Lab 6: Coastal and Aeolian processes and landforms 

Introduction

This lab focuses on coastal and aeolian processes and landforms and you will visit many different spots around the Earth and even one on Mars on Google Earth! To get started, download the associated Lab6.kmz file from Avenue to Learn and open it in Google Earth. You should see all the stops associated with this lab.

There are seven locations that will be explored in this lab: the islands of French Polynesia, the west coast of Panama, Prince Edward Island, the Namib Desert in Namibia, the Rub’ al Khali Desert in Saudi Arabia, and two dune fields on Mars. You will be asked to identify different types of landscapes and landforms, look at historical imagery of coastal sediment transport, and analyze wind patterns. The final question allows you to independently explore landscapes and identify coastal or aeolian features on the Earth’s surface.

Tasks

1) French Polynesia (6 pts)

Fly to the French Polynesia stop and explore the array of different islands located around the placemark. Compare the islands of Maupiti and Tūpai in more detail.

a) Briefly describe how the unique morphology of these two islands was formed (3 pts).

b) Which island would you hypothesize is younger (1 pt) and briefly explain how you know (2 pts).

2) West coast of Panama (10 pts)

a) Fly to Panama stop 1. Which river discharges into this bay? (1 pt)

b) Identify the type of land feature is stop 1 (1 pt) and briefly describe its physical characteristics(2 pts).

c) Fly to Panama stop 2 and notice the three markers labelled A, B, and C in this area. Identify each feature (3 pts) and indicate whether it is an erosional or depositional feature (3 pts).

3) Prince Edward Island, Canada (10 pts)

a) Fly to PEI stop 1. Identify this feature. (1 pt)

b) Briefly describe how the feature at stop 1 formed. (2 pts)

c) Fly to PEI stop 2. Identify the feature. (1 pt)

d) Take time to explore this feature. Use the historical imagery tool to look at the evolution of this feature between 2010 and 2021. In what direction is the longshore current? Give your answer in cardinal directions (N, S, E, W). (1 pt)

e) Fly to PEI stop 3 and notice the three markers labelled A, B, and C in this area. Identify each feature. (3 pts)

f) What evidence fo you see for the direction of sediment transport through location B? (2 pts)

4) Namib Desert, Namibia (5 pts)

a) Fly to the Namib Desert stop 1. Identify the type of dunes seen here. (1 pt)

b) What do the dunes at stop 1 suggest about the dominant wind direction in this area? Give your answer in cardinal directions (N, S, E, W). (2 pts)

Note that more than one type of dune or answer may be correct here as long as you justify your answer with your observations.

c) Fly to the Namib Desert stop 2. Identify the type of dunes seen here (1 pt).

d) What do the dunes at stop 2 suggest about the dominant wind direction in this area? (1 pt)

5) Rub’ al Khali Desert, Saudi Arabia (5 pts)

a) Fly the Rub’ al Khali Desert stop and identify the type of dunes seen here. (1 pt)

b) Given the orientation of the dunes, what is the dominant wind direction in this area? Give your answer in cardinal directions (N, S, E, W). (1 pt)

c) Briefly describe how these types of dunes form. (3 pts)

6) Dunes on Mars (4 pts)

a) Switch the Mars view and fly to the Nili Patera stop. What type of dunes are seen here? (1 pt)

b) How do they compare to dunes seen in the Rub’ al Khali Desert? (2 pts)

c) Fly to the Eldorado, Mars stop. What type of dunes are seen here? (1 pt)

7) Find a Landscape Example (5 pts)

Explore Google Earth on your own and find an example of a coastal or aeolian landform located in a country not already explored in this lab. Identify the landform (1 pt) and briefly explain its formation (3 pts). Include a properly formatted image with your answer (1 pt).