Rio de Janeiro, Brazil during the daytime
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/brazil-photos/

Final Blog- The Present and Future of Rio: (Geography Wise) 

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is considered a costal landscape, and it has it's own unique way of identifying itself and having millions of people visit this destination and have it as a world hotspot. It is surrounded by both water (ocean) and mountains. It is unique for a location to have both luxuries of having two different types of geographical features so, its a one and only. Metamorphosed Granite type of rock is most common and popular in Rio. And over the years it has been changing it's shape and sizes due to heat, pressure and friction. Rio has many mountain hillsides that are the Sugarloaf Dome rocks. These type of rocks are the signature of rio, and it's what the mountain side of Rio consist off. The tropical hot temperatures of Rio can cause a chemical weathering of the rocks. The sugarloaf domes caused by exfoliation sheets. Help the weather/climate also maintain it's rainforest status. Rio is considered to be in the rainforest/savannah climate type also. But because of costal location, Weather is hot, humid and dry in the winter months, and wet in the summer months where rain and precipitation are on the rise. The wetness on the clay soil causes landslides along with the Serra do Mar costal range on the Brazilian side of South America. Intense wet weather also happens a lot in rio because its on the Atlantic Ocean side (Hurricane, Monsoons)

A steep mountain consisting the metamorphic rock with granite. the rock is exposed due to combo fractures, climate and weather decaying.
http://exploringthearth.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/christ-the-redeemer-in-rio-de-janerio-brazil-1.jpg

Hypothesis- Landscape of Rio: In (10,000) (1,000,000) (100,000,000) Years

LANDSCAPE: (10,000) YEARS

My hypothesis for what the future landscape of Rio might look like in 10,000 years is very close or even similar of what Rio looks like today. I truly believe that there will be changes in the landscape and that the rock formation will continue to change and decay, but it will do so very slowly.  It will take years for drastic change to start happening. The hot humid weather in Rio will continue to expand rock, making more Sugarloaf domes and expanding the style of rocks into other areas. The weather shall remain the same because it is part of the climate Rio. It's unique location makes it hard for the weather to detour in a different direction. 

LANDSCAPE: (1,000,000) YEARS

Because Rio is a Costal location, and due to the rise of global warming and water rising and lowering and everything changing in the costal areas. I predict that now is when the landscape starts to change. the deteriorating and expanding of the rock decay, could possibly hurt the tropical rainforest in the surrounding areas of the outsides of the city. The rainforest/savannah will start to disappear due to the changes that global warming brings. A growth in population and pollution could play a factor to possibly Rio becoming a smaller city, because the geography will start to change the city. In class the other day we looked at a picture map of Florida and where it's costal lines are now. Global warming will change the future and its costal boarders will be gone, and Florida will be more inland and smaller. Miami would be gone. I'm thinking, could the same thing occur in Rio after 1,000,000 years of a changed landscape.

LANDSCAPE: (100,000,000) YEARS

My prediction of Rio, after 100,000,000 years is that it will possibly be smaller and not as beuatiful as it is today. The climate and geographical features will have changed. The coast will not be where it is today. Rio will be more inland or possibly not be on the map in the same location. Weather, climate, global warming will have the rainforest eliminated or possibly in danger. Rio will be different and changed in 100,000,000 years because the way the earth is going, drastic changes will be made around the world. Changing the geographical landscape of many locations around the globe. Including Rio de Janiero, Brazil. 

Conclusion: Rio de Janiero will change in the future. climate change, rock decay, global warming and more will all fall into place and bring changes to this specific location. Change will probably not happen for the first years, it will look the same as it does now. But it will slowly change. Maybe for the better or worse, I don't really know. But rio will be changed for sure. And it will look different than what it looks like today. That is the same with any other location in the globe. It's just a matter of time before that happens. But it will. So believe that, It will. It will be a new Rio de Janeiro, in the heart of Brazil. South America. 

References:

www.rentanapartmentinrio.com/arpoadordiabobeach.html 

www.exploringthearth.com/2013/01/12/rise-in-rio/

Class Lecture: earths innards

duff.ess.washington.edu/grg/publications/pdfs/fernandes_et_al.pdf

https:www.scribd.com/mobile/doc/141800150

Class Lectures: Volcanic Forms, Mass Wasting & Infiltration, Soils

Reference: (Class Lecture): Earth's Temperatures

Reference: http://www.riodejaneiro.com/blog/2012/10/22/rio-de-janeiro-climate/

Reference:  http://www.unique-southamerica-travel-experience.com/climate-of-brazil.html

 http://www.guesttoguest.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/rio-de-janeiro.jpeg

http://blogimgs.only-apartments.com/images/only-apartments/6418/visit-rio-de-janeiro.jpg

