Complete each assignment on a Word doc or PDF file and upload into Canvas Write answers in hardcopy Lab Manual and either scan or take a photo of the pages and upload them into Canvas.

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1!|"OER$Physical$Geography$Lab$Manual!

Physical)Geography)Lab)Manual! An#Open#Educational#Resource#(OER)!

Authored)by! Waverly(C.(Ray,(Faculty(Lead((San(Diego!Mesa%College)!

Taya$C.$Lazootin$(San$Diego$State$University)! Scott%J.%Crosier%(Cosumnes%River%College)! Jeremy&G.&Patrich&(College&of&the&Canyons)! Aline&Nortes&Gregorio&(Fullerton&College)!

1st$Edition,$2020! Supported)in)part)by)the)!

Academic(Senate(for(California(Community(College's(! Open%Educational%Resources%Initiative!

Recommended(citation:(Ray,%Waverly%C.,%Lazootin,%Taya%C.,%Crosier,%Scott%J.,%Patrich,%Jeremy%G.,%&%Nortes% Gregorio,(A.((2020).(Physical(Geography(Lab(Manual.(Retrieved"from"http://cageoglab.populr.me/manual." CC!BY!NC#4.0#license.!

Acknowledgments! We#are#grateful#to#the#many#people#and#organizations#that#made#this#lab#manual#possible.#We# would&like&to&thank&the&Open&Educational&Resources&Initiative&(OERI)&of&the&Academic!Senate&for& California)Community)Colleges)for)their)vision)and)financial)support)for)this)lab)manual)with) special(thanks(to(our(OER(liaison(Suzanne(Wakim((Butte(College)(for(her(guidance.(We(would( also%like%to%thank%the%Zero%Textbook%Cost%team%at%the%College#of#the#Canyons#for#providing#early# templates(and(recommendations.(Three(peer(reviewers,(Cady(Carmichael((College(of(Alameda),( Vicki%Drake%(Santa%Monica%College),%and%Tiffany%Seeley%(East%Los%Angeles%College),%provided% meaningful*and*insightful*feedback*on#an#earlier#draft#of#the#lab#manual.#Thanks#also#goes#to# Trudi&Radtke&(Imperial&Valley&College)&for&stellar&copyediting.&!

Guiding'Quotes! “Without(geography,(the(world(and(how(it(fits(together(is(a(mystery.(Geography(is(a(skill( and$vision$that$opens$the$door#for#learners#to#better#understand#the#interconnected# world&around&them.”!

Vicki%Phillips%(31%August%2020,%Forbes)! “Students)study)geography)to)understand)that)the)Earth)is)changing.)Then)they) scientifically+and+analytically+think+about+why+it+is+changing.#And#they#even#dig#deeper# than%that.%Should%the%Earth%be%changing%in%these%ways?%Is%there%anything%that%I%can%do% about&it&or&that&I&should&be&doing&about&it?&This&not&only&captures&the&heart&of&spatial& thinking—inquiry'and'problem!based&learning—but$also!empowers(students(to(become( decision(makers,(to(make(a(difference(in(this(changing(world(of(ours.”!

Joseph'Kerski'(Summer'2011,'ArcUser)!

Cover&photos&from&Unsplash!(clockwise*from*top*left):*! Matteo&Di&Iorio&(Death&Valley,&California),&Jessica&Furtney&(Tallulah&Falls,&Georgia),&Lee&Junda&(Singapore),&and&Cosmin&Serban#(California#coast).

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2!|"OER$Physical$Geography$Lab$Manual!

Tips%for%Students! Welcome'to'your'physical'geography'lab'manual!'We'hope'the'lab'exercises'bring'a'new' appreciation'for'the'planet'we'call'home.'Here'are'some'tips'to'support'your'learning.!

Tip$1.$Know$What’s$Being$Asked$of$You! The$questions$in$the$lab$manual$can$be$classified$using$the$revised$version$of$Bloom’s$ Taxonomy((Bloom(&(Krathwohl,(1956;(Anderson(&(Sosniak,&1994).&Starting&from&the&bottom&of& the$pyramid:!

