Route Map for Virtual Field Trip
STOP 1: Hydrosphere Field Trip, Tsunamis: Alaska, USA
STOP 2: Atmosphere Field Trip, Lightning: Central Florida (aka Lightning Alley), USA
STOP 3: Lithosphere Field Trip, Earthquakes: California, USA
STOP 1 Hydrosphere Field Trip, Tsunamis[1]: Alaska, USA
In 1964 there was a 9.2 magnitude earthquake lasting four minute and thirty-eight second in Anchorage, Alaska which resulted in tsunamis. The point of inception was Anchorage. Alaska. The earthquake caused landslides and tsunamis. Chenega, approximately 89 miles East of Anchorage was hit by a 27-foot tsunami destroying the village and killing 23 of the 68 people who lived there. Approximately 30 miles East from Chenega (118 from Anchorage), Port Valdez felt massive blows as a massive underwater landslide killed 30 people who were caught between the collapse of the Valdez city harbor and docks.(http://www.usc.edu/dept/tsunamis/alaska/1964/webpages/)
According to USGC a fault between the Pacific and North American plates ruptured near College Fjord in Prince William Sound. The epicenter of the earthquake was 12.4 mi (20 km) north of Prince William Sound, 78 miles (125 km) east of Anchorage and 40 miles (64 km) west of Valdez. The focus occurred at a depth of approximately 15.5 mi (25 km). Ocean floor shifts created large tsunamis (up to 220 feet (67 m) in height). (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/events/alaska1964/)
STOP 2 Atmosphere Field Trip, Lightening[2]: Central Florida (aka Lightening Alley), USA
Central Florida’s hot and humid conditions give rise to frequent thunderstorms which are a hot bed of life for lightening activity. Lightning strikes in Central Florida 1,383,228 strikes per year with an average of 24.7 per square mile. This high activity level gave Central Florida the nickname “lightning alley.”
Central Florida also leads the country in most fatalities as a result of lightning strikes. Lightning regularly occurs between June and August. As mentioned above, Florida’s high levels of humidity from the sea fronts create a perfect recipe for the high rate of in Central Florida than any other area in Florida. Although the residents are frequently educated regarding lightening safety, Florida continues to be the leading state for lightening related deaths. (http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-07-05/news/os-lightning-deaths-florida-20130705_1_lightning-alley-lightning-deaths-john-jensenius.)
STOP 3 Lithosphere Field Trip, Earthquakes[3]: Mojave Desert, California, USA
“Earthquakes are a normal occurring hazard in the Los Angeles region.” (Natalie Mazmanian, Group 1 Pamphlet.) According to Geology.com, the San Andreas Fault is the sliding boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. However, research has shown that San Andreas’ biggest fault competitor is through the Mojave Desert. Researchers tell us that the faults in the Mojave Desert are reaching San Andreas heights. Specifically, the researches state, “[I]n the past 67 years, seven moderate-to-large quakes have traced a 100-kilometer (62-mile) line through the Mojave.” (http://news.stanford.edu/pr/00/0001195strickslip.html)
The western tip of the Mojave Desert is the Antelope Valley. It is sits nestled between Tehachapi and the San Gabriel Mountains. The principal cities in the Antelope Valley are Palmdale and Lancaster. The Bullion Mountains are located southeast of the city of Barstow in the Mojave Desert. The mountain range stretches for approximately 50 miles in a northwest-southeasterly direction north of Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms. (http://digital-desert.com/ecosections/322ao.htm.) Twentynine Palms is home to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, where live ammunition practices occur. The highest point of the range in the northwestern region is 4,669 feet. (http://www.ci.twentynine-palms.ca.us/.)
[1] Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. Tsunami waves do not dramatically increase in height; however, the waves travel inland and build momentum creating the wave to grow in heights as the depth of the ocean decreases. The speed of tsunami waves depends on ocean depth rather than the distance from the source of the wave. Tsunami waves will travel at high rates of speed over deep waters, only losing its ferocity when it reaches shallow waters.
[2] Lightning is a natural electrical discharge of a very short duration and high voltage between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud. This electrical discharge gives a bright bolt of light that can be seen from miles away.
