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112
Subject
Geography
Date
Apr 3, 2024
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15
Uploaded by DoctorPartridge4095
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Hawai'i Physical Geography: Helicopter Data Tour: GPH 112: Intro to Phys Geography Lab (2024 Spring)
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Hawai'i Physical Geography: Helicopter
Data Tour Due Mar 31 at 11:59pm
Points 8
Questions 4
Time Limit None
Instructions
If you are short on time, reading
and just doing the lab is faster.
But if you are nervous or worried,
this video about doing this lab was
made for you. (10 minutes in
length)
GPH112: Overview of the First Hawai'i lab on
…
INTRODUCTION: OBJECTIVE OF THIS LAB IS TO BRAINSTORM
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Geographers love to pour over and examine maps
. Many professional geographers got their start as
kids nerding out on books of maps called atlases. Today, future geography stars might spend their
hours pouring over collections of all types are widely available online in placed like the Library of
Congress
(https://www.loc.gov/maps/collections/) , university libraries such as the map and
geospatial hub
(https://lib.asu.edu/geo) at ASU, seamless topographic maps (
USA topo link
(http://mapper.acme.com/) ), and for K-12 teachers the Arizona Geographic Alliance maps
(http://geoalliance.asu.edu/maps) . A lot of physical geography research
starts with examining maps, looking
at patterns, and then coming up with
possible physical geography
processes to explain those patterns.
El Niño is but one example; the
fishing industry off the coast of South
America has known for centuries (if
not millennia) that around the time of
Christmas, warm water shows up
and fish die offs occur every few
years. It wasn't until the 1920s,
however, that Gilbert Walker
examined maps of pressure and
noticed that a "Southern Oscillation"
sometimes flip-flops high and low
pressure (and rainfall patterns)
across the tropical south Pacific.
Then, in the 1960s, Jacob Bjerknes
connected everything together by
studying more maps of pressure,
climate, and ocean currents and
called the pattern ENSO (El Niño-
Southern Oscillation) you learn about
in the GPH 111 lecture.
Sardine die-off in Chile (
NASA
(https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/ElNino/page3.php)
)
In a synchronous class, whether online or in person, map interpretation often ends up being a
brainstorming session. One person might see a pattern, and then another three might offer up
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explanations of processes to explain that pattern. This can then lead to dreaming up "tests" or ways
to disprove one explanation or another. For every pattern that eventually gets figured out, like El Niño,
there are often dozens of hypotheses offered up and then disproven by these tests. A review of the
science in 1957 listed possible causes of El Niño fish die offs that are now disproven, including:
"troublesome and unwholesome" north winds; trade winds extending along the Peruvian coast from
the Gulf of Panama; the southward flow of equatorial water; submarine landslides; vertical exchanges
of heat and water above the coastal shelf; and changes in the oxygen content of the eastern Pacific
waters and more. This graphic gets at the essence of science -- that
we can never "prove" anything doing science.
Proofs are for mathematicians. Scientists just try to
come up with ways to disprove our explanations for
the patterns we see. We publish when we disprove
an explanation and we publish we cannot (yet)
disprove an explanation. And we try to teach to our
students those explanations that are not yet
disproven. But in an asynchronous class like this, we want you
to have this experience. Each of the questions you
will see in this quiz attempts to provide you a
brainstorming experience to think about the patterns you will see.
QUESTIONS IN THIS LAB OVERVIEWED
Each question has you flying a virtual helicopter in the geovisualization with the idea of you kicking
back and observing what you are seeing. The questions are designed NOT to be tricky. If they seem
easy for you, please don't second guess your answers. Of the questions seem easy, this means you
are good at seeing geographical patterns.
Kohala Volcano: Observing rainfall patterns and how they relate to development of river valleys
Volcano Types: Flying over two very different giant volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea Dew point: This indicator of the amount of moisture is something you can see virtually in the game
environment, and you figure out why it changes so much as you go higher and higher
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Attempt History
Attempt
Time
Score
LATEST
Attempt 1
3 minutes
7 out of 8
Score for this quiz: 7 out of 8
Submitted Mar 12 at 3:34pm
This attempt took 3 minutes.