Blog # 3: The Climate and Weather of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A Valley type fog in Rio de Janeiro
http://famouswonders.com/christ-the-redeemer-statue-on-corcovado-mountain/

CLIMATE & WEATHER:

When a random person wants to travel the globe and visit places around the world. Warm climates come to mind. Meaning the place they are going to visit will be nice and hot. Perhaps tropical. You know, where you can have a pina colada and just relax on the beach with your swimsuit on. Or going to explore and take wonderful pictures. Good thing that one of the greatest world hotspots falls on this list and is also a wonderful place to vacation. You know which world city i'm talking about. None other than Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Lightning strike on top of the Christo Statue in Rio
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2543588/Construction-workers-dangle-100-ft-ground-begin-repair-work-Rio-Janeiros-famous-Christ-statue-damaged-recent-lightning-storms.html

Rio has the climate where its surroundings are the Amazon Rainforest, so yes the weather is tropical, hot, humid, and muggy. We have all heard the term three in one, meaning there are three types in one place. According to the Koeppen Scale, In Rio there are three types of climate that all apply to the city. Rainforest due to the Amazon surrounding most of Brazil, including Rio which creates rain storms year round. There is Monsoon type weather pounding Rio with intense precipitation. Most likely because of the location being next to the Atlantic Ocean. And during hurricane season weather along costal places intensifies. However, Rio is also considered being a Savanna type because it has wet and dry conditions for the summer and winter months. In my opinion, I believe that Rio has a convection type of (Latent Heat) because the majority of the heat is stored in the air with water vapor. Making it really humid and muggy.

Reference: (Class Lecture): Earth's Temperatures

This is a temperature graph of Rio for the months of January-December
http://en.climate-data.org/location/853/ 

Rio's weather is mostly rainy and tropical making December through March the months of most rainfall. more than average. in the summer temperatures can be as high as 104 degrees F* and into the low 60s for its lowest. The cold fronts from Antarctica that push north towards Brazil cause a lot of landslides, floods, extreme rain showers and lots of hail storms. year round the temperatures are pleasant enough for people to want to visit.

Reference: http://www.riodejaneiro.com/blog/2012/10/22/rio-de-janeiro-climate/

This is a climate graph of Rio for the months of January-December
http://en.climate-data.org/location/853/

Because Brazil is 90% tropical, in Rio, the southern part of the country you can experience 2 seasons. Wet and dry. Wet in the summer and dry in the winter The seasons in brazil are reversed because its in the southern hemisphere. Winter is June-September. Summer is December-March.

Reference:  http://www.unique-southamerica-travel-experience.com/climate-of-brazil.html

Average Rainfall - Rio de Janeiro

• Columns
 
• Bars   Reference: (http://www.holiday-weather.com/rio_de_janeiro/averages/)

• 
  

Blog #2

Landslides: very common in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
http://s2.dmcdn.net/bP11/x240-8pi.jpg

Mass Wasting In Rio:
    In the last unit sections of class lectures, we talked about rock decays and weathering and how hydrology changes everything in the environment. The most common activity in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are landslides. The key to landslides and all of the downslope movement of angular slope material is gravity. Gravity and landslides are rapid forms of mass wasting. Any object on earth's surface involves gravity. The type of mass wasting most common in Rio is an avalanche style fall. Normally when we see the word avalanche we think snow. But the term avalanche really means a rapid down flow of any type of object. Debris, rocks, mudflow. It basically means a change in flow that incorporates colluvium.

Historic Landslide in Rio during the 1980s
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2001/ofr-01-0276/images/Fig26tn.jpg

    Massive landslides are usually triggered by certain movement. Earthquakes, faults moving or plates moving also. There is a South American plate or fault, but it does not get much activity on the Brazilian side. Mostly on the Pacific Ocean side, where Chile is. The landslides that occur in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are because of the Serra do Mar, a coast range that goes all the way to the south eastern tip of Brazil. This is what features the famous sugar-loaves. the Serra do Mar gets triggered by intense summer rain storms. And because Rio is surrounded by hill slopes, water mixed in with the soil causes movements. The water bleeds through the soil causing the landscapes to move and landslides to occur. and these soil steep hill slopes are occupied a lot by the favelas in Rio. In Rio the most common slopes are colluvial mantle and is composed of 40% clay, in thick sand. This is a common trigger for movement in the soil, resulting in the landslides. Experiments and studies support and confirm that this occurs often in Rio and it is a major problem for the city, and people who live in the favelas.

