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These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
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Initial Publication Date: December 7, 2016

Investigating a Coastal Community in Louisiana

Note: You will need to use Google Earth on a computer rather than an app on a mobile device in order to successfully complete this assignment.

  • Find Isle de Jean Charles, Louisiana, by entering the name in the search window in Google Earth or navigating to 29o23'50" N; 90o29'18" W.
  • Adjust the altitude to an eye altitude of approximately 20 km.

    Isle de jean Charles is in the center, bottom third of the view (see below). Note the linear pattern of ancient waterways that were distributary channels of a long abandoned delta lobe built by the Mississippi River. Each of these represents a ridge of higher elevation ground on which the long, linear communities are established.




    Locate Louisiana Highway 665 and then find Island Road. You may need to zoom back in to find the label. Island Road connects Highway 665 to Isle de Jean Charles ("The Island"). Island Road is the only land connection to the town of Isle de Jean Charles, which is actually located on the remnant of a natural ridge of higher ground created by an old, abandoned distributary channel of the Mississippi River. Notice the broken-up nature of the surrounding marshes and the pattern of old oil and gas access canals throughout this area. These are the indicators of the rapid loss of land that has taken place over the past century in this area. As the vegetated marsh turns to open water, the protective buffer between the community and the Gulf of Mexico is reduced.
     
  1. Zoom in to Isle de Jean Charles to less than 500 m eye altitude. Observe the elevation of the ground as you mouse over the community. Note a levee that runs around the "island" (does it completely surround the island?). Record the greatest and least elevation of ground (not water). How high is the levee? What is the average elevation of the land, not counting the levee? Be sure to mouse around and check several locations on the levee and the island - if you just choose one point it may not be representative.
  2. Now navigate due south to Timbalier Island at 29o04'02" N; 90o29'27" W. We'll call this the "shoreline" for this area. What is the average elevation of the island? Again, be sure to mouse around the island to get a good sense of the elevation range.
  3. Zoom out so your eye altitude view is at 85" 90 km. Select the ruler icon at the top of the view. Draw a line with your mouse between Isle de Jean Charles and Timbalier Island. What is the distance?
  4. Use the mouse to continue south from Timbalier Island into the Gulf of Mexico. Find the first location where the elevation is -10 m (10 m below sea level). Use the ruler tool to measure from this point to Isle de Jean Charles. What is this distance?

These materials are part of a collection of classroom-tested modules and courses developed by InTeGrate. The materials engage students in understanding the earth system as it intertwines with key societal issues. The collection is freely available and ready to be adapted by undergraduate educators across a range of courses including: general education or majors courses in Earth-focused disciplines such as geoscience or environmental science, social science, engineering, and other sciences, as well as courses for interdisciplinary programs.
Explore the Collection »