Question 1
2 / 2 pts
When a lava flow buries a forest: What comes next? Straight(ish) lines are rare in nature, but they can be explained
Part 1: Background Information:
Kohala is the oldest of the five large volcanoes
(called shield volcanoes). All of Hawai'i's shield
volcanoes are composed of the same rock type
(basalt). The shield shape of these volcanoes
describes that (with some exceptions) they all
have gentle slopes. Most of the Kohala volcano had formed by about
a million years ago, even though younger
volcanics occur here and there. For the purposes
of this question - you can consider the entire
Kohala volcano surface to be about a million
years old.
Part 2: Exploring the Geovisualization
In the Hawai'i geovisualization - you will use the
helicopter mode of fast travel to study the
mapped data
Use Fast Travel to jump to the Honokane Nui
Lookout at latitude: 20.1967, longitude:
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-155.7246
Again, in the Fast Travel menu, select the
other side of Kohala (you can either click on
the other side as seen below, or input these
coordinates: latitude: 20.0551, longitude:
-155.8376) - this time don't click on the paper
airplane icon.
You will be going by helicopter.
But I suggest you move the air speed to the
fast position and click on scale speed. This
will make the helicopter go faster. Just look
at the topography and vegetation cover you
see in the game. Then, do this again, but when you are flying
click on the isohyet rainfall layer. You can
also go back and forth between Landsat and
rainfall. Also - I recommend that you pull the camera way up high and have the camera point in the direction
of the helicopter movement. You might have to experiment with the mouse/mousepad/trackball to
figure out camera movement. But this will allow you to see a lot more like this shot of the rainfall layer
with the helicopter way below you:
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There's a lot more rainfall on the west-facing side of Kohala, to get bigger streams and more stream erosion
Since the rainfall is pretty even on both sides, there has to be a different explanation than precipitation amounts
Correct!
Feel free to make this virtual trip a few times and think about why there are deep stream valleys on
one side, and there is only one tiny stream valley on the other side. Part 3 (Optional): What scientists have found...
This 2013 paper on the role of precipitation in river evolution on Kohala
(https://canvas.asu.edu/courses/178831/files/79358225?wrap=1) supports one of the hypotheses, but
the current way of thinking might be wrong. Science can only disprove. You certainly do not have to
read this journal article to get the quiz question correct, but we hope that you are curious enough to at
least skim it. QUESTION: What physical geography process is the most likely explanation for the much
greater development of river valleys on the eastern side of the Kohala volcano (than the
western side of Kohala)? The answer that is keyed as correct is based on the information you
saw on the helicopter trip (Landsat image, topography, rainfall).
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There's a lot more rainfall on the east-facing side of Kohala, to get bigger streams and more stream erosion
Right now, the most reasonable explanation is that there's a lot more rainfall on the east-facing side of
Kohala, to get bigger streams and more stream erosion.
However, it likely isn't purely that simple, as other factors such as local cliff steepness or the impact of
plant growth might play a role as well!
Question 2
2 / 2 pts
Part 1: Background Information
Hawaiian lava is pretty much all the same
composition: basalt. This lava comes from
melting ocean crust, and so its low in silica and
flows easily. Thus, the basic shape of the big
Hawaiian volcanoes resembles a shield of the
sort that Captain America would carry -- with
gentle slopes. However, the ways that this same
basic lava type erupts has a lot of variety:
Shield volcanoes go through phases or stages
where as a big shield volcano ages, the
composition of the lava gets thicker and can
support slightly steeper slopes near the summit
in the post-shield stage
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Rift zones during the shield building phase are
ridges along the side that are weaknesses
whereby lots of lava erupts
Looking like pimples on top of the giant face of a
shield volcano, basalt sometimes moves up
through groundwater. This breaks apart a lava
flow into pieces (called cinder) and contact with
the water turns the black color red (through
oxidation of the iron minerals, like rusting steel).
