Lab

Lab #1—Earth Science

A Virtual Visit to an Exhibit at the Smithsonian

National Air and Space Museum

Purpose: To learn how various pieces of information relevant to Earth Science were gathered by taking a virtual tour of an exhibit at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Introduction: Located on the first floor of the National Air And Space Museum and available as a virtual tour is an exhibit titled Looking At Earth. This exhibit educates visitors with aerial and space views of our planet and how these remote views have helped us better understand the Earth. Examples of satellite imagery and aerial photography showcase how remote sensing is used for urban planning, geology, archaeology, military reconnaissance, environmental monitoring, and natural disaster assessment.

Procedure:

1) Read the rest of the information on this virtual field trip BEFORE starting the “trip.”

2) Print this page so you can refer to it as you take the tour.

3) You should look at each image and the short description that goes with it. Descriptions are to the right of or below the pictures. Some of the questions below can be answered from one caption and some require the viewing of a series of captions.

4) When you are ready to start the “field trip,” click on the link http://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/looking-at-earth/online/ and read the introductory material on the home page.

5) After you read the introduction, take note of the tabs across the top of the page. They begin with Windows on the World and end with What’s New.

6) Click on the first tab, Windows on the World to enjoy views of our planet from different scales.

7) You are now ready to begin the “data collection” portion of the lab. Select the tab, A Bird’s Eye View, and begin answering the questions below. View each image, read the short informative descriptions/statements that accompany each section/image, and check with the questions to determine what “data” you need to gather.

8) Proceed to the next tab, Onwards and Upwards. Continue this process of viewing and answering questions.

9) When you get to the Spy Skies and Orbital Vistas tabs, you will notice a set of links on the left side of your screen. You will need to view these to answer some of the questions below. Continue in this manner until you have completed the tour.

10) Leave the website and follow the directions on how to write lab reports. View the links in your Blackboard “Lab Assignments” tab: Lab Overview – Writing Lab Reports and Lab Report-Sample.

Questions:

1) Who took the kite photograph of the San Francisco earthquake?

2) Name 2 men who took photos from rockets in the 1890-1910 time period.

3) Who patented the first “pigeon camera?”

4) Who took the first successful aerial photograph in the U.S.? When and where?

5) Who used balloons for Civil War reconnaissance?

6) What was the difference in purpose between the Moby Dick Program and the Explorer II Program?

7) What was the name of stadium where the Goodyear Blimp took a photograph of a night game?

8) Who took the first aerial photograph used in journalism?

9) Name 4 specific areas/objects in geology where aerial photography was used.

10) What supplied the aerial photograph of the pyramids of Giza?

11) Name 3 natural disasters surveyed by aerial photography.

12) What was Ida?

13) What is the purpose of airborne radar? Why is it useful?

14) How are stereo photographs produced?

15) What information did the aerial photographs of Neville Island, PA provide to environmentalists? Briefly summarize the changes in the aerial photographs of this area.

16) Who was Sherman Fairchild?

17) What were some of George Goddard’s major contributions?

18) What role did aerial photography play in the Cuban Missile Crisis?

19) Name 4 geological features photographed by the Landsat satellite.

20) Who took the photograph of the Atlas Mountains of North Africa in 1962?

21) How was the Landsat Thematic Mapper used to study the 1993 Missouri River Flood?

22) What is the name of the Galapagos Island volcano photographed with SIR-CIX/S-SAR radar imagery?

23) What is Seasat?

24) What has been monitored since 1987 using the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program? What does red represent in these images?

25) What river is shown emptying into the Gulf of California in a Skylab 3 photograph?

26) I want your opinion—it will NOT affect your grade on this lab unless you leave it blank. What are the pros and cons of this “field trip”?

Conclusion : Read/examine the Lab Report-Sample . You will need to write a few sentences summarizing your reports.