ATEP ©2008 UAF Geophysical Institute 1 GIT: Visualizing Tsunami Runups with Google Earth

Overview:Students locate their community and create polygons in Google Earth to determine what areas would be affected at different runup levels.

Objectives:The student will:• put“Placemarks”ofemergencylocationsinGoogleEarth;• customizetheplacemarks;and• adddescriptionstoplacemarks

Materials:• STUDENTWORKSHEET:“VisualizingTsunamiRunupswithGoogleEarth”• ComputerwithInternetaccessandGoogleEarthinstalled(NOTE:GoogleEarthmaybeinstalled

for free at http://earth.google.com)

Activity Preparation:1. If it is not already installed, download and install the program Google Earth for each computer. It is

availableathttp://earth.google.com.Downloadtheappropriateversionfortheoperatingsystemonwhichtheprogramwillbeinstalled.DoubleclickontheGoogleEarthicontolaunchtheprogram.

2. Students should be familiar with using Google Earth. They should be able to zoom in/out, move and tilt the image. If students are not familiar with Google Earth, have students do the Grades 5 - 8 “GoogleEarth”lessonbeforedoingthislesson.Itcanbedownloadedathttp://www.aktsunami.com/lessons/GITExercises.html.

3. KMZfilesofcommunitiesinsouthernAlaskaareavailableontheATEPwebsite.Thefilesshouldbeadded to Google Earth before completing the lesson. Google Earth updates its imagery regularly, so checktoseewhethertheATEPwebsiteorGoogleEarthhasthemostcurrentimagery.TodownloadtheKMZfiles,clicktheStudent ResourcesbuttonontheATEPwebsiteathttp://www.aktsunami.com, then go to Satellite ImagerytodownloadtheKMZfileforyourcommunity.ThefilewillopeninGoogle Earth.

4. The units used for elevation in this lesson are meters. To change the elevation to meters in Google Earth go to Tools ➔ Options and select the 3D View tab. Select the Meters, Kilometers button in the Show Elevation section.

Activity Procedure:1) Askstudentshowfarwaterwouldgointothecommunityifatsunamiwitha2-meterrunupwereto

strike.Askhowfaritwouldreachifthetsunamihada6-meteror10-meterrunup.

2) Introduce the lesson by explaining that polygons will be created in Google Earth to demonstrate the areacoveredforatsunamiwitha2-,6-and10-meterrunup.Ifavailable,useaprojectortodemon-stratetheprocedureusingtheSandPoint,Alaska,exampleasdescribedintheSTUDENTWORK-SHEET.

Visualizing Tsunami Runups with Google Earth Grades 9-12

ATEP ©2008 UAF Geophysical Institute 2 GIT: Visualizing Tsunami Runups with Google Earth

3) HandouttheSTUDENTWORKSHEET:“VisualizingTsunamiRunupswithGoogleEarth.”Havestu-dents launch Google Earth and complete the activity for their community.

(NOTE:Theresolutionof theelevationdataused inGoogleEarthvariesacross theglobe. In theLower48,itrangesfrom3metersto30meters.InAlaskatheresolutionis60meters.Theelevationaccuracyofthepolygonscreatedinthisexerciselikelywillvaryfromtheelevationreadingsgivenona GPS. Google Earth updates its data regularly, so future updates may provide more accurate eleva-tions as data becomes available.)

ExtensionIdea(s):Students create a document with the information of the emergency locations and telephone numbers tobetakenhomeandsharedwiththeirfamily.

Answers:1) Answers will vary.2) Answers will vary.3) Answers will vary.4) Answers will vary.5) Answers will vary.

Name:____________________________________

ATEP ©2008 UAF Geophysical Institute 3 GIT: Visualizing Tsunami Runups with Google Earth

STEP 1:

Launch Google Earth and type the name of your community in the search box.Clickonthemagnifyglassorpress return.

StudentWorksheet(page1of3)Visualizing Tsunami Runups with Google Earth

STEP 2:

Use the zoom in/out tool so a large area around the community is visible in the window.

STEP 3:

On the menu use the Add ➔ Polygon,orclicktheAdd Polygon icon from the toolbar.

STEP 4:

In the Nameboxtype“2MRunup.”

Grades 9-12

STEP 5:

1)ClickontheStyle, Color tab.

2)DoubleclickontheArea color box.

3)SelectayellowcolorandclickOK.

4) Lower the Opacity to 50%.

Add Polygon

Name:____________________________________

ATEP ©2008 UAF Geophysical Institute 4 GIT: Visualizing Tsunami Runups with Google Earth

StudentWorksheet(page2of3)Visualizing Tsunami Runups with Google Earth

STEP6:IntheGoogleEarthwindow,startthepolygonby clickingapointthatisintheoceanandawayfromthe community.Continueclickingpointstomakeapolygon that completely covers the community.

STEP7:ClickontheAltitudetabinthe“2MRunup”polygonwindow.Enter “2m” in theAltitudeboxand select Absolute from the drop down menu. ClickOKwhenfinished.

STEP8:Repeatsteps3through7tomaketwomorepolygonlayersthatarethesamesizeasthefirstone.Makeagreenpolygonatthe6mlevelthathas a 50% opacity and another at the 10m level that is red with a 50% opacity.

STEP9:InthePlacessidebarclickonthe2M Runup layer while the othertwo(6M&10M)areoff.Zoomin,tilt,andmovearoundthe image to see what areas of the community would be cov-ered with a 2m runup.

Grades 9-12

Name:____________________________________

ATEP ©2008 UAF Geophysical Institute 5 GIT: Visualizing Tsunami Runups with Google Earth

StudentWorksheet(page3of3)Visualizing Tsunami Runups with Google Earth

STEP10:Clickthe2Mpolygonoffandclickonthe6Mtoseethedifference intheareasthatwouldbecovered.Dothesameforthe10Mrunup.

Analyze the areas covered at the different levels by comparing them to the coast or a building.

Example: View the areas inundated by comparing them to the building in the circle.

2mrunup 6mrunup 10mrunup

Answer the following questions.

A. Wouldtheairportrunwaybecoveredatthe2m,6mor10mrunuplevel?

_______ M runup level

B. Wouldanyschoolsbeinundatedbya2m,6m,or10mrunup?(Circleone)

2m runup: yes no 6mrunup: yesno 10m runup: yes no

C. Whatistheelevationoftheschool?(Hint:withthemousecursorovertheschool,lookatthebottomof the Google Earth window.)

_________

D. Arethereanyhousesthatwouldbereachedbyatsunamiwitha2mrunup?(Circleone)

yes no

E. Whatareasareprimarilyaffectedbya2mrunup?(i.e.,harbor,cannery,parkinglots,houses)

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Grades 9-12