Week 7: Investigating Earthquake Activity

Weekly Goals

  • Map tabular data using longitude and latitude coordinates.
  • Understand how a GIS can be used to help ask and answer spatial questions.
  • Apply GIS techniques to investigate spatial patterns, such as earthquake distribution.
  • Share your ideas about you might use spatial querying in your classroom teaching.
  • Provide feedback on what you are learning and the process of learning it.

List of This Week's Tasks

  1. Bring earthquake data from 2009 into a GIS to be mapped.
  2. Find out how Margaret Glasscoe uses satellite data, simulations, and computer models to study how Earth's crust deforms in response to large earthquakes.
  3. Develop and execute a spatial query applicable to your teaching.
  4. Analyze earthquake patterns using GIS techniques.
  5. Contribute to an online discussion centered on using spatial querying in your teaching.
  6. Answer the Week 7 Feedback questions.

A Look at the Week Page by Page

Introduction to Mapping Tabular Data in GIS

This page provides an overall introduction to mapping spatial data and highlights the classic case of mapping deaths from cholera during an epidemic in London in 1854.

  • Introduction to Mapping Tabular Data in AEJEE
  • Introduction to Mapping Tabular Data in ArcGIS
  • Introduction to Mapping Tabular Data in My World

These parallel pages review the relationship between longitude/latitude and X/Y coordinates on a GIS map as well as describe the process of mapping, symbolizing, and classifying earthquake data from 2009.

If you are pressed for time, download the project file and watch all the movies.

Eyes on Margaret Glasscoe

Meet Margaret Glasscoe, a scientist at JPL, who uses satellite data, simulations, and computer models to improve the accuracy of Earthquake forecasting.

If you are pressed for time, read the background information and explore the Resources later.

Getting to Know Spatial Querying in GIS

This page introduces you to three main types of spatial queries.

  • Getting to Know Spatial Querying in AEJEE
  • Getting to Know Spatial Querying in ArcGIS
  • Getting to Know Spatial Querying in My World

On these parallel pages, learn to carry out a simple spatial query with one earthquake. Use a more complex spatial query to find all the features within a given boundary and another to find features within a given distance of other features. Take a screenshot of your map after you have created and executed a spatial query of interest to you. This is the image that you'll post to your discussion section.

This weekly activity is required and is due on Tuesday, March 30, 2010.

Using GIS to Analyze Earthquake Patterns

This page provides background information about using GIS to analyze earthquake patterns.

  • Using AEJEE to Analyze Earthquake Patterns
  • Using ArcGIS to Analyze Earthquake Patterns
  • Using My World to Analyze Earthquake Patterns

These parallel pages guide you through an investigation that uses GIS to analyze and investigate current and historic earthquake patterns.

If you are pressed for time, complete the investigation at least through the spatial query of big earthquakes.

Share and Discuss

This page allows you to access your discussion section plus gives you the opportunity to provide us feedback.

Feedback is optional and anonymous. However, if you have time to provide feedback, you can help us better meet your needs.

Posting on Your Weekly Discussion Section Page (i.e. JSC 1, JSC 2, etc.)

Discuss with your colleagues how you might use the GIS techniques of mapping tabular data and spatial querying with your students. It is helpful if you create a new thread when you post your Tuesday assignment. Then use the reply function to "talk" to others in your section about their ideas.

This weekly activity is required and occurs from Tuesday, March 30, through Thursday, April 1, 2010.


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