Objective: To investigate Earth's waters in search of wave data, such as amplitude, frequency, etc...
Guiding Questions: What information do buoys give us? What data can we collect? What is a buoy anyway and what is it used for? Can you tell from the map at this link?
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/
Before going to the site, predict where you think the biggest waves will be found.
HOW TO USE THE MAP: Place your cursor on the map (yellow markers indicate data-generating stations with recent data). Click on several different yellow markers to explore the data offered. Some buoys provide graphical information about water column height (amplitude) and period of wave (frequency); others provide temperature data (water and air), wind speed/direction, and atmospheric pressure.
For this assignment, you will create a data table in order to collect data from at least 10 locations (make sure you take them from different areas on the globe/map), wave height, period of wave, wind speed, temperature.
After you collect the data, you will create a graph showing at least wave height, (and hopefully) frequency, as well as the location.
In conclusion, you should be able to use your data table and graph to discuss patterns, relationships, and to answer the guiding questions. Here are a few other questions to consider:
Where are waves the highest and the lowest? What do you think makes them so high? Make sure that you note the date you accessed the link. What types of buoys were they? What atmospheric pressure or wind speed was at that location? What causes waves to become so high or low? Why might these buoys be helpful to meteorologists, cities on the coast (seaside), boatsmen, you...?
Guiding Questions: What information do buoys give us? What data can we collect? What is a buoy anyway and what is it used for? Can you tell from the map at this link?
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/
Before going to the site, predict where you think the biggest waves will be found.
HOW TO USE THE MAP: Place your cursor on the map (yellow markers indicate data-generating stations with recent data). Click on several different yellow markers to explore the data offered. Some buoys provide graphical information about water column height (amplitude) and period of wave (frequency); others provide temperature data (water and air), wind speed/direction, and atmospheric pressure.
For this assignment, you will create a data table in order to collect data from at least 10 locations (make sure you take them from different areas on the globe/map), wave height, period of wave, wind speed, temperature.
After you collect the data, you will create a graph showing at least wave height, (and hopefully) frequency, as well as the location.
In conclusion, you should be able to use your data table and graph to discuss patterns, relationships, and to answer the guiding questions. Here are a few other questions to consider:
Where are waves the highest and the lowest? What do you think makes them so high? Make sure that you note the date you accessed the link. What types of buoys were they? What atmospheric pressure or wind speed was at that location? What causes waves to become so high or low? Why might these buoys be helpful to meteorologists, cities on the coast (seaside), boatsmen, you...?