A landslide in the favelas in Rio de Janeiro
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01553/landslide_1553760i.jpg

     Volcanic Activity in Rio?? True or Not??
    There is a volcano in Rio, that is debated a lot. The Nova Iguacu "Volcano". Some support that it is an actual volcano some think it's not. Although it's characteristics are there. It has a cone shaped crater and appears to have forms form lava flow. Although it has never been proved. The features say it's a volcano but it has never been proved. The Nova Iguacu "Volcano" It's very famous to visit today, when you go to Rio.

The Nova Iguacu Volcano/Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1493434

 Refrences:

duff.ess.washington.edu/grg/publications/pdfs/fernandes_et_al.pdf

https:www.scribd.com/mobile/doc/141800150

Class Lectures: Volcanic Forms, Mass Wasting & Infiltration, Soils

The Rocks of Rio: Shapes and Decays

ROCKS, SHAPES & SIZES:
All rocks on earth change according to their environment. Where it's located. What is the climate. Is it hot, cold, humid and what makes the rocks change. How do the rocks get shaped. what makes the shape. Location and climate have a lot to do with the rock formation where the observation is taking place. Since Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is located in South America, the weather is really hot, and humid. There is beach and mountains that are different sizes. the rocks, rock formation, mountain shape are based on three types of rock. igneous rock which is crystalized and has magma. sedimentary rock, which has layers and strata striations and metamorphic being the last one. Metamorphic rocks are rocks that change its size or shape due to heat and pressure. It's an overall change. In Rio de Janeiro, the majority of rock consists of metamorphosed granite. The combining forces in its region make these steep mountains metamorphic.

A steep mountain consisting the metamorphic rock with granite. the rock is exposed due to combo fractures, climate and weather decaying.
http://exploringthearth.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/christ-the-redeemer-in-rio-de-janerio-brazil-1.jpg 

 When south america and africa split and became two different continents the rocks created weak fractures and minerals reacted to the granite, (the main mineral in Rio's rocks) it created a tropical chemical weathering, and the hot weather in Rio formed what is called sugarloaf-domes all over rio. the domes are caused by exfoliation sheets. This helps the environment around Rio de Janiero to maintain its rainforest, a rainforest.

process of rock weathering
http://www.oocities.org/sg/c_pling/rockcycle.gif

an example of a sugarloaf-dome rock formation in one of Rio's national Parks
http://0.tqn.com/y/climbing/1/L/D/J/-/-/Rio_Sugarloaf_PhGuenterFischer_Getty_3.jpg 

One of the hot spots to visit while in Rio is Arpoador Beach. which is combining two beaches and two parks by one rock formation. The rock is Arpoador stone that comes out form the ocean directly. It's shape and size is unique because its smooth and shaped in a way where you can do activities while on top of the rock. like a very popular one for centuries. Whale hunting with harpoons  

picture of Arpoador Park/beach featuring the "pedra do Arpoador(Arpoador rock) combining two parks and two beaches together.
http://www.visitriodejaneirobrasil.com/arpoador_rock.jpg  

Refrences:

www.rentanapartmentinrio.com/arpoadordiabobeach.html 

www.exploringthearth.com/2013/01/12/rise-in-rio/

Class Lecture: earths innards

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at sunset

Introduction Blog:

Blog created by Joel Medina:

Hello everyone and welcome to my awesome blog on physical geography of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. First let me introduce myself. My name is Joel Medina and I am currently a student at the University of Colorado Denver or as others call it (UCD). I have lived in Denver, Colorado all of my life. I really enjoy traveling and visiting other places. It helps me enjoy it, and relax while taking my mind off thoughts and anything else going on in a college students mind. I have set up this blog to look closely at a worldwide hotspot Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  

This is the famous statue of Christ on a nearby mountaintop overlooking the city

   

I have chosen Rio de Janeiro, Brazil because it's beautiful there and full of culture. You can enjoy the beach and the mountains in the same city limits. And because of amazing photographs of Rio, all over the world, I can tell there is a lot of geography to look at and do a hands on study. I also chose this worldwide hotspot because Fast Five was filmed there. One of my favorite movies in the Fast and Furious franchise. And also this summer Rio hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup. And being a huge soccer fan, I really enjoyed watching all of the world cup games because I could see a geographic and   culture perspective. I think studying the physical surroundings of Rio de Janeiro, can really show me a lot of geography to only make me want to travel there in the near future. So join me in this incredible adventure and thank you for following this blog. We will have lots of fun, this semester.

References for pictures top to bottom:  

http://www.guesttoguest.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/rio-de-janeiro.jpeg

http://blogimgs.only-apartments.com/images/only-apartments/6418/visit-rio-de-janeiro.jpg