CoastLines

The second homework consists in the creation of a map that shows the track of a hurricane. We give the students a table with the coordinates of the position of the center of a recent hurricane with the category and the stages. The students must make a map and they also have to find in the internet some information about the history and other graphic information about that hurricane.  As part of this homework the students must see and analyze the track (Final Plot) of a hurricane in the site http://www.hurricane.terrapin.com 

In the GIS class “Tracking a Hurricane” the students imported data from the previous site and created their own maps using the tools of the system. They enjoyed this activity because they learned how to make a map in the way they wanted. They also analyzed the advantages of the map they created in comparison with the maps they saw in different websites. For example, in the final plot of the hurricane Gustav of the site www.hurricane.terrapin.com it’s impossible to differentiate the stages or establish a link with the data table. Otherwise, using My World GIS they can modify the colors of the track for each stage and analyze the behavior of the storm. They also create links with photos for the most interesting locations. Some students are given to complete extra activities, for example, compare two or more hurricanes at the same season.

The next activity was the CoastLines class “How warm is the Ocean”. In this activity we used the handout and the orientations given for the instructors in the Summer Institute.

The last activity for this first semester will be “Gulf Stream”. In this activity the students will create a map of the temperature of the sea in the Atlantic coast of the United States. They will use the data from the buoys and other stations, using the information of the National Data Buoy Center of NOAA http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov . With the data of a preselect location the students make a grid, a contour map, and a color code map. Using the created map they locate the Gulf Stream by the anomalies of temperature and answer several questions related with the possible use of the energy of that current. As an introduction of this activity the students must learn the process of linear interpolation with a simple example of temperature or pressure for a small area with a small set of data. They also learn to draw the contour map. The most important thing in this activity is that students can compare both types of maps and understand the advantages of the GIS based maps.