Journey Across the Pacific

This lesson is appropriate for high school and undergraduate level students.

This activity is an introductory lesson in a 5 module series to learn basic GeoMapApp navigation and data usage skills and soe not require any prior skills or concept mastery. It is recommended that this lesson be completed after Lesson 1, Exploring the Seafloor.

This activity is the second in a series of 5 lessons designed to introduce students to the software mapping program GeoMapApp. Lessons 1-3 are intended to build basic skills and cover concepts of seafloor topography, using real world data, seafloor mapping and satellite telemetry. Lessons 4 and 5 build on skills learned in the first 3 lessons and include higher order thinking skills and scientific inquiry.

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Use the distance profile tool to draw a profile of the Ocean Floor, interpret and describe the variables displayed in the profile (distance traveled and elevation).
• Use GeoMapApp to find and match locations on the map with locations in the distance profile graph.
• Use the Bookmark feature to save a specific map layout in GeoMapApp.
• Change the way data layers are displayed on a map using the shapefiles and the global grid.
• Add contours and use them to interpret slope of the seafloor.
• Understand the difference between one slice of topography, as represented in a distance profile graph, and a larger 3D representation of the seafloor, as shown in a grid.

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This second introductory lesson in GeoMapApp begins with a historical look at methods of surveying the seafloor, from lead line surveys to modern multibeam and side-scan sonar. Then, a series of instructions takes students trough the bathymetric tools of GeoMapApp. Activity includes both student and instructor versions.

The activity includes 14 student questions, for which an instructor key is provided