So reddish colored cinder (and bigger particles
called bombs) fly out and drop down creating
steeper volcanoes just a few hundred feet high
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Sometimes, the magma/lava under the surface
does not erupt, but simply turns groundwater into
steam. The steam then blows out a hole -- a
phreatic eruption. These holes are visible in the
game, typically along rift zones. Part 2: Explore the Geovisualization
In the Hawai'i geovisualization - you will use the helicopter mode of fast travel to study the volcanic
eruptions of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, -- the two largest volcanoes on the Big Island. You will use
the Landsat layer that was processed in a way to "bring out" subtle differences in lava and volcanoes.
The DEM (digital elevation model) data provides the 3D effect. Its best to travel via helicopter to just look at the scenery. I suggest you move the air speed to the fast
position on the scale bar and also click on the box "scale speed" -- to make the helicopter go faster. Also - I recommend that you pull the camera way up high and have the camera point in the direction
of the helicopter movement. You might have to experiment with the mouse/mousepad/trackball to
figure out camera movement. But this will allow you to see a lot more like this shot:
The idea is for you to just take notes on the volcanic fields you observe on these three helicopter trips
and think about the patterns that you are seeing. In particular, focus on the differences you see
between the volcanoes. MAUNA LOA : Fast travel to latitude: 19.3555 longitude: -155.4747 and then in Fast travel, program
the end of the flight to 19.5883 and -155.7628 and click the helicopter icon.
MAUNA KEA : Fast travel to latitude: 19.8314 longitude: -155.3544 and then in Fast travel, program
the end of the flight to 19.8397 and -155.6003 and click the helicopter icon.
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Part 3: Select your Hypothesis (hypotheses?):
The following hypotheses try to explain the observed differences between the volcanoes and why the
volcanic features on these volcanoes would look differently. Compare the hypotheses to your own
observations of the two volcanoes. The top of Mauna Kea seems steeper than the top of Mauna Loa. The steepness of the slope of
volcano depends on the thickness of the lava. Thicker lava makes steeper volcano slopes,
suggesting that Mauna Kea might be past the shield stage of very active volcanic activity.
The top of Mauna Kea seems covered by cinder cones, whereas Mauna Loa has a big depression
(a caldera) at its summit. Since cinder cones occur when magma moving up through the
subsurface encounters groundwater (breaking up the lava), there must have been groundwater in
abundance to produce all those cinder cones. Perhaps the abundance of cinder cones might be
because Mauna Kea is no longer a super active shield volcano and just has a little bit of magma
movement to encounter groundwater and generate only cinder cones.
The top and also the flanks of Mauna Loa have dark black lava flows, indicating recent eruptions
on the side. Mauna Kea does not seem to have very many of these dark black recent lava flows.
Thus, it is possible that Mauna Kea is much less active of a volcano, and perhaps might have
passed the shield stage of high volcanic activity.
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Correct!
The top of Mauna Kea seems steeper than the top of Mauna Loa. The steepness of the slope of volcano depends
on the thickness of the lava. Thicker lava makes steeper volcano slopes, suggesting that Mauna Kea might be past
the shield stage of very active volcanic activity.
Correct!
The top and also the flanks of Mauna Loa have dark black lava flows, indicating recent eruptions on the side. Mauna Kea does not seem to have very many of these dark black recent lava flows. Thus, it is possible that Mauna
Kea is much less active of a volcano, and perhaps might have passed the shield stage of high volcanic activity.
Correct!
The top of Mauna Kea seems covered by cinder cones, whereas Mauna Loa has a big depression (a caldera) at its
summit. Since cinder cones occur when magma moving up through the subsurface encounters groundwater
(breaking up the lava), there must have been groundwater in abundance to produce all those cinder cones. Perhaps
the abundance of cinder cones might be because Mauna Kea is no longer a super active shield volcano and just
has a little bit of magma movement to encounter groundwater and generate only cinder cones.
