited the roof launch room and the roof top where the weather balloon is inflated with Helium. The weather balloon was a lot bigger than any of us expected! Melissa Griffin, from WeatherSTEM. talked with our group about the importance of the balloons and Katie Moore, forecaster and the Verification Focal Point, talked about the history and importance of the National Weather Service. Kelly Godsey, Senior Service Hydrologist, showed us around the weather data control room and took us up to the roof. Then, Jane Hollingsworth, meteorologist in charge, gave us some insight into her specific job and how she heavily relies on her team, and how she's climbed the ladder to where she is now. Melissa also took some time out to tell our girls the schooling and time she put in to become a meteorologist. Needless to say, these women really put in time and it shows how much they love their careers! Tomorrow, we dive into marine biology with a day at the Gulf Marine Specimen Lab!