ERIC Number: EJ1163995
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Aug
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1089-9995
EISSN: N/A
A Web-Based Resource for Investigating Environmental Change: The Emigrant Pass Observatory
Davis, Michael G.; Chapman, David S.
Journal of Geoscience Education, v60 n3 p241-248 Aug 2012
We present a user-friendly, data-driven Web site (http://thermal.gg.utah.edu/facilities/epo/) for a geothermal, climate change observatory that is educational for the general public, students, and researchers alike. The Emigrant Pass Observatory (EPO), located in the Grouse Creek Mountains in northwestern Utah, gathers both meteorological data (solar radiation, air temperature, rainfall, wind speed and direction, and snow depth) and subsurface temperatures in shallow drillholes. Our website has three main functions: (1) it provides a tutorial for understanding both local climate and climate change, and their relation to diffusion of temperatures into the Earth's subsurface; (2) it facilitates user-defined accessibility to download available climate data; and (3) it contains lesson ideas for using real data to understand local climate. EPO data and resources are ideal for active learning projects. Additionally, our collaboration with ongoing outreach projects (e.g., NSF-sponsored GK-12) in Utah promote the use and understanding of climate change data among students and educators, thus filling a valuable niche in local education.
Descriptors: Web Sites, Climate, Change, Scientific Research, Meteorology, Energy, Tutorial Programs, Active Learning, Environmental Education, Outreach Programs, Elementary Secondary Education, Science Laboratories
National Association of Geoscience Teachers. Carleton College W-SERC, One North College Street, Northfield, MN 55057. Tel: 540-568-6675; Fax: 540-568-8058; e-mail: jge@jmu.edu; Website: http://nagt-jge.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Utah
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A