Driving Question: How Does Temperature Vary with Elevation

Driving Question: How does temperature vary with elevation?

(NOTE TO TEACHERS: To use this lesson, you must download from the STORE website the file containing all the New York data. Then in that file, add a layer that contains a path between Oswego and Syracuse. Make that path available to your students in a new kmz file that contains the data and the new path.)

We often think about things such as temperature and precipitation with regards to where we live. However, when trying to understand how various earth systems interact, it’s essential to examine how atmospheric variable such as temperature and precipitation vary based on location and how they are affected by atmospheric changes in the earth's surface.

This lesson and the next are opportunities to explore how temperature and precipitation change based on elevation. You will use several tools in Google Earth to explore various state-wide data sets. The challenge is to see if you can identify locations that demonstrate clearly these important relationships.

Problem Question #1: What is the relationship between elevation and temperature?

Hypothesis: State what you believe is the correct relationship between elevation and temperature.

Instructions

You will be provided with a “packaged” Google Earth file that contains information related New York State's climate (i.e monthly temperature, monthly precipitation, snowfall amounts) and terrain.

1)  Download the Store NY 102012.kmz from the X:Drive. Follow this path XDrive, HighSchool, Earth Science. Right click on the file name and click copy. Find your H:Drive and paste the file to your network drive.

2)  Open this file in Google Earth. Double click the file name in your H:Drive and Google Earth should open with this file and all of its layers.

3)  Click the to open the Paths folder and turn on the Oswego Syracuse path.

4)  Use the Elevation Profile feature to explore the relationship between the changes in terrain along the path and the temperature data available. Right click on the Oswego Syracuse path and select “Show Elevation Profile.

5)  Turn off the Hillshade layer and turn on the Average Annual Temperature layer.

6)  Move the cursor along the Elevation Profile to record the elevations and temperatures in the data table below. Click on name of the layer to see the legend that goes with the Average Annual Temperature Layer.

7)  Turn on the NYS 250m Hillshade model so the hills and mountains across the state are more easily visible. You could also the NYS Landscape Map in your reference tables for some additional help.

8)  Identify one or more regions of the state that show a LARGE CHANGE in topography (elevation) over some distance (approximately 50 – 100 miles).

9)  Make sure the PATH folder is highlighted when drawing your path. Do this by clicking on the word PATH in the Places menu.

10)  Using the “Add Path” tool , draw a line (path) across an area that has a change in elevation. Your path must be at least 50 miles and no more than 150 miles. Click on the Measurement tab to see the length of your line.

11)  Turn on the Average Annual Temperature Layer. Remember you will need to turn on/off different layers to be able to see different data sets. If you can’t see the Temperature layer turn off the layers above it so you can see the correct layer.

12)  Use the Elevation Profile feature to explore the relationship between the changes in terrain along your path and the temperature data available. Right click on the path and select “Show Elevation Profile.”

13)  Move the cursor along the Elevation Profile to record the elevations and temperatures in your data table. Click on the name of the layer to see the legend that goes with the Average Annual Temperature Layer. Make sure you include the name of the path from Google Earth in your data table.

14)  Repeat Steps 7-11 for two more locations in New York State. Your first location should be an East/West Line that goes through Syracuse. Your second location should be a North/South line that goes through Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks. If you don’t where Mt. Marcy is, use the search tool in the upper left corner of Google Earth to find it.

Save your work, have your teacher show you how to do this. You need these paths for Activity 2!

15)  Answer the following statements and questions in detail.

A.  Describe the general pattern of temperatures in New York State (NYS) along your East/West Line that goes through Syracuse.

B.  Describe the general pattern of temperatures in NYS along your North/South line that goes through Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks.

C.  What are some of the relationships between elevation and temperature in NYS?

D.  The relationship between temperature and elevation is seldom perfect across specific areas of NYS. What other variables might impact the patterns that you observed? Where do they occur?

HINT – check your notes for other climate factors we have studied, at least two more effect NYS.

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