Earth Science: Geology, the Environment, and the UniverseChapter 2:
Mapping Our WorldProblem of the WeekWhere in the World Are You? Students should be encouraged to think of activities
in which the location of some object needs to be known with a high degree
of accuracy, or something needs to be tracked or monitored. The GPS employs a wide array of technologies;
a discussion of these as well as futuristic uses might prove interesting
as well. Web Resources: http://www.aero.org/publications/GPSPRIMER/
GPSElements.html
- an excellent "GPS web-primer;" great introduction. http://www4.nas.edu/beyond/
beyonddiscovery.nsf/web/gps
- an excellent series of short articles that discusses this technology
and it’s uses in detail. http://spaceflightnow.com/delta/d278/
000421gpsanim_qt.html
- an animation which depicts the GPS satellites and the Global Positioning
System orbital constellation. Source video: Lockheed Martin http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/nhouse/clock.htm
- an explanation of the importance of the atomic clock to the accuracy
of the GPS. http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/history.html
- time keeping at the US Naval Observatory |