●! Remember!questions)ask)you)to)recall)facts)and)basic)concepts.)You)may)be)asked)to) recreate&a&sketch,&label&a&diagram,&define&a&key&term,&or&identify&a&process.&These&are& the$most$basic$questions$that$are#designed#to#ensure#that#you#grasp#the#fundamental# knowledge)and)skills)in)a)lab.)!

●! Understand)questions)ask)you)to)explain)ideas)and)concepts)with)prompts)like)describe,) observe,(and(summarize.(!

●! Apply%questions)ask)you)to)calculate)or)adapt)information.)Several'question'prompts' start%with%“Apply%What%You%Learned”—this%means%that%you%will%take%the%information% presented(in(the(lab((or(a(previous(lab)(and(apply(it(to(a(new(situation.!

●! Analyze!questions)ask)you)to)make)connections)among)different)ideas)by)making# comparisons*and*interpreting*information.*Several*question*prompts*start*with*“Use* Your%Critical%Thinking%Skills”,%which%means%that%you%need%to%bring%in%other%ideas%because% these%questions%can’t%be%answered%simply%by%reading%the%information%in%the%lab.%!

●! Evaluate(questions)ask)you)to)assess,)make)predictions,)or)explain)complex)ideas.)You’ll) need$to$justify$a$decision$or$point$of$view.!

●! Create&questions)ask)you)to)produce)new)or)original)work)by)designing,)inventing,)or) composing.!

! Bloom’s'Revised'Taxonomy1!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1!Figure'adapted'from'Vanderbilt+University+Center+for+Teaching!is#licensed#under#CC"BY!NC#4.0!

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3!|"OER$Physical$Geography$Lab$Manual!

Why$bother$with$Bloom’s$taxonomy?$Students$who$understand$what’s$being$asked$of$them$do$ better%in%their%courses.%Most%students%report%that%in%high%school,%they%were%asked%only%to% remember%or%understand%information.%Transitioning%into%college%coursework%goes%more% smoothly(if(you(recognize(what’s(being(asked(of(you.! ! Decoding)a)few)other)question)prompts)will)make)the)lab)go)more)smoothly)for)you:!

Explain(your(response:! ●! This%means%you%should%let%your%instructor%know%the%reasoning%behind%your%answer.%If%

the!question)asks)for)a)certain)number)of)sentences,)be)sure)to)provide)a)thoughtful) answer'that'meets'that'requirement.!

●! You$don’t$need$to$write$in$complete$sentences.$! ○! For$example,$if$the$question$is$“Why$is$geography$your$favorite$subject?$Explain$

your%response%in%one%to%two%sentences”%you%don’t%need%to%write%“Geography%is% my#favorite#subject#because…”.#You#can#just#jump#right#into#your#response#to# save%space.%!

List:! ●! When%you%see%this%as%the%question%prompt,%you%don’t%need%to%write%sentences.%You%can%

just%answer%the%question%using%bullet%points.! Show%your%work:! ●! This%means%you%should%include%the%variables%that%you%used%for%a%calculation.! ●! For$example,$if$the$question$is$to$“Convert$100$kilometers$into$miles.$Show$your$work”$

then%you%would%need%to%write:%100%÷!0.621371(=(62.1371(miles.(! ●! You$don’t$need$to$show$the$long$division$needed$to$get$the$answer;$just$be$sure$to$

include(the(number(that(you(entered(into(your(calculator(to(find(the(answer.! ●! You$definitely$do$need$to$include$the$units$of$measurement—in#this#case$miles.$! ●! Always'include'the'correct'unit'of'measurement'in'your'responses.! ●! When%your%answer%is%in%decimals,%ask%your%professor%if%they%have%a%preference.%In%the%

example'above,'they'may'prefer'you'to'round'the'answer'to'62'miles'(instead'of' 62.1371'miles).!

●! You$may$indicate$an$estimation$by$using$the$~$symbol.!

Tip$2.$Use$Your$Resources! There%are%four%types%of%boxes%in%this%lab%manual%to%help%you%navigate%the%course:%!

