Internet Exercise - Due Oct 22

Introduction

The World Wide Web is an incredible source of information about nearly any subject, and geology is no exception. This exercise consists of three parts, outlined below. You need to do all three parts and hand in the information on October 22. In order to let you have time to do this exercise, which can be time intensive, I have canceled classes on both October 15 and 17. This exercise - which will be worth 50 points - takes time. Do NOT put it off until the last minute! The next test will contain some questions from this exercise, including some questions about differences in the scenery between different parts of Arizona

Objectives

• Learn how to use the Web to find cool information and resources - the web is the future for finding information about news, business, literature, art, science, education, or whatever.
• Learn how to observe landscapes, including recognizing similarities and differences between adjacent areas,
• Have active, hands-on experience with the scenery of Arizona before we talk about geology of the state.

Part A: Using the Web

You can use (1) your own computer and ASU's dial-in connections (or your own Internet provider, if you have one) or (2) one of the many computers available on campus and already hooked up to the Internet. Your objective is to explore the world wide web for information on any aspect of geology or Earth Science (including weather-related stuff) that interests you.

• First, think about some aspect of geology you would like to learn more about. You may scan the figures in the textbook to see what grabs your interest. On a sheet of paper, write down one or more questions you have about this subject, or list what things you would like to learn about this subject.
• Next, on the computer, open Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, or whatever web browser you use. Use one or more of the various search engines available (Yahoo, Infoseek, Alta Vista, Excite, etc.) to look for key words about your subject. For example, you could search for "tsunami" or "earthquake" if you were interested in the huge waves created by earthquakes. Explore the sites identified by the search, and follow links contained in those sites until you find some cool information that interests you. Be persistent; you may have to search dozens of sites before you find what you need. Sites at Universities or government agencies, such as NASA, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and NOAA, can be really neat and well done. Each state has a geological survey, and many of them have websites, but only some of them have already developed really interesting content. If you absolutely can't find anything about your subject, choose a new one and try again. Alternatively, just visit the USGS, NASA, or NOAA sites and see what's there. This part of the exercise should take about an hour or so, but have fun and take the time you need.
• Make a short list (that you will hand in) identifying all or several sites where you found some cool stuff, with a very short description of what information you found there. Example entries are as follows:
  • www.geophys.washington.edu/tsunami/welcome.html - descriptions about how a tsunami forms; video footage of a tsunami and its resulting damage; computer animation of how a tsunami moves across the Pacific
  • www-glg.la.asu.edu/~sreynolds/home.htm - image gallery of Arizona landscapes, and space shuttle photos of Arizona, volcanoes, and mountains.
• For this part, you will turn in a short, typed report on a single sheet of paper. This report should contain the following:
  • Your name and ID number at the top
  • The name of the subject you explored (e.g., earthquakes)
  • A very short paragraph (three to five sentences) about your experience on the Web and the "greatest hits" of what you learned.
  • The list of web sites, as discussed above.

• OPTIONAL - If you know how, please (in addition to handing in the paper copy) also email me a message with your topic and your list so I can compile a big list with all the topics for the entire class, and put it on my web site for you and your classmates to use later on, if you wish. I won't include your name or anything else about you on the master list. My email address is steve.reynolds@asu.edu. Please put "101 Sites" as the subject of the message.

Part B: Observing Landscapes

In this part, you will make some observations about three scenic photographs of Arizona, using the web and its ability to submit forms. Part B should only take 20 minutes to one hour. The requirements are the same as for the Arizona Geology Virtual Tourist exercise (Part C, listed below).

• Go to my home page (www-glg.la.asu.edu/~sreynolds/home.htm) and click on the GLG101 link. From the 101 page, click on the Observing Arizona Scenery Internet Exercise link. This brings up a map of Arizona on the upper frame and a blank form on the lower frame. If you have an older browser that does not support frames, use one of the University ones that does, or upgrade your browser.
• Move your cursor across the map. Anywhere the cursor changes to a little hand, you may bring up a color photograph of this area by clicking your mouse button. Before you click, the status bar at the bottom of your browser shows the name of the photograph that will be displayed for that area. This will help you keep track of whether you have already seen this photograph.
• To return from a color photograph to the map, click "back in frame" by holding down your mouse button (Mac) or right clicking (Windows). If you get lost, you can always go back to my home page and start again, but you do not have to redo any forms you have already submitted (see below).
• Find a photograph you want to observe, and fill in the appropriate places on the form. The name of the class and name of photograph are pop-up boxes (remember how to find the name of the photograph before you go to it, as described above).
• When you have everything filled in on the form, click on the submit button.
• Return to the map, choose a new photograph, and repeat the process (fill in the form and submit it). Click "Back in Frame" in the photograph frame to go back to the map.
• Do observations on three slides. The form information for each slide is sent automatically to me so that I can give credit to those who do this part of the exercise.

NOTE: If you have any problems with forms or get any error messages, simply type and turn in your observations on a sheet of paper with your name and ID#.

Part C: Arizona Geology Virtual Tourist

Why does scenery vary from place to place?

Introduction

Arizona is known around the world for its spectacular scenery. Why is Arizona so beautiful and visually interesting? And why do different parts of Arizona look so different? The area around the Grand Canyon looks nothing like the beautiful Sonoran Desert region of southern Arizona. What is going on?

Objectives

• Learn how to observe landscapes, including recognizing similarities and differences between adjacent areas,
• Explore how and why the scenery varies so markedly from place to place,
• Begin to understand scenery in terms of the underlying natural processes, and
• Prepare you for an in-class introduction to the geology of Arizona.

