Plate Motion Using Earthscope GPS Data

1 of 2
From Jerry L. Price
Earth Science and Environmental & Sustainable Science Teacher
Mountain Lakes High School Mountain Lakes NJ

1. Analyzing Plate Motion Using EarthScope GPS Data
a. Preliminary information
i. Our Earth Science class first covered and studied chapters 13,14&15 covering Plate Tectonics, Volcanoes and Earthquakes
b. Introduction to GPS & plate tectonics
c. Introduction to using Excel
d. We spent 2 days collecting the GPS data-set for Seattle
i. Converted the CSV file to an Excel file
ii. Manipulated data so we only had Date, North, East, Vertical
iii. Developed “trend-line graphs” based on the above information
e. We spent 2 days collecting the GPS data-set for the PBO’s stationed at Yellowstone National Park
i. Separated class into groups: each group took 1 PBO
ii. Manipulated data so we only had Date, North, East, Vertical
iii. Developed “trend-line graphs” based on the above information
f. We spent 1 day producing Maps with a Vector arrow pointing in the direction of the plate movement
g. I have implemented this chapter as a regular part of the Earth Science curriculum here at Mountain Lakes High School – I have used it for 3 years now…Thank you…
h. (see attached)

2 of 2
From Jerry L. Price
Powerpoint Presentation of above