Question 3
2 / 2 pts
Part 4 (Optional): What Scientists Think
This 2014 paper on how Hawaiian volcanoes are studied
(https://canvas.asu.edu/courses/178831/files/79358228?wrap=1) goes into a lot of detail. You certainly
do not have to read this journal article to get the quiz question correct, but we hope that you are
curious enough to at least skim it. QUESTION: Choose all of the true observations that lead to the noticeable differences you
observed in the Mauna Kea vs. Mauna Loa volcanoes. Part 1: Background Information
Hawai'i is in the belt of the northeast trade winds,
part of the Hadley cell. The means that low-level
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winds are moist and warm and come from the
northeast. All of these global circulation
diagrams show the descending air of the Hadley
Cell reaching the surface at the subtropical high.
This is basically true, but reality is more
interesting.
At the latitude of Hawaii, the upper air flow that
is very dry descends. It does not reach the
surface, however. The lowest it goes is called the
Trade Wind Inversion (TWI). Below the TWI, the
trade winds keep the air very moist with high
dew points. Above the TWI, the air is much drier
with low dew points. Since the TWI goes up and
down throughout the year, this boundary moves
up and down. [As you remember from GPH 111,
dew point is a measure of how much moisture is
in the air. Its the temperature where moisture
condenses.]
Part 2: Explore the Geovisualization In the Hawai'i geovisualization, you will use the helicopter mode of fast travel to examine the mapped
data. In the game, start by clicking on the dewpoint layer. You will start by observing how the dew
point changes as you fly up and over Mauna Kea.
(1) use Fast Travel to jump to one side of Mauna Kea at 19.8314 and -155.3544. (2) Again, in the Fast Travel menu, select the other side of Mauna Kea and enter 19.8392 and
-155.6003. [I suggest you move the air speed to the fast position and click on scale speed. This will
make the helicopter go faster]. Then, click on the helicopter icon. Feel free to make this virtual trip a few times and switch to the isohyet (rainfall) and Landsat layers to
see the changes as you fly up and over Mauna Kea. Observe how the dew point, precipitation, and
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vegetation (green in Landsat) changes.
Part 3: Select your Hypothesis
Here are some thoughts on what the 10 students in our focus test group observed in looking at the
pattern in the geovisualization.
The trade winds bringing the moisture are not able to reach the top of Mauna Kea, leading to drier
air (lower dew points), less rainfall, and less vegetation.
The colder air up high cannot hold as much moisture, and this leads to lower dewpoints, less
rainfall and less vegetation.
The porous nature of the volcanic material up high on Mauna Kea means that the rainfall just
sinks into the ground, and it cannot support as much plant life.
The Trade Wind Inversion means that the upper elevations of Mauna Kea are dominated by very
dry air, producing low dew points and less rain, as well as less vegetation. Also, the descending
nature of the air up high means that air does not rise. It sinks. To get rainfall, you need rising air
to form clouds. Thus, there are clear skies up high on the volcano and not clouds.
Part 4 (Optional): What Scientists are Thinking Climatologists write papers that are filled with terminology, and we do not expect you to read this
article about the Hawaiian trade wind inversion
(https://canvas.asu.edu/courses/178831/files/79358232?wrap=1) . But even if you skim it, I think you will
appreciate the link between the TWI, dry air and the upper elevations of the Hawai'i volcanoes.
Certainly this supports one of the hypotheses, but the current way of thinking might be wrong.
Science can only disprove. You certainly do not have to read this journal article to get the quiz
question correct, but we hope that you are curious enough to at least skim it. QUESTION: What physical geography process is the most likely explanation for the lower dew
points, rainfall and vegetation at the higher elevations of Mauna Kea? The answer that is
keyed as correct is based on the information you saw on the helicopter trip (dew points,
Landsat image, topography, rainfall).
