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Download a zip file that includes all the web pages and downloadable files from the student materialsFor the Instructor
These student materials complement the Coastal Processes, Hazards and Society Instructor Materials. If you would like your students to have access to the student materials, we suggest you either point them at the Student Version which omits the framing pages with information designed for faculty (and this box). Or you can download these pages in several formats that you can include in your course website or local Learning Managment System. Learn more about using, modifying, and sharing InTeGrate teaching materials.Part 2
The second place to examine will require you to find the geographic coordinate of 15 º 00' 00" S 25 º 03' 27" E, at an eye altitude of 3,500 km. Again, you might find it challenging to get the Google Earth cursor exactly on these values, but so long as you are close (within 1 to 2 degrees geographic location and 100-200 kilometers eye altitude) you should be fine.
If you have done everything correctly, you should find yourself looking down onto the southern part of the African continent, just north of the Tropic of Capricorn.
Now answer the following questions:
1B. What type of plate tectonic classification is most suitable for the eastern and western margin of this part of Africa? Note that each margin faces a spreading center.
2B. Using the measuring tool in Google Earth (measuring stick icon on the top tool bar), measure the linear distance across the continental shelf on the western margin (shelf is the light blue area adjacent to the land) at the latitude of the Tropic of Capricorn. Assume that the seaward edge of the shelf here is at approximately 13 º 00' 00" E. Provide your answer in kilometers. Is the edge of the shelf here very pronounced, or does it appear to have a gradual gradient into the deeper ocean? Note you will have to zoom in a bit to see the shelf and shelf edge more clearly.
3B.Describe what happens to the continental shelf width between the Tropic of Capricorn and 17 º 00' 00" S along the eastern margin of southern Africa.
4B. What are two processes that could explain the differences in the continental shelf that you have observed between the two latitudes of the previous question?
5B. Move over to the western margin of southern Africa at the latitude of the Tropic of Capricorn. Zoom into an eye altitude of 300 km and examine the shape of the coastline and the land area along the coast between the Tropic of Capricorn and 24 º 15' 00" S. What do you think is the dominant subaerial environment within 50 km of the coastline? Consequently, what type of sediment do you think is most common along this section of the African coastline? Does the configuration of the shoreline suggest that this is an erosional or depositional coast? You may need to zoom locally to better evaluate the dominate landforms at this location.
