Looking into Earth with GIS

David Smith, Redlands University, David_Smith@redlands.edu

Carla McAuliffe, Center for Science Teaching and Learning at TERC, Carla_McAuliffe@terc.edu

Marianne Weingroff, Digital Library for Earth System Education, marianne@ucar.edu

Betsy Youngman, Science Education Consultant, TERC, betsy.youngman@gmail.com

Published: September 2004. Last Updated: August 2011.

Description

Note: This chapter was retired in October 2018. The visualization tool (My World GIS) is no longer supported.
In this chapter, you will work with data from a seismic wave model in a GIS (geographic information system) program, My World GISTM. Using My World GIS, you will examine maps, select data and produce graphs to explore variations in seismic wave velocities at depths of 28 and 100 km below Earth's surface. By examining, graphing and analyzing GIS data, you can visualize density changes and earthquake distributions near a spreading center and two subduction zones. Finally, you will infer the location (depth) of the upper mantle under ocean basins and under continents from the analyses of your data.


This chapter is part of the Earth Exploration Toolbook. Each chapter provides teachers and/or students with direct practice for using scientific tools to analyze Earth science data. Students should begin on the Case Study page.


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