Keep in mind that we know that some students do like to think "out of the box" - and this is one of the
reasons for the appeal process in the syllabus. So if you decide to present your own "out of the box"
hypothesis, great, but you must be prepared to send your instructor 2 paragraphs explaining why you
think the evidence supports your hypothesis. You do not get to "assert" that you think you are
correct. Assertions will not "earn" you the point. You must take screenshots from the geovisualization
and explain your thinking clearly with reasoning.
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The Trade Wind Inversion is caused by the increase in elevation - as you go up in elevation, the air is cooler. Cooler
air means that it can rain more easily, and this produces the observed patterns of greater rainfall and vegetation
near the volcanic peaks of Mauna Kea.
The Trade Wind Inversion is caused solely by the orographic effect, which means that vegetation and rainfall are
more abundant at higher elevations. This is the pattern that is seen throughout the rest of the USA such as the
Sierra Nevada mountains in California and the Colorado Mountains.
Correct!
The Trade Wind Inversion means that the upper elevations of Mauna Kea are dominated by very dry sinking air,
producing low dew points and less rain, as well as less vegetation. Additionally, cooler air can't hold as much
moisture.
The hope is that the answer was obvious from the helicopter rides and the prior background
knowledge.
Question 4
1 / 2 pts
The questions in this quiz have the same basic format -- well -- almost all the same. This one is
different. But the idea of observing mapped data (DEM topography, landsat data, precipitation data,
dew points) and just thinking about reasons to connect processes to the pattern is still the focus of
this question. This question is matching. You are tasked with going on 4 helicopter rides over natural
features that are a straight line. People like to make straight lines: roads; pipelines; canals; and even
sometimes straightening natural features like rivers. Physical geography processes rarely generate
straight line forms. Rarely is the key word. We have identified four NATURAL (we promise these are
not anthropogenic) straight line forms, with the idea of tasking you to match the line with the
process. By now, you've gotten good at fast traveling to the start of the coordinates and then taking a fast
helicopter trip to the end. Name of location listed in
canvas question
Starting coordinates
Ending coordinates
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You Answered
Southwest Mauna Loa
Process: volcanic rift zone dom
Southwest Mauna Loa
: 19.3350 -155.6827
19.4399 -155.6019
Hilina pali
: Hint: pali means
cliff
19.2567 -155.3600
19.3108 -155.2557
Mauna Loa southeast side.
Hint:
look at dew point layer
and compare it to the line where
the green stops
19.37167 -155.4669
19.1258 -155.7419
Hualalai summit ridge
19.7212 -155.9142
19.6589 -155.8110
THESE ARE THE PROCESSES LISTED (here in alphabetical order) IN THE CANVAS QUESTION
TO MATCH TO ONE OF THE STRAIGHT LINES LISTED ABOVE. Canvas has big restrictions on
the number of characters in a matching question -- and so we provide below longer
explanations of the process
Process: a fault one, where the seaward side of the cliff is moving downward. - Pali means cliff
in Hawaiian. The seaward side of this cliff is moving downward with each big earthquake moving the
down block as much as a meter or more. Process: forest stops at the upper end due the trade wind inversion - The forest suddenly ends
because of the trade wind inversion, above which there is much less moisture (lower dew points) and
hence much less rain than below the ending line.
Process: volcanic rift zone dominated by cinder cones- This line is located on a volcano that has
characteristics of an active shield volcano (like Kilauea or Mauna Loa) and a volcano that is post
shield (like Mauna Kea). Instead of being dominated by lava flows, this rift zone, has cinder cones
and phreatic pits that are more characteristics of the post-shield stage. Process: a volcanic rift zone with basalt flows - The southwestern arm of Mauna Loa is a volcanic
rift zone, which is a weakness in the shield volcano allowing magma to emerge in this rifting area.
Hence lava flows start at the rift and flow down the flanks on either side.
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