Pin$It!$Boxes! Pin$It!$boxes&refer&to&information&that&you&should&mentally&“pin”&for&later.&Remembering&the& information)included)in)pin)it)boxes)will)help)you)answer)questions)that)come)later)in)the)lab.! !

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4!|"OER$Physical$Geography$Lab$Manual!

Think&About&It…Boxes! Think&About&It…boxes&encourage&you&to&do&just&that,"think"about"the"information"provided"in" the$box.$The$information$may$require$you$to$relate$physical$geography$to$your$everyday$life,$ form%an%opinion%on%a%controversial%subject,%or%make%connections%across%multiple%topics.! !

Check&It&Out&Boxes! Check&It&Out!boxes&provide&supplemental&resources&like&webpages&and&videos&to&help&you& understand)the)information)or)to)take)you)deeper)into)the)topic.)We)recommend)these) resources'to'increase'your'understanding'of'physical'geography'topics.'! !

Guided&Practice&Boxes! Guided%Practice!boxes&provide&links&to&short&videos&that&demonstrate&tasks&that&physical& geography)students)often)find)tricky)or)provide)tips)for)navigating)GIS)webpages.)!

If#there#is#a#QR#code,#most#camera#apps#on#phones#can#be#used#to#scan#the#QR#code#in#order%to% open%the%website.!

For$videos,$you$can$use$the$options$in$youtube$to$speed$up$or$slow$down$the$playback$speed$ (red%arrows%on%diagram%below).%You%can%also%open%the%transcript%to%read%the%information%(blue% arrows&on&diagram&below).!

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5!|"OER$Physical$Geography$Lab$Manual!

Table&of!Contents! Lab$1.$Earth’s$Geographic$Grid! 6!

Lab$2.$Map$Interpretation! 26!

Lab$3.$Earth!Sun$Relationships! 55!

Lab$4.$Earth’s$Energy$Budget! 78!

Lab$5.$Atmospheric$Pressure$and$Wind! 94!

Lab$6.$Atmospheric$Humidity! 127!

Lab$7.$Cyclones! 148!

Lab$8.$Water$Resources! 164!

Lab$9.$Climate$Patterns! 189!

Lab$10.$Climate$Change! 218!

Lab$11.$The$Ocean!Atmosphere*System! 253!

Lab$12.$Introduction$to$Minerals$and$Rocks! 274!

Lab$13.$Plate$Tectonics! 296!

Lab$14.$Seismology! 314!

Lab$15.$Fluvial$Geomorphology! 348!

Lab$16.$Coastal$Geomorphology! 371!

Lab$17.$Aeolian$Geomorphology$and$Desert$Landscapes! 395!

Lab$18.$Glacial$Geomorphology! 414!

Lab$19.$Pedology! 432!

Lab$20.$Biogeography! 457

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6!|"Lab$1:$Earth’s$Geographic$Grid!

Lab$1:$Earth’s$Geographic$Grid! Learning(Objectives!

●! Use$latitude$and$longitude$to$identify$locations)on)Earth.! ●! Calculate(lengths(of(a(degree(of(longitude(at(different(latitudes.! ●! Convert(between(degrees,(minutes,(and(seconds(and(decimal(latitudes(and(longitudes.! ●! Identify)the)special)lines)of)latitude.! ●! Calculate(solar(time.! ●! Explain(the(Public(Land!Survey'system.!

Introduction! The$Earth$is$spherical$but$not$quite$a$perfect$circle.$In$fact,$it$is$a$little$wider$in$the$middle$due$ to#its#rotation#and#the#resulting#centrifugal#forces.#By#understanding#that#the#Earth#is#round,# geographers)can)easily)distinguish'a'specific'location'by'utilizing'a'grid'system,'similar'to'using' graph&paper.!

Geography*is*about*spatial*understanding,*which*requires*an*accurate*grid*system*to*determine* absolute)and)relative)location.)Absolute)location!is#the#exact#x!!and$y!!coordinates(on(the(Earth.( Relative(location!is#the#location#of#something#relative#to#other#entities.#For#example,#when#you# use$Google$Maps,$you$put$in$an$absolute$location.$But$as$you$start$driving,$the$device$tells$you$ to#turn#right#or#left#relative#to#objects"on"the"ground:""Turn"left"on"exit"Valencia"Blvd""is"relative" to#the#other#exit#points.#Or#if#you#give#directions#to#your#house,#you#often#use#relative#locations# to#help#them#understand#how#to#get#to#your#house.2!These%lines%that%allow%us%to%understand%a% location(are(called(latitudes(and(longitudes.(((!

