GPS Analysis of Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes in Alaska Open

3h Novice

Open Resource

This activity introduces students to high precision GPS as it is used in geoscience research. Students build "gumdrop" GPS units and study data from three Alaska GPS stations from the Network of the Americas run by UNAVCO . They learn how Alaska's south central region is "locked and loading" as the Pacific Plate pushes into North America and builds up energy that will be released in the future in other earthquakes such as the 1964 Alaska earthquake. This is a multi-day lesson, and could take 2 – 3 lessons (hour long) to complete.

This activity was developed as part of the ANGLE Project and is available from their webste. 

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

  • Diagram and describe the basic components of the GPS system and a GPS station
  • Construct a small model GPS station
  • Interpret high precision GPS data
  • Calculate tectonic velocities from GPS time series data and graph resulting vectors
  • Synthesize results from three GPS stations to determine the implications for future earthquakes in south central Alaska.
GPS monitors deformation in subduction zone: Part A intro
Instructional video shows how to conduct 5-step student activity to build gum-drop GPS station, learn how GPS works, then model and graph the GPS movement. This video, Part A, covers Steps 1 and 2: building and using a gumdrop GPS station. In Part B (steps 3-5), students learn how to read time-series plots and understand how we know the ground is moving. 
Video Novice
GPS monitors deformation in subduction zone: Part B, using real data
Instructional video shows how to conduct 5-step student activity to build gum-drop GPS station, learn how GPS works, then model and graph the GPS movement. Part A, covered the steps to build and use a gumdrop GPS station. In this video, Part B, students learn how to read time-series plots and understand how we know the ground is moving.
Video Novice