Materials

• Any Personal Computer (Windows PC, Mac, or Sun Workstation) that is connected to the Internet via either a network connection or modem (14.4 kb or higher recommended)
• Netscape Navigator or any Netscape-compatible browser (older browsers, such as those for America On Line, may not display the images properly)
• Loose-leaf sheets of paper or a notebook

Procedure

- First of all, glance at the end of this handout to see what is actually due for Part C. -

This exercise is done using scenic color photographs that you will access via the World Wide Web. In addition to the photos, the site uses shaded relief maps of Arizona, which show the location of different features, such as mountain ranges, valleys, and canyons, as well as how the elevation (height above sea level) varies across Arizona. This exercise, like much exploring and learning, is best done in a small team of two to four people. If you work in teams, as I recommend, each of you should hand in your own version of the assignment (not an exact or nearly exact copy!!), and indicate on your paper the names of your team members.

Note - All the observations will probably take several hours, just on the computer, so allot enough time and don't wait until the last minute.

Getting Started

• Go to my home page http://www-glg.la.asu.edu/~sreynolds/home.htm. Click on the Arizona Geology Virtual Tourist link, which takes you to a page providing an overview and links to the rest of the site.
• Click on the link to the Arizona Geology Virtual Tourist Links page. This page is your main access point into the rest of the web site. It has links to:
  • shaded relief map of Arizona,
  • shaded relief maps of different regions of Arizona,
  • shaded relief map of the western U.S.,
  • explanation of a shaded relief map,
  • simplified topographic map of Arizona, and
  • introduction to how to observe landscapes
• To see as much of each map and photograph as possible, you may want to hide your directory buttons and toolbar (for Netscape, see the Options menu). Then, to go back or forward, you would right-click (Windows), hold the mouse button down (Mac), or use the Go menu. Keyboard shortcuts to go back, such as Alt -left arrow (Windows) or "command [" (Mac), are also available.

Part I - How to Observe and Think About Landscapes

• For an introduction on how to make observations of landscapes, click on the How to Observe Landscapes link.
• Make all the observations you can about this photograph of Monument Valley, and enter them in your notebook.

• When you are finished, click on the Geologist's Observations to see how a geologist observes and thinks about landscapes.
• Some of these observations are themselves links to a page with one or more questions that naturally arise about that observation, as well as some possible explanations for each question.
• When you have explored the various observations, questions, and explanations, return to the Links page, either with the links provided or by using your back button.

Part II - The Big Picture: Shaded Relief Map of Arizona

• From the Links page, go to the Shaded Relief Map of Arizona.
• Observe this map, noting which regions of the state look similar and which ones look different.
• Enter your observations in your notebook before continuing. A simplified sketch map you draw in your notebook may be an easy way to show the different regions you have identified.

Thinking About the Big Picture

• Share observations with your team, and pose questions about the possible significance or cause behind each observation. Examples might include:
  • Why does northern Arizona look so different on the map than southern Arizona?
  • Does southern Arizona all look the same, and why?
• Propose as many alternative explanations as you can for one or more of your questions.

PART III - Regions of Arizona

Navigating the Regions

• On the shaded relief map of Arizona, you can click your mouse button when the cursor is over northern, northwestern, central, or southern Arizona, and you will bring up another, more detailed map for that part of the state.
• Move your cursor across the more detailed, regional map. Anywhere the cursor changes to a little hand, you may bring up a color photograph of this area by clicking your mouse button. Before you click, the status bar at the bottom of your browser shows the name of the photograph that will be displayed for that area. This will help you keep track of whether you have already seen this photograph. If you try to go to a photograph and get any kind of a "not found" error message, simply go back to the map and try a different photograph (location).
• To return from a color photograph to the map, click the back button on your browser. If you want to return to the map of all of Arizona, click the back button while viewing one of the detailed maps, or follow the links below the regional maps, or start again at my home page.

Exploring Northern Arizona

• Begin with the detailed map of northern Arizona and examine the scenery by viewing some photos. Your team should look at each photo carefully, cooperatively making as many observations as seems appropriate, given the time available for the entire project. List your descriptions in your notebook.
• As you examine successive photos, discuss what is similar and what is different between this photo and any previous ones for this region. Discuss whether you have seen enough photos to characterize the entire Northern Arizona region.
• When you decide you have seen enough photos for the region, write your general description for the region, noting which aspects seem consistent and which ones are more variable.

The Other Regions

• Repeat this process for the other three regions (southern, central, and northwestern Arizona), and summarize general characteristics of each region.

Comparing the Regions

• Identify similarities and differences between the regions, and pose questions about what you see.
• Propose alternative explanations to explain the differences. Sketches in your notebook may help you visualize alternatives.
• For each explanation, list any predictions or possible tests you could make that would support or not support that explanation.
• What additional information would you like to have in order to support or not support a possible explanation?

What is Due

For this part of the assignment, you will need to:

1. Make observations of scenery in different parts of the state (as described above),
2. Generalize your observations to a short bullet list, under the heading "Regional Observations", summarizing the main characteristics of each region (northern, northwestern, central, and southern Arizona),
3. Identify similarities and differences between the regions, and construct a bullet list, under the heading "Similarities and Differences", outlining some of these,
4. Under the heading "Possible Explanations", list at least one possible explanation to explain the differences you identified. The thought process counts much more than any "right" answer, so don't be shy!
5. Turn in a short typed summary of containing items 2, 3, and 4 above. You should be able to get this on one page, but can spread it out over several pages if you wish. Either way is OK.