Google Earth Investigations of Folded and Faulted Landforms
Hillary Hamann
, University of Denver
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This activity has been reviewed by 2 review processes
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This page first made public: Dec 6, 2011
Summary
This activity utilizes Google Earth (the free downloadable version) to investigate folded and faulted landscapes and to review crustal deformation processes and associated landform features.
Context
Audience
This course was designed as a lab exercise for an introductory undergraduate course in physical geology or geography, but could be adapted or utilized for an upper level course such as geomorphology.
Skills and concepts that students must have mastered
- Students should have an introductory knowledge of crustal deformation processes and basic faulted and folded landform features (such as: stresses, normal fault, reverse fault, syncline, anticline, plunging anticline, etc.).
- Students should have a cursory introduction to using Google Earth and should have the free program downloaded to a computer or laptop to use. A short background and introduction to Google Earth is included as a supporting document with this exercise.
How the activity is situated in the course
This activity has been used as a lab exercise in a series and as a stand-alone in-class activity. In my course, Google Earth is introduced in an earlier lab exercise and is used for additional lab exercises including viewing desert, coastal and karst landforms.
Goals
Content/concepts goals for this activity
To reinforce concepts and terminology related to crustal deformation processes and landforms
Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity
To view, visually interact with, and identify real crustal deformation landforms and their greater regional context. This activity asks students to move beyond viewing simple textbook diagrams of crustal deformation processes and landforms to recognizing these elements in real landscapes.
To critically analyze and interpret the processes that formed specific landforms using the visualization tool along with supporting information.
To critically analyze and interpret the processes that formed specific landforms using the visualization tool along with supporting information.
Other skills goals for this activity
To operate the Google Earth geographic visualization program and manipulate a 3-dimensional view of the Earth's land surface.
Description of the activity/assignment
To prepare for this activity, students have been introduced in class and through readings in their textbook to basic crustal deformation processes and landforms including: kinds of stress and strain, surface expressions, and types of faults and folds. Students also have some previous experience navigating in and controlling views in Google Earth. In Lab, students use their personal or lab computers equipped with Google Earth to view a number of specific locations within the United States that have folded or faulted landforms. Each location and landform includes some additional background information and a series of questions that ask the student to 1) review learned knowledge of processes and landforms, 2) identify real topographic expressions of processes and landforms, thus practicing the terminology, and 3) create new understanding of the processes that formed specific landforms. This exercise helps students to move from viewing simple textbook diagrams of crustal deformation processes and landforms to recognizing these elements in real landscape settings.
Determining whether students have met the goals
Student lab exercise answers are graded. Knowledge and understanding of crustal deformation processes and landforms are later evaluated as a part of a class exam.
More information about assessment tools and techniques.Download teaching materials and tips
- Activity Description/Assignment: Google Earth Investigations of Folded and Faulted Landforms -- Activity (Microsoft Word 369kB Mar8 10)
- Instructors Notes:
- Google Earth Introduction (Microsoft Word 54kB Mar8 10)
- Baars, D.L. and H.H. Doelling. 1987. Moab salt-intruded anticline, east-central Utah. Geological Society of America Centennial Field Guide—Rocky Mountain Section. Pg. 275-280.
- Solution Set: Google Earth Investigations of Folded and Faulted Landforms -- Solution Set (Microsoft Word 37kB Mar8 10)
