Geomorphology Project Instructions F2023

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Brigham Young University *

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Course

110

Subject

Geography

Date

Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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4

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Geomorphology and Hazards Project Geography 110: Landscapes of Disaster Overview: For this project, you will be using Google Earth or Google Maps to observe and describe a number of areas that are prone to geological hazards. The main purpose of this exercise is to help you observe features produced by some of the hazards we’ve talked about recently (the study of these features is known as geomorphology). Navigating: To get to a specific geographic location, just copy and paste the latitude and longitude coordinates given for each site to the search bar. In Google Earth , you will have a set of navigating controls in the upper right-hand corner, and along the bottom of the screen you have a scale bar, the latitude and longitude, the elevation of the land the cursor is directly over, and the “eye altitude,” or elevation from which you’re viewing the landscape. You can also right-click and drag your mouse to zoom in and out and rotate your view. In Google Maps , you can switch between map-view and earth-view in the bottom left-hand corner, and use control + mouse click- and-drag to zoom and rotate your view. Historic Earthquake Faults kmz File: Under the same link as these instructions on Learning Suite I have posted a .kmz file, which shows faults where earthquakes have occurred in historic times (i.e. within the last 100 years or so). If you are using Google Earth for the project, download this file and then double- click on it. Google Earth will open (if it isn’t already) and automatically zoom out to a view from which you will be able to see all of the faults contained in the file. You will then need to copy and paste the coordinates for site 4 below to answer those questions. Let’s get started: Go to each of the sites below by copying and pasting the coordinates into Google Maps or Google Earth and spend some time panning and zooming around the broader landscape and then zoom in closer on any areas of interest. Scroll around, go to an oblique view and try to get a good feel for what’s going on there. Answer each question for each site, and then record some of your own observations and reactions in the space provided. For the observation/reaction portions, the following questions should help to get you thinking: Look for evidence of previous disasters in the area. What are the “fingerprints” of different hazards on the landscape? Pay specific attention to man-made structures, and nearby cities and towns. Which of these is/are at the greatest risk? How have people responded to these hazards? Do they seem to recognize that they are there? Can you see anything that has been done to make things safer? What else could be done? Would you build your home near this site? Why or why not? If yes, where? (You do not have to address all of these with your observations, but they will get you started)
SITE 1 – Lake San Cristobal: 37 59 19.86 N, 107 15 58.37 W a) How was the lake (Lake San Cristobal) created? Which direction, then, is the river is flowing – north-to-south or south-to-north? What were some likely effects of this event downstream and upstream from where it took place? The lake was created when a portion of the nearby mountain, Mesa Seco, to slump leading to an earthflow and creating a natural dam. The river flows north to south. Some likely effects include the damming of the flowing river which would lead to sediment build up, impacts on the vegetation in the area, and potentially make areas upstream more unstable and vulnerable to additional landslides. b) Focusing especially on and around the landslide itself, what are some natural and human changes/developments that have taken place since the last event occurred? One of the most notable human changes is that several roads have been built around and through the flow. A natural change is that as parts of the flow continue the surrounding trees are uprooted and scattered. Observations/Reactions: There are several man-made structures nearby including a scenic overlook and a campground. It would be hard to miss this earthflow, but I wonder if tourists especially recognize that there are still parts of it that are active. Overall, it seems like a reasonably safe place for humans because the flow is so slow, I did a little research as well and many geologists predict it will eventually stop. SITE 2 - Mt Vesuvius: 40 49 15.60 N, 14 25 33.66 E a) Do you see any evidence that this volcano has erupted before? In which direction do you think the impact was the worst? Explain. (Changing to an oblique view and rotating around the volcano will help). Yes, you can see evidence of lava flows. The flow looks to start at the base of the volcano, flow North, and then flow West so I would think the impact was the worst in areas located West of the eruption. b) What impacts might another eruption have on the surrounding cities today (e.g. Pompeii)? How might they be different than in 79 A.D.? Explain. There are still many cities surrounding the volcano so I would think similar impacts would occur should another eruption occur including lava flows that could destroy settlements and ash and pumice would pollute the air. I think these would be less destructive to human life than in 79 A.D. as geology has come much further and we have a better understanding of hazards and strategies to lessen the damage such as prediction of eruptions and evacuation plans.
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