Lab 7: Common Maps & Water Resources

Lab Worksheet
EXERCISE (100 points total)
Part 1 - Topographic Maps (60 points)

1. Before beginning, please access https://caltopo.com/  in another tab.

2. Follow the link below and watch this tutorial video: -

http://www.kaltura.com/tiny/05bks

3. Continue to the next page…

3. Follow the instructions in the video and navigate to near Monroe, GA. Examine
scanned topo maps, and create a topographic profile for the location shown in red on
the images below.

4. Attach a screenshot of your topographic profile. Name it MONROE PROFILE

5. Answer the following questions.

a. What is the contour interval of the map? (6 points) 10 ft.

b. Which side of the stream is steeper (west or east)? How can this be determined
based on the elevations contours and topographic profile? (6 points)
6. Which direction is the water in the streams flowing in the areas outlined in black below?
(6 points) North

How could you that be determined using the elevation contours? (6 points) The flow of
water can be told by the elevation and movement of water from its specific source.

7. Your next step is to generate a final map of the area. Watch the following tutorial as a
guide.
a. Upload a screenshot of your final map. The map should be named: FINAL
MAP (6 points)

b. What is the magnetic declination of this area? (6 points) Southwest

c. Approximately how long is your topographic profile? (6 points) .77 miles

 8. Open the USGS topo map file (PDF) that was referenced in the assignment box for the
unit. This is a topographic 7.5’ quadrangle map of Between, GA (same area from
previous question) produced by the United States Geologic Survey in 2019.
a. Examine the features on the map (contours, roads, rivers/creeks, lakes, etc.).
b. Optional: Turn on/off various layers in the geospatial layered PDF. This file has
the ability to view select layers.

9. Construct a hand-drawn topographic profile for the purple line on the map. Be sure to
include the starting and ending elevations and the directions at each end (e.g, West, East).

Upload your profile to the assignment box and label it FINAL PROFILE. (6 points)

Below is an example of a profile from SERC:

10. Which side of the stream has the steeper slope? (6 points) The right of the steam has
the deeper slope.

11. What’s the maximum elevation change across the topographic profile? (6 points)
125 feet

Part 2 - US Sea Level Rise (20 points)

1. Read the article “Millions projected to be at risk from sea-level rise in the continental
United States” that was referenced in the assignment box for the unit.
This was published in Nature Climate Change (Hauer, M., Evans, J.
& Mishra, D. Millions projected to be at risk from sea-level rise in
the continental United States. Nature Climate Change 6, 691–695
(2016). (https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2961 - Retrieved from
 this website on 7/19/21).

2. How many people will be at risk with a 1.8m (~6 feet) in year 2100? (5 points) 13.1
million people

3. Three counties in particular are cited as having a hyper localized impact of Sea Level
Rise (SLR). What are the three counties and what makes them more vulnerable?
(5 points) Tyrrell, North Carolina, Monroe, Florida, and Hyde, North Carolina.
They are vulnerable because they are low lying cities which means they can be
covered easily.

4. Go to the NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer website.

a. For optional guidance, watch the Sea Level Rise Viewer tutorial video.
b. Attach a screen capture of sea level rise of 6 feet along the Georgia coast.

c. After adjusting the sea level rise to 6 feet it becomes apparent that counties along
the Georgia coast will be underwater. Portions of the current land area will now
be submerged.

Using the 6-foot sea level rise map, estimate the percentage of land area in the
seven coastal counties that would be under water along the coast of Georgia with
this sea level rise scenario. (10 points) 60%
Part 3 – Water (20 points)

Before starting this section, watch the video “Blue Planet”.

1. Why is Earth called the “blue planet”? (4 points)

The vast amount of water the Earth has is why it is called the Blue Planet.

2. What are the greatest demands on freshwater? (4 points)

The greatest demand on freshwater is from human agriculture because it uses 70% of the
1% of the freshwater available. Next is human homes. Humans use more water than
any other species.

Now, watch the video “The Water Cycle” by NSF.

3. List 3 water compartments with the hydrologic cycle. (4 points)

Precipitation, Runoff, Interception

4. List three processes which mobilize water throughout the hydrologic cycle. (4 points)

Evaporation, Condensation, Transpiration

5. Critical Thinking – Describe ways in which topography impacts the hydrologic cycle. (4
points)
Topography controls the pattern of the water cycle depending on the features of a
specific area. This is because of things such as temperature and location.