Assignment_7B_Rivers_and_Google_Earth(7)
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School
Central Piedmont Community College *
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Course
111
Subject
Geology
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
Pages
3
Uploaded by TheScienceProfessor
GEOLOGY 111 ONLINE
RIVERS AND GOOGLE EARTH (30 pts)
Google Earth (GE) is an ideal tool for interpreting and appreciating this unique surface
process. Large rivers such as the Ohio River illustrate how efficiently river systems can
gather sediment from mountainous regions of a continent and transport it to the ocean,
where deltas form. What kinds of drainage and channel patterns do you find in the
Mississippi drainage basin? How does the slope of the river channel change as one moves
downstream? These questions and many more can be explored by using the Google Earth
(GE) interface. Make sure to have the Borders and Labels Layer checked. If you do not
have Google Earth on your computer you may download it at:
Google Earth
This exercise modified from an exercise in the textbook Understanding Earth 6
th
edition
by Grotzinger and Jordan.
USE GOOGLE EARTH TO ARRIVE AT YOUR
ANSWERS. DO NOT USE SOMEONE ELSE’S ANSWERS AS THIS WILL BE
CONSIDERED PLAGARISM.
1.
Type “Tell City, Indiana” into the GE search window. Once you arrive there,
zoom out to an eye altitude (eye alt) of about 50 mi (bottom right on image). You
will be looking down on the Ohio River, the largest tributary by volume of the
Mississippi River. Examine the stretch of river that flows from east to the west
near the city and describe the channel pattern you observe.
(4 pts)
A.
Artificially straightened
B. Braided
C. Deltaic
D. Meanderinjg
Answer:
2.
Follow the Ohio River downstream until it meets the Mississippi River. What
town is found just downstream AFTER the two rivers meet? The distance from
Tell City, Indiana to where the Ohio River meets the Mississippi River is about
275 miles.
Using the cursor, determine the change in elevation of the Ohio River
channel over the approximate 275 mile stretch. (You can determine elevation at
each location by putting your cursor over the river channel near these two
localities and reading elevation off the bottom of the screen given in feet). What is
the approximate gradient in feet per mile over this stretch of the Ohio River? Be
sure to show work for partial credit. (Gradient is discussed in section 16.3) (6 pts)
Answer (Town): St. Louis
(Gradient): 16.3 / 275 = 0.06
3.
Which of the following cities’ baseball fields is most vulnerable to flooding by the
local river?
To ascertain which city is most vulnerable, take the difference in
elevation between the baseball field and the water elevation of the local river. The
smallest elevation difference will be the most vulnerable. Show work for partial
credit (4 pts)
A.
St. Louis Cardinals (Busch Stadium)
B.
Memphis Redbirds (AutoZone Park)
C.
Cincinnati Reds (Great American Ballpark)
D.
Minnesota Twins (Target Field)
E.
Pittsburgh Pirates (PNC Park)
Answer:
4.
Go to the Google Earth image of Greenville, Mississippi. What geologic feature is
surrounding Archer Island to the north of the city? Must give the geologic term
used in Chapter 16 of your textbook (4 pts)
Answer: Stream Terraces
5.
Using the Google Earth search window, navigate to New Orleans, Louisiana.
Zoom out to an eye altitude of 70 miles to appreciate the close relationship
between the city and the Mississippi delta. Now zoom in on the delta itself to
observe the deposition of sediment from the Mississippi River channel in the Gulf
of Mexico. What distance does the river travel from the City of New Orleans
before the water reaches the Gulf of Mexico past Port Eads? Use the ruler tool on
Google Earth to measure the approximate distance.
Be sure to convert to
kilometers on the ruler scale
(4 pts)
A.
648 km
B. 171 km
C. 137 km
D. 104 km
Click Ruler Tool (looks like ruler) and Select “Path” Then Follow the Path of the
Mississippi River from New Orleans to Gulf of Mexico a little past Port Eads (this
measures all the twists and turns of the river).
Must do this to get correct answer.
Looking a little closer to CPCC, let’s take a look at the Catawba River, our city’s main
supply of freshwater.
6.
Use Google Earth to navigate to Charlotte, NC. The Catawba River is just west of
the city of Charlotte. What general direction is the river flowing in this region?
(4 pts)
A. North
B. East
C. South
D. West
Answer:
7.
Zoom in to an eye altitude of about 5 mi (25,000 feet) on the stretch of the
Catawba River just west of the Charlotte International Airport. Find the first lake
upstream and first lake downstream of the Catawba River from this location.
Name both lakes.
(3 pts)
Answers: Lake Norman and Lake Hickory
Why are these lakes located where they are? (
Hint
: Zoom in toward the edge of
these lakes and you might be able to observe the cause) (3 pts)
Explanation: The edge of the lake is a delta. Deltas create lakes since sediment builds up
there.
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