Assignment 1

Instructions:

You should have a paper copy of this web page in hand as you do your assignment. As you answer each question, please write the answer on the paper (or or any additional pages you are instructed to print out) to be turned in. If you do not have a paper copy of this assignment, please print this page out now. Note: Please do not all try to print at once or the printer's memory will overload and nothing will get printed without a visit from the computer room personnel. Please ask them for help if you are working on your own outside of class. If you have any computer difficulties (or problems with the personnel) on this or any other assignment, please e-mail your instructor immediately so that she can get the problem resolved ASAP. You should use the web page version of this document as a "clickable page". Return to the Assignment 1 web page after answering each question (or set of related questions on a particular site). Then click on the next blue hyperlink to go on to the place where the next question can be answered.

First, I would like for you to learn something about the Worldwide distribution of earthquakes.

A. Earthquakes

  1. St. Louis University maintains a map of World Earthquakes of 1996. Here is the address if you need it http://www.eas.slu.edu/Earthquake_Center/wrld96.html
    1. Print out the map.
    2. What do the colors of the dots refer to?
    3. On your map, label:
      1. The continents: North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, Antarctica

      2. The oceans: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Antarctic or Southern Ocean

    4. Using the map of the plates on p. 20 of your textbook, and using the distribution of earthquakes, draw in the plate boundaries in pencil on your earthquake map.
    5. How do the plate boundaries match up with the distribution of earthquakes?
    6. What does this tell you about one of the possible causes of earthquakes?
  2. Now we will examine the largest earthquakes of the past week.

      Go to the weekly seismicity reports from the U.S. Geological Survey.
      This is the address:
      http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/QUAKES/WEEKREPS/weekly.html

      Here you will be able to click on "The World" and get a map of where the largest earthquakes were during the past week.

    1. Please write down the dates at the top of the map.
      Each triangle on the map is an earthquake epicenter; the larger the triangle, the larger the earthquake. The number in some of the larger triangles keys them to the date at the top of the page; the larger the number the more recent the earthquake. (The number in the triangle is NOT the magnitude.) Earthquake magnitude (or strength) is also listed at the top (following Mb=). The larger the Mb magnitude number, the larger the earthquake.

    2. Where were the three largest earthquakes last week, what was the date of each, and what was the magnitude of each?

      1. Largest _______________________________________________

      2. Next largest _____________________________________________

      3. Third largest _____________________________________________

      Now click on the BACK button at the top of the screen to go back to the previous page. Then click on "The Continental United States of America".
    3. If there were any earthquakes in the US last week, list the states and the dates and the magnitudes of each.
      Now we will see some MORE RECENT earthquakes. Go to the National Earthquake Information Center, which is at this address
      http://wwwneic.cr.usgs.gov/current_seismicity.html

      Click on WORLD.

    4. When was this map last updated?

    5. The time is in military time. List it and convert it to "regular" time.

    6. Where was the most recent event?

    7. Approximately how large was it (magnitude is size of colored spot)?

    8. Page down to see CURRENT EARTHQUAKE INFORMATION LIST. Click on it. You will see a list of the most recent events. Click on the most recent event (at the bottom of the list) to see a more detailed map. Describe its location in terms of latitude (lines go E-W) and longitude (lines go N-S). Note the numbers in degrees along the edge of the map.

      • Latitude _________________

      • Longitude _________________

      • Verbal description of this location
      • Depth of quake (in km) _________________

      • Magnitude of quake _________________

      Now go back and click on several other earthquakes that you may be curious about.
    9. Which ones did you look at?

    B. Georgia Geology

    1. See the digital relief map of Georgia courtesy of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab.
      It is at this address:
      ftp://fermi.jhuapl.edu/www/states/ga.gif
      Print out a copy. I will be working with this map in class to show you the various Physiographic Provinces in Georgia, and to look for evidence of faults. If possible, print out a copy. I can give you a copy in class if you let me know that you are unable to get it.

    2. Examine a map showing the drainage patterns of Georgia from the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS). This is the address:
      http://wwwga.usgs.gov/ga_sites.gif
      Print it out.

      Your assignment is to label the names of the rivers.
      We wil be talking about some of these rivers in class, and I want you to know where they are.
      Include the following:

      1. Chattahoochee River
      2. Flint River
      3. Ocmulgee River
      4. Oconee River
      5. Altamaha River
      6. Yellow River
      7. South River
      8. Alcovy River
      9. Savannah River

      How do you know the names of the rivers? You will have to consult a state map - perhaps in an atlas, or perhaps a road map.
    3. Go to the U. S. Geological Survey Water Resources information on Georgia. at this address
      http://h2o.usgs.gov/public/wid/html/ga.html
      and answer the following questions. You just need to scroll down the page to find the answers.

      Competing Demands for Water

    4. How much did the demand for water increase in the metropolitan Atlanta part of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin between 1970 and 1990?

    5. Which tropical storm caused flooding in July 1994?

    6. Which river basins were affected by this storm?

    7. What are some of the things which were damaged or destroyed by flooding?

      Potential Contamination

    8. One source of potential water contamination is the Savannah River Site in SC. What types of hazardous materials are there?

      Effects of Global Climate Change

    9. Global temperatures may increase because of what?

    10. What is the U.S. Geological Survey studying at Panola Mountain?

    11. What is dendrochronology?

      Geological and geohydrological studies in North Georgia

    12. Why is the USGS mapping in north Georgia?

      National Mapping Program

    13. How many 1:24,000 scale topographic maps cover Georgia?

    14. For what are they useful?

      Geologic Information Centers

    15. The U.S. Seismic Network will consist of 60 seismic stations nationwide. Where is the closest one, in Georgia?

    16. Why monitor earthquakes?

    C. Graphing rainfall in Georgia

    Go to the Water Conditions in Georgia Index Page, or type in http://wwwga.usgs.gov/ga006.html

    For each month in 1995, list the current and long term average precipitation in Atlanta.
    (Click on each month in turn and page down to the table.
    Find Atlanta in the table.
    Write down the numbers that are requested.)

    -------------------------Current ----------------------------------Long term

    Using graph paper, draw a graph of the precipitation in inches (vertical axis) and months (horizontal axis), with January 1995 on the left and December 1995 on the right. Plot long term average with black circles and current monthly as red circles. Connect the black circles with a black line. Connect the red circles with a red line.

    Now, go back to the index and find the current precipitation levels in Atlanta for July 1994.

    July 1994 ________________________________________________

    Plot the July 1994 current level on your graph as a BLUE circle on the same vertical line as your July 1994 data.

    How do the precipitation levels of that month compare with the graph you have drawn?

    What caused the difference?

    Just for fun, check out Atlanta's current weather and see a radar map for the past few hours. This is a good site to keep on hand.

    Along the same lines, try out the Weather Channel site at http://www.weather.com:80/weather/. Go to the Georgia Page

    For more fun in Georgia, click on http://www.state.ga.us/
    Find an interesting site and tell me about it.
    Don't forget to give its URL (http address).

    D. Go to the Gold Page

    Scroll down to "The Gold Rush" to answer the questions.

    1. When was gold first mined in Georgia?

    2. How and where was gold found by the earliest placer miners?

    E. Finding your way

    Now let's try a search engine to help you find the types of information you might want someday.

    There are several to choose from.

    Altavista

    Yahoo

    Excite

    Lycos

    Search for a site related to a topic you find interesting in geology.
    Give its URL and describe it briefly.
    Print it out to turn in.