Exploring Barrier Islands in Google Earth
Summary
This is an exploration in Google Earth of the links between barrier island morphology and wave and tidal energy.
Collapse
Context
Audience
This exercise can be part of a laboratory activity or homework assignment in an upper level undergraduate course in Sedimentology or Marine Geology.
Skills and concepts that students must have mastered
Students should be able to use Google Earth.
How the activity is situated in the course
I have used this as a stand-alone exercise as a part of discussion of depositional sedimentar environments.
Goals
Content/concepts goals for this activity
The goal of this exercise to show that waves and tides influence barrier island morphology.
Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity
Students analyze images of barrier islands in Google Earth and formulate hypotheses about the relative influence of waves and tides in particular locations based on a previous proposed conceptual model. They then analyze real data and evaluate their predictions.
Other skills goals for this activity
Students should be able to use Google Earth. The activity may be done in small groups.
Description and Teaching Materials
This is a computer based exercise. Students will use Google Earth as well as data downloaded from the NOAA website.
Exploring Barrier Islands in Google Earth (Microsoft Word 177kB Jun12 14)
Exploring Barrier Islands in Google Earth (Microsoft Word 177kB Jun12 14)
Teaching Notes and Tips
Share your modifications and improvements to this activity through the Community Contribution Tool »