Lines&of&latitude,"also"known"as"parallels,"are"measured"from"the"center"of"the"Earth."These" lines&are&angles&measured&at&the&equator!(0°)%to%the%North%Pole%at%90°N,%or%to%the%South%Pole%at% 90°S.&The&angles&are$measured$as$though$a$protractor$was$placed$in$the$center$of$the$Earth,$ and$we$are$measuring$an$angle$from$the$center$of$the$Earth$to$the$Earth’s$crust.$!

Lines&of&longitude,&otherwise&known&as&meridians,&are&measured&going&east&or&west&of&the& Prime&Meridian,"which"passes"through"the"Royal"Observatory"in"Greenwich,"England."The" reason'the'Prime'Meridian'passes'through'the'Observatory'in'England'is'due'to'an'international' agreement(of(25(countries(in(1884,(as(technically(the(meridian(is(arbitrary(and(could!have%been% anywhere(in(the(world.(Two(longitudes((or(meridians),(connected(on(opposite(sides(of(the( globe,'create'a'great'circle.'A'single'line'of'longitude'does'not'make'a'circle'on'the'globe—it#is# an#arc#of#a#great#circle.#The#word#meridian#also#implies#that$these$lines$are$not$parallel$but$ instead(intersect(at(both(the(north(and(south(poles.(The!Prime&Meridian&is&the&dividing& longitude*of*the*eastern*and*western*hemispheres.*The*farthest*one*can*travel*either*east*or* west%is%180°:%(180°W%+%180°E%=%360°).! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2!Text!by#R.#Adam#Dastrup#(Open%Geography*Education)"is"licensed"under"CC"BY"4.0!

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7!|"Lab$1:$Earth’s$Geographic$Grid!

Figure'1.1'provides'an'illustration'of'how'we'can'pinpoint'a'location'on'Earth'using'latitude'and' longitude.+The+location+marked+with+a+dot+is+40°+north+of+the+equator+and+is+60°+degrees+east+of+ the$Prime$Meridian.$So$this$location$is$at$40°N,$60°E.!

Figure"1.1:"Latitude"and"Longitude"Example."A"basic"diagram"showing"how"both"latitude"and"longitude"are" measured(from(the(center(of(the(Earth(towards(the(surface.3!

Both%latitudes%and%longitudes%can%be%identified%as%circles.%This%brings%up%the%topic%of%great%and" small%circles%(Figure%1.2).%A%great&circle!is#any#circle#that#divides#the#Earth#into#a#circumference# of#two#equal#halves.#It's#also#the#largest#circle#that#can#be#drawn#on#a#sphere.#The#line# connecting(any(points(along(a(great(circle(is(also(the(shortest!distance)between)those)two) points.(Examples(of(great(circles(include(the(Equator;(all(lines(of(longitude;(the(line(that(divides( the$Earth$into$day$and$night,$called$the$circle$of$illumination;$and$the$plane$of$the$ecliptic,$ which%divides%the%Earth%into%equal$halves.$Small%circles!are$circles$that$cut$the$Earth$in$two,$but$ not$into$two$equal$halves.4!

! Figure'1.2:'Great'and'Small'Circles.5!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3!Figure'by'Waverly'Ray'is'licensed'under'CC"BY!NC!SA#4.0! 4!Text!by#R.#Adam#Dastrup#(Open%Geography%Education)"is"licensed"under"CC"BY"4.0! 5!Figure!by#Brian&Brondel!is#licensed#under#CC"BY!SA#2.5!!

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8!|"Lab$1:$Earth’s$Geographic$Grid!

In#this#lab,#you#will#investigate#a#variety#of#ways#to#understand#the#Earth’s#grid#system,## determine!the$importance$of$distance$and$differences$in$time,$and$utilize$the$Public$Land$ Survey.!

