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2.5: Lab Exercise (Part B)

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    5463
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    Part B – Earth’s Magnetic Field

    You will use the polar map given (Figure 2.8) to plot the changing locations of the magnetic pole over time. To view the polar map, imagine that you are above the North Pole looking down on it. 90º N latitude is directly in the center of the map, and the lines of latitude, measured in 2-degree increments, spread out in circles from the center. Values of longitude are also given and are represented as lines that radiate out from the center in increments of 30 degrees. A scale bar, in kilometers, is provided. To familiarize yourself with the map, first practice plotting some of the locations given. The first two, A and B, have been done for you. You will be plotting actual locations of the magnetic North Pole over time ranging from 1400-1900 AD onto Figure 2.8. The table below includes the year and latitude and longitude (as degrees from 0 to 360) for each location. Once you have completed this, answer the questions that follow. Remember that 1,000 meters = 1 kilometer.

    Point Year Latitude Longitude
    A ______ 87.7 160.3
    B ______ 85.6 6.6
    C 1400 84.8 228.3
    D 1500 86.3 301.5
    E 1600 85.6 316.7
    F 1700 81.1 307.1
    G 1800 81.1 297.1
    H 1900 82.3 288.2

    clipboard_e54518bf33e59522df3ad43fc06ea7932.png

    10. Measure the distance, using the bar scale, between the pole in 1400 and 1500 (locations C and D). How far did the pole move?

    a. ~50 km                             b. ~150 km                             c. ~600 km                             d. ~1,000 km

     

    11. How far (in km) did the pole move in one year during this time period?

    a. 0.5 km                              b. 1.5 km                                c. 6 km                                   d. 10 km

     

    12. How far did the pole move in meters in one year during this time period?

    a. 1,500 m                            b. 500 m                                 c. 10,000 m                             d. 6,000 m

     

    13. Approximately how far did the pole move per day?

    a. <1 m                               b. ~16 m                                 c. ~20 m                                 d. ~12 m

     

    14. Measure the distance, using the bar scale, between the pole in 1400 and 1700 (locations C and F). How far did the pole move?

    a. ~50 km                            b. ~150 km                             c. ~600 km                              d. ~1,000 km

     

    15. Do pole movements tend to be steady every 100 years or variable?

    a. movements are steady                                                    b. movements are variable


    This page titled 2.5: Lab Exercise (Part B) is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Deline, Harris & Tefend (GALILEO Open Learning Materials) .

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