LabWorksheet03

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Feb 20, 2024

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Name: ___ Emily Alvarez_ _________________________ Lab Worksheet 3: Reading Isoline Maps and Temperature-Air Pressure Patterns GEOG 5, Instructor: Joy Fritschle This lab is comprised of 3 parts that will enhance your map reading skills by investigating temperature and air pressure patterns and available spatial data. In part 1, you will interpret various isoline maps; in part 2, you will explore a rich online source of geospatial data that can be viewed in ArcGIS Online – the Living Atlas; and in part 3, you will investigate temperature and air pressure patterns at a location of your choosing. Part 1: Interpreting Isoline Maps This part of the lab continues to build on your isoline map-reading skills that were introduced in previous labs with a focus on maps depicting isotherms (air temperature) and isobars (air pressure).

1. Match the six sets of contour lines to the corresponding topographic profiles (cross-section view of real Earth’s surface) on the right. Draw a line to connect the matched sets. (1.5 pts) 2. In the map below of Global Average Barometric Pressure in January, where is the highest pressure located and what is the value? Where is the lowest pressure located and what is the value? (1 pt) Highest pressure location ____Aisa_(North-east)______________________________________ value:_ 1034 __________mb Lowest pressure location _____ Southern Ocean ______(South- east)_________________________________ value: ____ 982_ ________mb Global Average Barometric Pressure in January 3. In the map on the next page of Global Average Barometric Pressure in July, where is the highest pressure located and what is the value? Where is the lowest pressure located and what is the value? (1 pt)

Highest pressure location __South Africa (Indian Ocean) (South-east) _________________________________________ value: _1026____________mb Lowest pressure location ______ Southern Ocean ______(South-east) ______________________________________ value: _____982________mb

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Global Average Barometric Pressure in July Recall that factors influencing temperature patterns around the world include latitude, land-water contrasts, ocean currents, wind patterns, and elevation. With those factors in mind, please refer to the maps of isotherms on the next page and answer the following questions: 4. In the northern hemisphere, is the temperature difference between the equator and the Arctic region greatest in the summer or winter? (0.5 pts) In the winter, the temperature difference between the equator and the Arctic region is greatest. It is in the winter because the tilt of the Earth's axis significantly impacts the solar radiation at various latitudes. 5. Where in the world are the isotherms responding almost solely to latitude regardless of season (in other words, they run strongly east and west) and why is this the case? (1 pt) The isotherms that run strongly east and west regardless of season are in the high latitudes, such as in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Due to the minimal landmass at these latitudes, there is little meddling with air and ocean currents, resulting in significant temperature variations based on latitude.

6. Comparing the two maps, what part of the world exhibits the greatest annual temperature range (difference between January and July average temperatures). Why does it experience such a huge difference in temperatures between the summer and winter? (0.5 pts) After comparing the two maps, Asia and North America appear to have the highest annual temperature, as summer and winter temperatures differ sizeably. Because they are far from moderating ocean influences, have large land masses (contributing to extreme temperature changes), and have higher elevations that influence temperature differences, these areas experience significant temperature differences. 7. Comparing the two maps, what part of the world experiences a small annual temperature range? Why does it experience such a small difference in temperature throughout the year? (0.5 pts) According to the two maps, the equatorial regions have the smallest annual temperatures. Temperatures around the equator are consistently hot throughout the year, as shown on the map, with minor variations between winter and summer. The main reason for hardly any changes is the sun’s rays and how it is hit almost year-round. However, the sun changes angles due to the axis tilt in other regions. Global Temperatures around the December Solstice

Global Temperatures around the June Solstice 8. For the following questions, choose one of the factors influencing temperature ( Latitude , Land-Water contrasts , Ocean Currents , Wind Patterns , and Elevation ) to explain the differences between the locations. (2 pts) a. Why is Seattle Washington (47°N, 122°W) warmer in the winter than Minneapolis Minnesota (45°N, 93°W)? (hint: for each of these questions, your answer should be one of the following: latitude, land- water contrast, ocean currents, wind patterns, or elevation; and then an explanation of how that factor is causing the observed difference in temperature) Given that Washington is located on the west coast of the United States, the essence of the ocean has an impact on the temperature in Washington. Because the West Coast is close to the Pacific Ocean, it functions as a heat reservoir, absorbing and storing heat that is then released during the winter (thermal inertia), allowing for a milder winter. Furthermore, in these cases, wind contributes to the varying temperatures. Washington has a maritime climate, with winds blowing from the ocean to the land. These winds would bring moist air from the ocean breeze, resulting in mild temperatures. However, Minneapolis is located in the interior of the continent, away from large bodies of water. This suggests that it does not experience the same impact from ocean currents as Washington. The continental climate causes greater temperature variation between summer and winter in inland areas such as Minneapolis. Different wind patterns rather influence it. In the winter, cold air masses from the North/Northeast enter the region. This causes cold temperatures that are unaffected by the warming effect of the ocean, resulting in a colder winter than Washington.