Part%A.%Latitude%and%Longitude! The$Earth’s$geographic$grid$is$based$on$the$division$of$a$circle,$which$can$be$observed$as$lines$of$ latitude(or(longitude((Figure(1.3).(!

! Figure'1.3:'Introductory'Diagram'of'Latitude'and'Longitude.6!!

1.! Refer%to%Figure%1.3.! a.! Latitude(is(measured(to(the(north(or(south(of(the:!

b.! Longitude*is*measured*to*the*east*or*west*of*the:!

c.! Lines&that&are&drawn&from&north&to&south&(from&the&North&Pole&to&the&South&Pole)& are$called:$!

d.! Lines&that&are&drawn&from&east&to&west&are&called&(from&the&Prime&Meridian&to& the$Antimeridian$(180th$Meridian):$!

e.! The$highest$degree$possible$for$a$line$of$latitude#is:!

f.! The$highest$degree$possible$for$a$line$of$longitude$is:$!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 6!Figure'by'Jeremy'Patrich'is'licensed'under'CC"BY!NC!SA#4.0!

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9!|"Lab$1:$Earth’s$Geographic$Grid!

2.! In#one#to#two#sentences,#describe#the#differences#between#great!and$small!circles.!

3.! On#Figure#1.3,#label#an#example#of#a#great&circle!and$an$example$of$a$small%circle.!

Distance:*The*Length*of*a!Degree! Because'lines'of'latitude'are'parallel'to'one'another,'the'measurable'distance'between'them,' from%north%to%south,%remains%relatively%constant.%Due%to%Earth’s%curvature,%one%degree%of% latitude(is(approximately(68.7(miles(at(the(equator,(while(at(the!poles&one&degree&of&latitude&is& approximately,69.4,miles.!

As#the#angular#distance#changes#between#the#lines#of#longitude,#the#distance#along#a#line#of# latitude(will(either(increase(or(decrease.(To(better(understand(this(concept,(use(Table(1.1( shown&below&to#answer#the#following#questions#about#the#length#of#a#degree#of#longitude#along# specific'latitudes.'(Hint:'a'statute'mile'is'the'linear'measurement'of'a'mile,'which'is'equal'to' 5,280&feet).!

Table&1.1:&The&Length&of&a&Degree&of&Longitude

!Latitude(North(or"South! Length'of'One'Degree'of'Longitude'at'this'Latitude' in#Statute#Miles!

0°! 69.171!

10°! 69.128!

20°! 65.026!

30°! 59.956!

40°! 53.063!

50°! 44.552!

60°! 34.674!

70°! 23.729!

80°! 12.051!

90°! 0.000!

4.! Refer%to%Table%1.1.%! a.! How$does$the$length$of$longitudes$change!as#latitude#is#increased?!

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10!|"Lab$1:$Earth’s$Geographic$Grid!

b.! Calculate(the(distance(of(the(Earth(along(the(equator.(Show(your(work.!

c.! Calculate(the(distance(of(the(Earth(along(30°N.(Show(your(work.(!

d.! Calculate(the(distance(of(the(Earth(along(60°S.(Show(your(work.(!

How$would$you$calculate$the$distance)in)miles)between)two)people)on)the)same)line)of) latitude?)Here)are)the)steps)to)follow:)!

Step%1! First,'find'the'sum'of'the'total'longitudinal'distance'between'the'points'in'degrees.!

Step%2! Multiply(that(sum(by(the(statute(miles(per(degree(at(the(shared&line&of&latitude&(refer&to&Table& 1.1).$!

Sometimes(it(is(easier(to(complete(Step(1(by(visualizing(the(degree(distance(between(two( points'on'the'same'latitude'by'plotting'the'two'points'on'a'graph.'Figure'1.4'provides'an' example:(if(you(want(to(calculate#the#distance#between#90°W#and#30°E,#you#can#mark#these#on# the$graph.$Once$you$plot$the$two$locations,$you$are$able$to$calculate$the$total$longitudinal$ distance)between)the)locations.!

! Figure'1.4:'Example'of'How'to'Calculate'Longitudinal'Distance.7!!

