STUDENTWORKSHEETLEVEL1

CALCULATINGTHEMEANSEALEVEL

1. CalculatetheMean:

Usingthesample

datatotheright,

completethetable

andcomputethe

meanheight.

2. CalculatetheDeviation: Onceyouhavethemean,calculatehowmucheachdatapointdeviatesfromthatmean.Todothis,subtractthemeanfromeachheightmeasurement

recorded.WritetheresultsinthecolumnmarkedDeviation.

Measurement Height (-Mean) Deviation

1

2

3

4

5

TOTAL

MEAN

10UNDERSTANDINGSEALEVELUSINGREALDATA:LEVEL1

STUDENTWORKSHEETLEVEL2

InterpretingGlobalSeaLevelData

SeaSurfaceHeightDeviation,January2016

Instructions: Examinethemapabove.Usethecolorbaratrighttohelpwithyourinterpretation.

Answerthefollowingquestions:

Question1: Theyellowandorangecolorsonthemaprepresentareaswhere:

A) theseasurfaceheightisroughlythesameasthehistoricalmeanheightB) thewateriswarmerthannormalC) sealevelsarerisingD) theseasurfaceheightishigherthanthehistoricalmeanheight

Question2: InJanuary2016,whatwastheapproximateSSHDoffthecoastofLosAngeles,USA?

A) 0.2metersB) 0.1metersC) -0.1metersD) -0.4meters

8UNDERSTANDINGSEALEVELUSINGREALDATA:LEVEL2

Question3: IsthesealevelintheWesternPacificgenerallyhigherorlowerthanthemeansealevel?__________________________________

Question4: ProposeanexplanationforthedifferencesinseasurfaceheightbetweentheEasternandWesternPacificinSeptember2016.

Question5: Next,comparethedatamapsbelowfromDecember1993andDecember2016.Whatisamajordifferencebetweenthetwomaps?Proposeanexplanation.

SeaSurfaceHeightDeviation,January1993 SeaSurfaceHeightDeviation,January2016

9UNDERSTANDINGSEALEVELUSINGREALDATA:LEVEL2

STUDENTWORKSHEETLEVEL3

ANSWERINGAQUESTIONWITHTIDEDATA

Yourmission:Travelbackintime toMay2016.Youaretakingatripto

Delawaretoseethelargestconcentration

ofspawninghorseshoecrabsintheworld.

Spawningishighestduringthenewand

fullmoons,andyouvelearnedthatoften

thehighestnumbersofcrabsarepresent

duringthenighttimehightides.

Eachspring,horseshoecrabscomeashoretospawn.

Question: WhatslikelytheBESTdateandtimetoseehorseshoecrabspawninginMay2016?

GettheData: Toanswerthisquestion,usethetidedatatooltocreateatidechart.

Usingthemapfeatures,zoomintotheareaaroundDelawareBay.

Select(click)oneofthecoloredmarkersalongtheedgesofDelawareBay.

Insidethesmallpop-upwindow,clickMoreinfoandyouwillbetakentoanew

website.

Scrolldownthepageandchangethedaterange:FromMay1ToMay31 ClickthePlotbutton.Atidechartshouldappear.

Findthelegendlocateddirectlybeneaththechart.Insidethelegend,click

Predictions.Thebluelineshoulddisappear,leavingonlytheverifiedtidedata

visibleonthechart.Saveorprintthechart,ifdesired.

9UNDERSTANDINGSEALEVELUSINGREALDATA:LEVEL3

Interpretthedata: Usingyourtidechart,answerthequestionsbelow.

1. Approximately,whendidthemostextremespringtidesoccurinMay2016?

FromMay____________ToMay______________

2. Approximately,whattimewastheNIGHTTIMEhightide,duringtheaboveperiod?

Notethat00:00ismidnight,1AMis01:00,and11PMis23:00.

_______________________________________________

3. Whatwasthemoonphaseduringtheseextremetides?

a. Fullmoon

b. Quartermoon

c. WaxingGibbous

d. Eitherfullornewmoon

DrawaConclusion:ThelikelybesttimetoseehorseshoecrabspawninginMay2016..

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Goingfurther:Onaseparatesheetofpaper,makeadiagramoftheapproximateorientationoftheMoonrelativetotheEarthandSunonthedateinyourconclusionabove.Colorablue

tidalbulgearoundtheearth,indicatinganapproximatespringtideorneaptide.Labelyour

diagram.

10UNDERSTANDINGSEALEVELUSINGREALDATA:LEVEL3

STUDENTWORKSHEETLEVEL3

CALCULATINGMEANTIDALRANGE

Question: WhatwasthemeantidalrangeinDelawareBayfromMay7-9,2016?

GettheData: Toanswerthisquestion,usethetidedatatooltocreateanewtidechart.

Usingthemapfeatures,zoomintotheareaaroundDelawareBay.

Select(click)oneofthecoloredmarkersalongtheedgesofDelawareBay.

Insidethesmallpop-upwindow,clickMoreinfo..

Scrolldownthepageandchangethedaterangetothefollowing:

FromMay7,2016ToMay8,2016 ClickthePlotbutton.Atidechartshouldappear.