[3] Pursuant to USG, when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another, the result is an earthquake. (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/eqscience.php)
STOP 2: Atmosphere Field Trip, Lightning: Central Florida (aka Lightning Alley), USA
STOP 3: Lithosphere Field Trip, Earthquakes: California, USA
STOP 1 Hydrosphere Field Trip, Tsunamis[1]: Alaska, USA
In 1964 there was a 9.2 magnitude earthquake lasting four minute and thirty-eight second in Anchorage, Alaska which resulted in tsunamis. The point of inception was Anchorage. Alaska. The earthquake caused landslides and tsunamis. Chenega, approximately 89 miles East of Anchorage was hit by a 27-foot tsunami destroying the village and killing 23 of the 68 people who lived there. Approximately 30 miles East from Chenega (118 from Anchorage), Port Valdez felt massive blows as a massive underwater landslide killed 30 people who were caught between the collapse of the Valdez city harbor and docks.(http://www.usc.edu/dept/tsunamis/alaska/1964/webpages/)
According to USGC a fault between the Pacific and North American plates ruptured near College Fjord in Prince William Sound. The epicenter of the earthquake was 12.4 mi (20 km) north of Prince William Sound, 78 miles (125 km) east of Anchorage and 40 miles (64 km) west of Valdez. The focus occurred at a depth of approximately 15.5 mi (25 km). Ocean floor shifts created large tsunamis (up to 220 feet (67 m) in height). (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/events/alaska1964/)
STOP 2 Atmosphere Field Trip, Lightening[2]: Central Florida (aka Lightening Alley), USA
Central Florida’s hot and humid conditions give rise to frequent thunderstorms which are a hot bed of life for lightening activity. Lightning strikes in Central Florida 1,383,228 strikes per year with an average of 24.7 per square mile. This high activity level gave Central Florida the nickname “lightning alley.”
Central Florida also leads the country in most fatalities as a result of lightning strikes. Lightning regularly occurs between June and August. As mentioned above, Florida’s high levels of humidity from the sea fronts create a perfect recipe for the high rate of in Central Florida than any other area in Florida. Although the residents are frequently educated regarding lightening safety, Florida continues to be the leading state for lightening related deaths. (http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-07-05/news/os-lightning-deaths-florida-20130705_1_lightning-alley-lightning-deaths-john-jensenius.)
STOP 3 Lithosphere Field Trip, Earthquakes[3]: Mojave Desert, California, USA
“Earthquakes are a normal occurring hazard in the Los Angeles region.” (Natalie Mazmanian, Group 1 Pamphlet.) According to Geology.com, the San Andreas Fault is the sliding boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. However, research has shown that San Andreas’ biggest fault competitor is through the Mojave Desert. Researchers tell us that the faults in the Mojave Desert are reaching San Andreas heights. Specifically, the researches state, “[I]n the past 67 years, seven moderate-to-large quakes have traced a 100-kilometer (62-mile) line through the Mojave.” (http://news.stanford.edu/pr/00/0001195strickslip.html)
The western tip of the Mojave Desert is the Antelope Valley. It is sits nestled between Tehachapi and the San Gabriel Mountains. The principal cities in the Antelope Valley are Palmdale and Lancaster. The Bullion Mountains are located southeast of the city of Barstow in the Mojave Desert. The mountain range stretches for approximately 50 miles in a northwest-southeasterly direction north of Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms. (http://digital-desert.com/ecosections/322ao.htm.) Twentynine Palms is home to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, where live ammunition practices occur. The highest point of the range in the northwestern region is 4,669 feet. (http://www.ci.twentynine-palms.ca.us/.)
[1] Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. Tsunami waves do not dramatically increase in height; however, the waves travel inland and build momentum creating the wave to grow in heights as the depth of the ocean decreases. The speed of tsunami waves depends on ocean depth rather than the distance from the source of the wave. Tsunami waves will travel at high rates of speed over deep waters, only losing its ferocity when it reaches shallow waters.
[2] Lightning is a natural electrical discharge of a very short duration and high voltage between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud. This electrical discharge gives a bright bolt of light that can be seen from miles away.
[3] Pursuant to USG, when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another, the result is an earthquake. (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/eqscience.php)
Reflection:
For this artifact I chose to write about the group project. I felt this assignment brought the student learning objectives and combined the general educational objectives together. Once teams were assigned we were tasked with organizing ourselves to create a contract. The contract required the group to come up with a set of rules and schedule of tasks and due dates to move the project forward. The first part of the project proved to be a little scary because each student posted a map for each atmosphere and it was reviewed by your peers. At this point we voted on the best map for each atmosphere. Having created previous maps and working on the different atmospheres helped to determine how we would best create a virtual field trip discovering the three different atmospheres. The team then worked on their individual tasks. My task was to create one map showing the three different areas of the country that we choose. First, we started in Alaska that showed great earthquake and tsunami from 1964. The field trip then took us to Florida to show lightening alley-an area of Florida that has the most lightning strikes annually than any other area in the country. Our trip ended in Los Angeles, specifically the Mojave Desert, an area that is causing earthquakes. Each member shared their work with the team to allow for review and comment. Once the project was polished, it was submitted. This was a delightful experience. I was fortunate to work with a great group. Each member showed a tremendous amount of professionalism and responsibility. This was aa wonderful experience and probably the first time I enjoyed working with a group.