SAGUARO: Science and GIS Unlocking Analysis and Research Opportunities

The SAGUARO project CD-ROM features three learning modules that use GIS to learn about earth system science. The three modules - Exploring Tropical Cyclones, Exploring the Dynamic Earth, and Exploring Water Resources - use GIS to help students identify physical and spatial relationships and construct multiple representations of data as maps, tables, charts, and graphic layouts. The modules use a multimedia approach, incorporating animations, video, audio, and digital stills. Using GIS allows for data manipulation, exploration, and an inquiry-based approach to learning. Computer skills are not necessary because the modules are presented in a format that focuses on the concepts of earth science rather than on learning GIS skills. Each module is accompanied by an extensive list of supporting resources including books and links to relevant websites. The modules are available for individual purchase from the site and each comes with licensed GIS software.

Sediment Transport Movies

This site features a collection of 25 freely downloadable brief movies that demonstrate different types of sediment transfer processes in a variety of environments. Videos present both live and laboratory-created conditions and events such as turbidity currents, debris flows, tidal fluctuations, and the formation of dunes and ripples. For example, two live videos by Canadian sedimentologist Gerard Middleton show the effects of tidal processes at the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. There are also four videos which capture the growth of mineral crystals. Text to accompany the videos can be downloaded as a PDF file by clicking the appropriate link.

NOAA Interactive GIS Climate Maps

This website contains an interactive GIS map with global temperatures, precipitation, ecosystems, population and other layers. The tool can zoom in and out, provide limited geographic information, and display a variety of climatic information.

United States Climatographs

Web-based GIS map linking to climatographs of mean maximum and minimum temperature and precipitation for selected U.S. cites. Users click on selected cities and will find in situ data such as yearly temperature and average precipitation graphs.

Natural Resources Conservation Service: Climate Information Retrieval

This website, created and maintained by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, contains an interactive map containing climate information for each state. Users can click on states and find information and data for every county in every state. Data includes daily mean temperature, frost free days, growing season, and monthly temperature and precipitation. Users may also download data from this page.

Essentials of Geology: Hot Spot Volcanoes Animation

This animation, listed as 2.10 in Chapter Two in the Essentials of Geology web page, shows how hot spot volcanoes arise. Users may access this and many other animations describing plate tectonic processes from the Chapter Two webpage. Users may also follow links to other chapters in the Essentials of Geology book.

Turbidites

This website, designed for a Sediments and Strata course at the University of California- Davis, contains numerous photographs of turbidite sequences in outcrop. Photos are divided into two categories; turbidites in the Cretaceous Pigeon Point Formation and turbidites in the Cretaceous Great Valley Sequence. Users may also follow a link to other sedimentary photos.

Monterey Canyon Turbidity Flow

This website describes two turbidity events flowing down Monterey Canyon. The flows were recorded in December 2002 by a benthic mooring device located at1300 m depth. The website contains a detailed description of the events as well as graphs and illustrations of the effect of the event on instrumentation, including parameters such as flow speed and temperature.

The fluid dynamics of natural turbidity currents, Lillooet Lake, British Columbia, Canada

This website describes the outcome of two field studies at the University of Leeds, that examined the dynamics of density currents generated by river inflow into Lillooet Lake. This website presents the background to the study, details of the methodology as well as photographs and graphical representations of the findings. The study provides the first dataset from natural sediment-laden turbidity currents and bridges the gap between natural currents and laboratory and numerical simulations.

Crystal Growth Movies (title enhanced by cataloger)

This site, maintained by the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Wyoming, contains four QuickTime videos of actual crystal growth. To access the videos, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on any of the downloads that are available. These videos enhance understanding of the processes involved in crystallization.