Exploring Color Maps Activity Source: NASA. Adapted with permission. Blue landmasses? Green clouds? Red ice shelves? Maybe you’ve seen a colorful map and said to yourself, that’s not how it looks in real life! A color-mapped image may have puzzling colors like these because scientists used different colors to represent data. Color is one of the tools that scientists use to visualize data about complex phenomena, from storm intensity to land surface temperature or the heights of underwater geologic formations. [Read More]

Exploring Energy with GIS Activity Source: ESRI. Adapted with permission. Locating crucial energy resources involves examining phenomena under, on, and above Earth’s surface. Some of these phenomena change frequently, such as winds. Others, such as oil and coal deposits, are products of long series of geologic processes. Yet all are geographic in nature — they occur in specific places for specific reasons. To determine the best regions to explore for new natural gas deposits, to determine the ideal places for wind farms, or to locate the best rooftops for solar panels in a city, Geographic Information System (GIS) technology and methods are vital. [Read More]

Exploring for Petroleum - Modeling an Oil Reserve Activity Source: Adapted from “Earth System Science in the Community,” American Geosciences Institute, 2005 Background Since 1970, oil and natural gas have provided more than half of the energy used each year in the United States to produce electricity, heat, transportation fuels, and many everyday products from balloons to vitamins. Oil and natural gas are forms of petroleum, a word that literally means “oily rock. [Read More]

Exploring Geoheritage From Space Activity Source: Adapted with permission by NASA. Great images of geoheritage sites can be found everywhere. But no one holding a camera on Earth can “back away” far enough to get the extraordinary perspective captured by NASA satellites. In celebration of Earth Science Week 2016, NASA’s Earth Observatory has created a special collection of images and articles showcasing geoheritage sites in America’s National Parks. Two such sites are Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming/Montana/Idaho) and Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas). [Read More]

Exploring Geoheritage Through EarthCaching Activity Source: Adapted with permission by Geological Society of America. An EarthCache is a special site that people can visit to learn about a unique geoscience feature or aspect of our Earth. Visitors to EarthCache sites can see how our planet has been shaped by geological processes, how we manage the resources and how scientists gather evidence to learn about the Earth. EarthCaches are part of the greater global adventure game of Geocaching. [Read More]

Exploring Low-Temperature Geothermal Energy Activity Source: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Background Geothermal energy harnesses Earth’s internal heat to generate power. Typically, it involves tapping into high-temperature reservoirs of hot water deep beneath Earth’s surface. However, as the demand for clean energy grows, researchers are developing innovative techniques to access common low-temperature geothermal sources found closer to Earth’s surface. New technologies broaden the geographic reach of geothermal energy, making it a more accessible and sustainable energy option. [Read More]

Exploring Meteor Impacts on Earth and Beyond Activity Source: U.S. Geological Survey Background Terrestrial analogs is a field of planetary science that compares topographic features on other planets to similar features on Earth. We study sites on Earth as representations of planetary sites because they are more easily accessible and can be directly measured or observed. Impact craters are easily found on the Moon and Mars, but did you know there are also lots of impact craters here on Earth? [Read More]

Exploring Permafrost in the Arctic Activity Source: Written by AGI with the Natural Resources Conservation Service Permafrost, frozen ground lasting at least two years, is found in Earth’s coldest regions: the Arctic, boreal zones, Antarctica, and high-altitude areas. It profoundly impacts the plant, animal, and human communities in these regions. Permafrost underlies 15% of the northern hemisphere’s exposed land. It is prevalent across the Arctic and extends into areas like Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia, and the Tibetan Plateau. [Read More]

Exploring Porosity Activity Source: The NEED Project. Adapted with permission. Earth scientists play a vital role in harvesting the energy resources on which we all rely. When preparing to drill for oil, for example, geoscientists must assess many aspects of a rock stratum (layer). For example, they must figure out the volume of the rock’s pores, or empty spaces, as compared with the rock’s total volume. This is called the rock’s porosity. [Read More]

Exploring the Age of the Seafloor Activity Source: Written by AGI based on lessons by the International Ocean Discovery Program The Earth’s surface is made up of tectonic plates that fit together something like puzzle pieces, forming fault lines where they meet. There are seven major plates and some smaller ones. These plates move apart at divergent boundaries and collide at convergent boundaries. At transform boundaries, the plates slide past each other. [Read More]