Figure'1.5'provides'a'graph'that'you'can'use'for'the'following'two'questions'(Hint:'this'is'great' practice(as(you(will(be(using(this(graph(again(later(in(the(lab).!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 7!Figures(by(Jeremy(Patrich(are(licensed(under&CC"BY!NC!SA#4.0!

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11!|"Lab$1:$Earth’s$Geographic$Grid!

! Figure'1.5:'Longitude'Diagram'to'Visualize'Degree'Distance'between'Two'Locations'on'the'Same#Latitude.6!

5.! How$many$miles$are$between$60°N,$30°W$and$60°N,$50°E?$Show$your$work.! a.! First,'determine'the'number'of'degrees'of'longitude'between'these'two'

locations)(use)Figure)1.5):)!

b.! Second,(refer(to(Table(1.1(and(multiply(your(answer(for(5a(by(the(longitudinal& distance)at)60°N:!

6.! How$many$miles$are$between$30°S,$60°W$and$30°S,$90°E?$Show$your$work.$! a.! First,'determine'the'number'of'degrees'of'longitude'between'these'two'

locations)(use)Figure)1.5):)!

b.! Second,(refer(to(Table(1.1(and(multiply(your(answer(for(6a(by(the$longitudinal$ distance)at)30°S:!

Degrees,'Minutes,'and'Seconds! The$primary$unit$in$which$latitude$and$longitude$are$observed$is$degrees."As"learned"earlier,"the" distance)of)these)degrees)can)be)quite)large,)which)is)why)it)is)important)that)the)subdivision#of# a"degree"be"understood."There"are"two"formats"for"subdividing"a"degree:"decimal"degrees"and" degrees!minutes!seconds'(DMS).'!

In#order#to#understand#the#DMS#format,#you#should#know#that#°#is#the#abbreviation#for#degrees,# ’!is#the#abbreviation#for#minutes,#and#”#is#the#abbreviation#for#seconds.#Each#degree#can#be# divided%into%60%equal%parts%called%a%minute."Each"minute"can"also"be"divided"into"60"equal"parts" called&seconds."This"can"be"noted"as"1°"="60’"="3600”."To"review:"! �! there%are%60%minutes%in%1%degree.! �! there%are%60%seconds%in%1%minute.!

Also%note%that%for%DMS,%degrees%are%shown%first,%then%minutes,%then%seconds.%!

7.! Write&the&following&latitude&and&longitudes&in&DMS&and&use&the&correct&abbreviations.& Hint:&15&degrees,&32&minutes,&and&11&seconds&S&would&be&written&as&15°&32’&11”&S.& Because'it'has'the'S'designation,'it'is'a'latitude.'!

a.! 5"degrees,"20"minutes,"30"seconds"N:"!

i.! Is#this#a#latitude#or#longitude?!

b.! 122#degrees,#40#seconds,#and#55#minutes#W:#!

i.! Is#this#a#latitude#or#longitude?!

!

12!|"Lab$1:$Earth’s$Geographic$Grid!

c.! 88"degrees,"55"minutes,"and"12"seconds"S:"!

i.! Is#this#a#latitude#or#longitude?!

8.! Apply%What%You%Learned:%Correct%the%errors%on%the%following%latitudes%and%longitudes.% Hint:&just%like%with%time,%minutes%and%seconds%cannot%exceed%60.%For%example,%if%there% are$65’$shown,$you$should$turn$60’$into$1°"and"keep"5’"remaining."So,"20°"65’"00”"N" would&be&corrected&as&21°&5’&00”&N.&!

a.! 89°$47’$65”$N!

b.! 62°$59’$61”$S!

c.! 118°$67’$51”$E!

Decimal(degrees(are(just(that,(the(decimal(version(of(latitude(and(longitude.(For(example,(you( know$that$there$are$60$minutes$in$one$degree.$So,$30$minutes$would$be$one!half%of%one%degree.% One!half%is%the%same%as%0.5.%Therefore,%you%could%identify%a%latitude%as%60°30’%N%or%as%60.5°%N.%!

