Computer Lab Exercise #1

Round Earth, Flat Maps:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/2000/exploration/projections

1.      Which type of projection is often used for maps focusing on one of the poles? (circle one) 

            planar               cylindrical         conic

2.      Which type of projection is well-suited for maps of the United States? (circle one) 

            planar               cylindrical         conic

3.      What 4 properties do cartographers typically consider when deciding which type of projection to use for making a particular map?

Time Zones article by About.com Geography Guide Matt Rosenberg:

http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa030899.htm

4.      Who proposed the worldwide time zone system we use today? _____________________

5.      In what year was the use of U.S. standard time zones mandated by federal law? ________

WorldTimeZone.com:  http://www.worldtimezone.com

6.      If it’s 2:30 p.m. in Philadelphia, what time is it in:

      a. San Francisco, California                  ________

      b. Mumbai, India                                  ________

      c. Sydney, Australia                              ________

      d. Sao Paulo, Brazil                              ________

      e. Johannesburg, South Africa              ________

7.      According to this Web site, how many countries observe Daylight Savings Time?

8.      What does “UTC/GMT -5” mean? (Hint: see “Interesting and Confusing Facts”)

9.      Looking at the Sun Clock Day-Night map, why are the highest latitudes of the northern hemisphere completely in shadow, and the lowest latitudes in the southern hemisphere not?

100° W meridian: http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa011402a.htm

10.  Through which 6 states does 100° W longitude pass?

           

11.  Why has this meridian been important in U.S. history?

       

Tutorial on Earth/Sun Relations and Seasons: http://daphne.palomar.edu/jthorngren/tutorial.htm

12.  Toward which star does Earth’s axis always point?

13.  Identify the latitude at which the sun is directly overhead in the southern hemisphere on the following days, and which season this represents:

                                                            Latitude                                    Season                        

a. June solstice

b. December solstice

c. March equinox

d. September equinox

14.  What latitude always experiences 12 hours of daylight?

       

Introduction to Atmosphere: http://wings.avkids.com/Book/Atmosphere/advanced/evolution-01.html

15.  In which layer of Earth’s atmosphere does ozone absorb many of the sun’s ultraviolet rays? _______________

16.  What happens to the waves of energy radiated from the sun toward Earth?

17.  What causes wind?

FYI…

For another good, basic review of earth-sun relationships, visit “Here Comes the Sun” - http://vortex.plymouth.edu/sun.html (try to ignore the too-busy background)

For more information than you probably ever wanted about the analemma, visit http://www.analemma.com

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