Analyzing Hurricanes Using Web and Desktop GIS Activity Source: ESRI, 2007. Adapted with permission. Background Hurricanes are among the most common and most destructive types of natural hazards on Earth. Because they occur across space and time, hurricanes can be better understood using maps, particularly digital maps within a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment. GIS allows you to use maps as analytical tools—not maps that someone else has made—but using your own maps to make decisions. [Read More]

Earth’s Magnetic Field Activity Source: Science Friday. Adapted with permission. If you found yourself in the middle of the ocean, do you think you could find your way home? Sea turtles can, thanks in part to Earth’s magnetic field! All around the surface of the Earth, there is a magnetic field generated by the planet’s large metallic core. The magnetic field varies in strength and direction from place to place, giving different locations unique magnetic “maps. [Read More]

Mapping Your Soil Activity Source: Soil Science Society of America. Adapted with permission. The key properties of soil (physical, biological, and chemical) determine recreation, crop production, range, water/erosion conservation, forestry, and engineering uses of the soil. Soil surveys help us understand how soils differ and how they behave under various land management systems. The heart of a soil survey is the soil map showing the spatial distribution and variability of soils on the landscape. [Read More]