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b. Why is San Diego California (32°N, 117°W) cooler in the summer than Savannah Georgia (32°N, 81°W)? San Diego, California is cooler in the summer than Savannah because of the location. San Diego is located on the west coast of the U.S. beside the Pacific Ocean, while Savannah is on the east cost of the U.S., near the Atlantic Ocean. The California current flows coldly from southward along the coast, from higher latitudes. This upwelling effect, with the ocean breeze, help moderate the temperatures in San Diego during the summer. For Savannah, the warm waters of the Gulf Stream flow through the eastern seaboard. Since it is from the Gulf, the current brings in warm water from the tropics, making higher temperatures and humid conditions in the summer. Moreover, San Diego’s Mediterranean climate and Savannah’s subtropical climate affect the temperature. Making San Diego to become exposed to cool oceanic influences to have milder summer temperatures, while Savannah (inland) to directly get heated from the land. c. Why is Lihue, Hawaii (22°N, 159°W) warmer than Kilauea Hawaii (22°N, 159°W)? (hint: given that these two locations have the same latitude and longitude, and experience the same wind and ocean currents, the answer has to be a difference in elevation. Look up the elevation of each location and use that to explain your answer.) Given that the two locations have the same latitude and longitude, wind, and ocean currents, the answer would be the difference in elevation. Lihue is located on the island of Kauai, and it has an elevation of about 11 meters above sea levels. However, Kilauea, also on Kauai, is at a higher elevation of about 81 meters above sea levels. The difference between elevation plays an impactful role in temperature differences. It is known that temperature decreases with increasing elevation (lapse rate). Since Kilauea is at a higher evaluation, it experiences cooler temperatures. The air at Kilauea cools down as it ascends to a higher elevation, making a little change of a cooler climate. d. Why is San Diego California (32°N, 117°W) warmer than Seattle Washington (47°N, 122°W)? San Diego, California is more warmer than Seattle, Washington due to its location, ocean currents, topography, and weather patterns. San Diego is at a lower latitude and receives more sunlight because it is closer to the equator. Seattle is further north of the equator (higher latitude), so it receives less sunlight, which contributes to temperature differences. Furthermore, San Diego is located on a coastal plain and has a more arid climate with less air movement, which allows warmer air to move from the desert regions. On the other hand, Seattle has

complex topography, with mountains and the Pacific Ocean influencing the airflow movement of weather, resulting in a cooler temperature. San Diego's Mediterranean climate and water currents have an impact on temperature, with dry summers and warm winters. However, Seattle is affected by the cold waters of the California Current system, as well as its marine west coast climate, which brings cooler weather throughout the year. Part 2: Exploring the ArcGIS Online Living Atlas In the first lab, you completed a tutorial on getting to know ArcGIS Online, a cloud-based GIS (geographic information system) that is relatively user-friendly. We are going to further explore ArcGIS Online in this part of the lab by exploring the kind of information that can be found in the Living Atlas. First, log onto our SMC ArcGIS Online organization at: AGOL ( https://www.arcgis.com/index.html ). (if you’ve forgotten your user name and password, please review the info provided in Lab 1; if you changed your password from the one I assigned and have forgotten your password, you’ll need to set up a new one) Then in a separate tab, go to this Living Atlas tutorial ( https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/get-started-with- arcgis-living-atlas-of-the-world/ ). If you scroll down to the Lesson Plan on this webpage, you’ll see this tutorial has three parts. Only do the first two parts (omit the section using ArcGIS Pro). 9. Insert/attach screenshots below proving that you did the tutorial or upload them to Canvas. (3 pts)

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As you’re working through the tutorial, take some screenshots to prove that you’re completing it. Make sure to include the upper right-side of the window in your tutorial where it shows your name in ArcGIS Online .

10. Reflect on what you learned from this tutorial. How can the Living Atlas better help you understand Physical Geography as a student? What are the kinds of things you can learn from the Living Atlas? (1 pt) After completing this tutorial, I learned how to add layers to the map and pinpoint specific locations to check for soil moisture content. I believe that learning this will teach us how to search for maps and sort them based on relevance. This website is efficient and well-organized for anyone having difficulty finding a specific map or data. Part 3: Investigating Temperature-Air Pressure Patterns at a Location of Your Choosing This part of the lab is to be completed in the Lab 3 Discussion board on Canvas. You will need to write a primary post (at least 150 words in length; worth 4pts ) and two secondary posts in response to other students’ primary posts (at least 75 words in length each; worth 1pt each ). The instructions for what you should write about can be found by going to the Discussion menu item in our Canvas course.

LabWorksheet03

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