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Greenland Atmospheric Studies

Earth Science Period 1: Student Developed Experiment:

“Compass and GPS Differences in Greenland”

See the attached .pdf at the bottom of this message for:

• Experiment Overview

• Diagrams, Pictures and Charts

• Press Release

This thread will be used for our class to communicate about our experiment. This will also be the location where you can follow the results as Mr. Beals performs the experiment this summer in Greenland.

Stay Warm!

Mr. Beals

Earth Science Period 1

 

 

Mon, 04/28/2008 - 19:12

Elizabeth Eubanks

Hi Craig, Exciting times ahead!!!
 
I missed the pdf and press release???
Thanks,
 Elizabeth
PS - my bag of goodies came today! 

Tue, 04/29/2008 - 06:35

Jillian Worssam

Hello Craig,This sounds like an amazing experiment.  My students were wondering if there was another PolarTREC teacher who is going to Antarctica that you could team with and might be able to do a correlating experiement "down south?"
 
Jillian's Class!

Tue, 04/29/2008 - 06:41

Craig Beals

GREAT IDEA?!I will check with a few of the PolarTREC teachers heading "Down Under"!  It might also be interesting to see this experiment performed by the other "Arctic" teachers who will be at various places across the Earth!
I will share your ideas with 1st period!
Thanks, and Stay Warm!
Beals 

Mon, 06/30/2008 - 10:49

Craig Beals

Hello First Period (and all others)! 
I hope you are all enjoying your summer!  I hear it has been warm in Billings (95 deg F).  It has been about -5 deg F here in the wind.  That means we are about 100 degrees different!!!!
I finally got around to finishing your Compass and GPS experiment.
I walked to and from camp just like you instructed me and I took pictures along the way, I've included them below.
I found that the magnetic declination at Summit Camp is 31 degrees.  That means that the compass points to Magnetic North and it is 31 degrees different than the GPS (which shows TRUE North).
For example:  If you were to put a large clock on the ground with 12:00 facing off to MAGNETIC NORTH, you would have to turn yourself (31 degress to your right) toward 1:00 to be pointed toward TRUE NORTH.
 
 
 
Learn more about magnetic north and how it is changing over time at the NOAA site:
Why do you think the compass doesn't point toward "TRUE" north?
Is the declination in different where you are compared to Summit, Greenland?
What causes the Earth's magnetic field?
This site may help you find answers to these questions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth's_magnetic_field 
 
Stay Warm!!