Findthelegendlocateddirectlybeneaththechart.Insidethelegend,click

Predictions.Thebluelineshoulddisappear,leavingonlytheverifiedtidedata

visibleonthechart.Saveorprintthechart,ifdesired.

Calculatethemeantidalrange: Completethetableonthenextpage.Instructionsandanexampletableisbelow.

1. Recordtheheightofthefirstlowtide andthefirsthightide inyourtable.2. Calculatethedifferenceinheightbetweenthefirstlowandhightide.

3. Recordtheheightofthenextconsecutivehighandlowtides,completingthetable.

4. Calculatethemeantidalrange.

Table: ExampleusingtidedatafromLewes,DE

Date Lowtideorhightide?

Tideheight(ft)

TidalRange(hightideheight-lowtideheight)

05/06/2016 High 6.87

05/06/2016 Low 1.26 6.87-1.26=5.61ft

05/06/2016 High 6.20 6.20-1.26=4.94ft

11UNDERSTANDINGSEALEVELUSINGREALDATA:LEVEL3

Table: Meantidalheight

Date Lowtideorhightide?

Tideheight(ft) TidalRange(hightideheight-lowtideheight)

High

Low

High

Low

High

Low

High

Low

TOTAL

MEANTIDALRANGE

12UNDERSTANDINGSEALEVELUSINGREALDATA:LEVEL3

STUDENTWORKSHEETLEVEL4

RESEARCHPROJECT:DETERMININGSTORM

SURGEHEIGHT

Your mission: You are joining a team of scientists who are studying the effects of

stormsalongtheU.S.coast.Yourtaskisto

pick a storm event for a coastal location and

design a research plan to help you gather

data about the water height before, during,

and after the storm. You already know

something about the typical or average water

height in the area due to tides. Your goal now

is to determine the additional effect a storm

can have on water height. Once your plan is

accepted, you are to carry out your data collection, analyze it, and report your findings to

theteam.

WhichStorm?

Usetheinternetandsearchfornewsstoriesusingkeywordssuchas'flooding,'and

'stormtides.'Includethelocationyouareinterestedin,suchas'Miami,Florida.'

Onceyouhavefoundastormtostudy,recordthedate(s)whenfloodingoccurred:

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Recordthelocation(s),coastalcitiesorbeacheswherethefloodingoccurred:

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

5UNDERSTANDINGSEALEVELUSINGREALDATA:LEVEL4

FormYourQuestion: Writeyourresearchquestioninthespacebelow.Example:HowdidWinterStormJonasimpactwaterlevelsinBaltimore,MD?

Howdid____________________________________impactwaterlevels___________________________?

GettheData: Toansweryourquestion,usethedatatooltocreateatidechart.

UsingthemapfeaturesinLevel4,zoomintotheareanearthestorm. Select(click)oneofthecoloredmarkersclosesttotheareayouarestudying.

Insidethesmallpop-upwindow,clickMoreinfo.

Scrolldownthepageandchangethedaterangetoincludethedatesaroundthe

timeofthestorm.Includeatleast2daysbeforeandafterthestormoccurred.

ClickthePlotbutton.Saveorprintthechart,ifdesired.

Interpretthedata: Usingyourtidechart,answerthequestionsbelow.

1. Onthetidechart,isthereevidencethatthesealevelswerehigherthanexpected

duringthestorm?Ifyes,howcanyoutell?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Whatwastheheightofthehigheststormtide?____________________________________

3. Atthetimeofthehigheststormtide,howmuchdidthesealevelriseabovethe

predictedsealevel?

_______________________________________________

4. Whatwastheapproximatemoonphaseduringthestorm(usetheonlinemoonphasecalendar) ?

a. Fullornewmoon b.GibbousorCrescent c.Quartermoon

6UNDERSTANDINGSEALEVELUSINGREALDATA:LEVEL4

5. Whateffectcouldmoonphasehaveonfloodingduetoastorm?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

DrawaConclusion:Whatistheanswertoyourquestion?Useevidenceanddatatosupportyourconclusion.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

7UNDERSTANDINGSEALEVELUSINGREALDATA:LEVEL4

STUDENTWORKSHEETLEVEL5

DESIGNYOUROWNINVESTIGATION

DevelopYourQuestion:

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

MakeaPlan: Makealistbelowofthespecificdatayouwillneedtoanswerthequestion.

DataSet Date MaporGraph?

Example:Seasurfaceheightdeviation December2015 map

Otherthanthedatalistedabove,whatotherinformation(ifany)willyouneedtoanswer

yourquestion?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

6UNDERSTANDINGSEALEVELUSINGREALDATA:LEVEL5

Getthedata: Usethewebsitetodownloadthedatayouwillneed.

Interpretthedata: Whatdoesyourdatashow?Bespecificanddescriptive.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

DrawaConclusion:Whatistheanswertoyourquestion?Useevidenceanddatatosupportyourconclusion.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

7UNDERSTANDINGSEALEVELUSINGREALDATA:LEVEL5

DITC_SeaLevel_L1_Wksht_032017DITC_SeaLevel_L2_Wksht_032017DITC_SeaLevel_L3_Wksht_032017DITC_SeaLevel_L4_Wksht_032017DITC_SeaLevel_L5_Wksht_032017