SEAFLOOR PROFILING—Lesson #3: Understanding seafloor maps from the NWHI student handout

 

• Open two windows to the Internet; both windows should show the homepage:

http://www.hawaiiatolls.org

 

• From this homepage, open the following two links, one in each window, to see the two maps:
• Mapping an Unnamed Seamount: http://hawaiianatolls.org/research/May2005/PandHSEBankMapping.php
• Brooks Bank Mapping http://hawaiianatolls.org/research/May2005/BrooksBankMapping.php

 

 

1)    In both maps, which color represents the deepest land?—the most shallow land?

 

2)    Look at the map at the bottom of the Brooks Bank page. Describe what these features look like:

 

a)     Terrace

 

b)    Canyon

 

c)     Slump blocks

 

3)    Look at the maps representing the unnamed seamount SE of Pearl and Hermes. Do you see any:

 

a)     Terraces?

b)    Canyons?

c)     Slump blocks?

 

4)    According to the text descriptions with each map, how were the terraces made?

 

 

5)    How were the slump blocks made?

 

 

6)    Using your geography skills, which of the two mounts is further NW? (Hint: look at the latitude and longitude for each mount.)

 

7)    Using the map scales, which would be a more accurate statement:

 

a.     The flat tops of the seamounts are about the same area.

b.     One of the seamounts is a lot larger than the other.