Let’s&say&you&would&like&to&convert&the&following&location&into&decimal'degrees:'60°'30’'45”'N.' Only%the%conversion%of%the%minutes%and%seconds%needs%to%occur,%and%this%can%be%done%by%taking% the$minutes$and$dividing$them$by$60,$and$taking$the$seconds$and$dividing$them$by$3600,$then$ adding&them&together.&(Hint:&1°&=&60’&and#60’#=#3600”).#Let’s#look#at#this#DMS#to#decimal# conversion)step!by!step:!

Step%1! Using&the&location&60°&30’&45”&N,&let’s&first&convert&minutes&into&a&decimal&by&dividing&it&by&60.& For$this$problem,$it$would$be$30/60$=$0.5.!

Step%2! We#need#to#convert#seconds'into'a'decimal'as'well,'so'divide'the'seconds'by'3600.'For'this' problem(it(would(be(45/3600(=(0.0125.!

Step%3! Let’s&put&it&together.&Since&there&was&no&conversion&to&the&degrees,&that&number&stands&alone,& followed'by'a'decimal'point.'The'decimal'portion%is%the%sum%of%the%conversions%from%steps%1% and$2.$The$answer$is$60.5125°$N$(60$+$0.5$+$0.0125$=$60.5125).!

Guided&Practice:&DMS$to$Decimal$Degrees! See#examples#of#how#to#convert#DMS#to#decimal#degrees#with#this%video%from%Scott’s% Geography*Notebook."(Video"length"is"4:57).!

!

13!|"Lab$1:$Earth’s$Geographic$Grid!

9.! Convert(the(following(latitudes(and(longitudes(from(DMS(to(decimal(degrees.(! a.! 20°$58’$33”$N!

b.! 04°$22’$52”$S!

c.! 118°$35’$51”$E!

Think&About&It…Why$Is!This%Important?! This%information%is%helpful%in%understanding%locations%on%both%digital%and%paper%mediums.%Most% paper%maps%use%DMS,%while%most%digital%interfaces%like%Google%Maps%use%decimal%degrees.%!

There%are%many%ways%to%look%up%locations%to%find%their%latitude(and(longitude.(In(the(Pin$It!$box$ below&you&will&find&an&interactive&website&sponsored&by&the&United&States&Geological&Survey& (USGS)&that&provides&a&global&interactive&map&that&can&help&identify&the&latitude&and&longitude& of#a#certain#location.#Use"the"QR"code"or"link"below"to"answer"the"following"questions."(Hint:"all" three%locations%for%this%activity%are%in%California).%Note%that%negative%(!)"latitudes"are"in"the" southern)hemisphere)and)negative)(!)"longitudes"are"in"the"western"hemisphere."For"example,(! 118°$is$the$same$as$118°$W.!

To#convert#decimal#degrees#to#DMS,#multiple#the#decimal#by#60#to#find#the#minutes.#Multiply# the$remaining$decimal$by$60$to$get$the$seconds.$!

Pin$It!$Finding&a&Latitude&and&Longitude! Use$this$interactive$Latitude(and(Longitude(Finder!to#help#complete#the#following#questions.#!

10.!What%are%the%latitude%and%longitude%of%Point%Dume%at%Point%Dume%State%Beach…! a.! …in$Decimal$Degrees?!

b.! …in$Degrees,$Minutes,$and$Seconds?"Show"your"work.!

11.!What%are%the%latitude%and%longitude%of%Mt.%Whitney%in%the%Sierra%Nevada?! a.! …in$Decimal$Degrees?!

!

14!|"Lab$1:$Earth’s$Geographic$Grid!

b.! …in$Degrees,$Minutes,$and$Seconds?$Show$your$work.!

Special(Lines(of(Latitude! There%are%some%special%lines%of%latitude%(Figure%1.6),%which%will"be"discussed"in"another"lab."You" should'memorize'these'special'lines'of'latitude.'And,'notice'that'the'word'“Arctic”'has'two' letter%“c”s%in%it.%Too%many%students%misspell%“Arctic”%as%“Artic”—don’t&let&that&happen&to&you.& (Also&notice,&there&are&two&letter#“c”s#in#the#word#Antarctic).#! </p