- Activity 1: Fall 2024 B2B Student Research Project (Last updated: August 2024)
Project Title: Analyzing Gravity and Magnetic Data from the Galapagos Hotspot using MATLAB and Sonar Depth Measurements.
The background information and problem statement for the project are available here.
- Activity 2: Fall 2024 PHYS 170L Laboratory #3 (Last updated: September 2024)
Laboratory Exploration of Tectonic Plate Movements Using Vector Analysis in Lab#3, Part IV, Section 11 (section link
here).
The objective is to predict the Future Vectors of Tectonic Plate Movements.
Background Information: In the summer of 2024, your physics professor joined an ocean bottom seismograph project with geoscientists & principal investigators
from the University of Oregon, University of Hawaii, and the University of Rhode Island on a research cruise to the Galapagos Islands.
During this cruise, the team examined how the Nazca and Cocos tectonic plates are moving relative to each other,
with the Nazca Plate moving 50 mm/year northwest (40° north of west) and the Cocos Plate moving 70 mm/year northeast (45° north of East).
The aim is to predict their future movement using vectors (Reference: Prof. Garrett Apuzen-Ito, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, as discussed onboard).
Please review the Lab#3 here.
- Activity 3: GO-BGC Floats Technology (Last updated: August 2024)
Charles Hoots from UH Grads updated me about the ARGO floats we deployed in the Pacific Ocean during our research cruise:
"It’s an up-to-date log of all the data being relayed back each of those two ARGO floats we deployed on the cruise. Appears to transmit new data every two-weeks."
He also shared current statuses and links for both floats. The GO-BGC data is available for free through these links:
- First float, deployed on 06/25: Link1. (Some data from this link may be referenced
during our lecture discussions on fluid dynamics later in the semester.)
- Second float, deployed on 06/30: Link2.
Prof. Emily Hooft included a paragraph about the GO-BGC technology in the cruise report last July:
"We deployed two floats (1578 and 1538) for the Global BioGeochemistry Array progam. The Global Ocean
Biogeochemistry Array is a global robotic network of profiling floats carrying chemical and biological
sensors that will revolutionize our understanding of ocean biogeochemical cycles, carbon uptake,
acidification, deoxygenation, and ecosystem health. GO-BGC utilizes autonomous robotic floats to measure temperature, salinity, pH, nitrate, chlorophyll,
suspended particles, light, and derived parameters DIC, pCO2 and total alkalinity in the ocean from the
surface to 2000m. These floats can operate continuously for years in all weather conditions, providing near
real-time observations of ocean biogeochemistry and ecosystems throughout the world’s oceans. GO-BGC
will deploy 500 autonomous floats in the world’s oceans between 2021 and 2026 as part of the OneArgo
array. GO-BGC data are made freely available through the Data page and the Argo data system."
- Activity 4: Fall 2024 PHYS 170L Laboratory (Last updated: Working on this document now, and soon you'll see a complete version.)
Experiment Title: Investigating the Galapagos Spreading Center. TBA
CURRICULUM LEVEL: k12, Freshmen or Sophomore (maybe junior level okay)
TBA
- Activity (): Locating An Earthquake
(To Be Updated)
Here is a standard Laboratory exercise
focused on locating earthquakes or exploring earth science concepts that I used to incorporate into my Geology and/or Physical Science courses around 20 to 30 years ago.
You can check a similar text problem here
regarding finding the epicenter of an earthquake that I recently introduced in my general physics lecture class.
- Activity (): Expendable Bathythermograph (XBT) Measurements (To Be Updated)
- Activity (): Investigation into Seismic Data (To Be Updated)
Please click here for relevant online resources that
I utilized for the Literature Review on Virtual Labs. This Earth Science literature link, also known as Sysmic Explorer,
features two prominent buttons positioned at the bottom of the page,
labeled Map Type and Data Type. These buttons provide convenient access to a variety
of visualization options, offering a range of useful tools for exploring data and maps.
Of particular interest to me currently are the topics of Volcanic Eruptions and Tectonic Plate Movement around the Galapagos Islands. Please take a look at my
map here for the movement of tectonic plates.
Note: During the pandemic year, I utilized the above Seismic Explorer link as a case study/research within
the Literature Review of the Virtual Physics/Physical Science Laboratory,
as part of a Bridge to the Baccalaureate Undergraduate Research Experience student project.
- Activity (): Shrinking Styrofoam Cups in Deep-Sea Conditions (To Be Updated)
Please click here for relevant concept.
While this Styrofoam type demonstration does not correspond with the objectives or the mission of this high-level seismic project during the trip,
I am still inclined to propose it. Let's Give It A Try!😊
Alternatively, we could consider observing the experiment in a museum setting, or Request other adventurers or Resources
to Witness it on a Deep-Sea Expedition. Required Equipment and Materials: Styrofoam cups, permanent markers, a cage or container to secure the cups,
professional-grade ropes and hooks, and other logistical items for the experiment. It's worth noting that this demo can also be expensive and time consuming.
- Activity (): Equatorial Sundial and more K-12 Classroom Activities & Resource (To Be Updated)
Please click here to learn about relevant concept, especially for kids in school.
Equatorial Sundial and Tools of the Astronomer. Creating an equatorial sundial is a simple yet effective way to understand essential
astronomical principles and tools. Reference: The University of Texas at Austin.