Earth Science: Geology, the Environment, and the Universe

Chapter 2: Mapping Our World

Problem of the Week

Where 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

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