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Re: Road Scholar B

Posted: January 12th, 2017, 10:06 am
by SPP SciO
I feel silly asking this question, but, I've done plenty of searching and can't find the answer:

On a topo map, how can you tell which direction a RIVER is flowing?

With streams, that's pretty straightforward - the contour lines will bend, and point upstream. Also, it's clear that water will flow from a higher elevation to a lower elevation, ultimately in the direction of the sea.

However, on some topo maps that we have for practice purposes, there are substantial rivers, and contour lines don't cross them. Looking at the elevations on either side of the river in all directions didn't yield any convincing clues. Am I missing something obvious, or is it just assumed that anyone using the map would have knowledge of which direction the large river flows?

Re: Road Scholar B

Posted: January 12th, 2017, 11:07 pm
by Erasmus Wembley
freed2003 wrote:
Erasmus Wembley wrote:How are people dealing with the statement in the 2017 PowerPoint saying they are de-emphasizing the quadrangle maps and are going to use more satellite and free maps instead?
Where did you get the powerpoint?
Our school got the 2017 Biology-Earth Science CD. The 2017 Road Scholar Event Overview PowerPoint was on there. Here is what is said under the slide "RULE CHANGES FOR 2017":
Less emphasis on the use of full-size printed USGS topographic maps

More emphasis on the use of sectioned digital USGS topographic maps

More emphasis on the use of Internet-generated maps and images and satellite images

Minimal changes in the skill-sets needed by students
The reasoning was that the USGS stopped printing the full size maps and it was difficult for event organizers to get different quadrangle maps.

Re: Road Scholar B

Posted: January 12th, 2017, 11:45 pm
by freed2003
Wow that seems a bit unfair for the competitors, especially since there weren't any changes on the rule sheet.

Re: Road Scholar B

Posted: January 14th, 2017, 4:44 pm
by Fanglin
SPP SciO wrote:I feel silly asking this question, but, I've done plenty of searching and can't find the answer:

On a topo map, how can you tell which direction a RIVER is flowing?

With streams, that's pretty straightforward - the contour lines will bend, and point upstream. Also, it's clear that water will flow from a higher elevation to a lower elevation, ultimately in the direction of the sea.

However, on some topo maps that we have for practice purposes, there are substantial rivers, and contour lines don't cross them. Looking at the elevations on either side of the river in all directions didn't yield any convincing clues. Am I missing something obvious, or is it just assumed that anyone using the map would have knowledge of which direction the large river flows?
Usually if it's a pretty mainline river, There is a high possibility that there are mileage numbers along the river indicating how many miles away either the outlet or tributary is. So the river always flows the direction the mileage decreases. Also, sometimes rivers have little blue arrows in the middle to signify which direction it's flowing.

Re: Road Scholar B

Posted: January 16th, 2017, 7:45 pm
by freed2003
does anyone have a sample of a satellite map question?
My friend told me it was essentially the same as a quadrangle but I want some confirmation.

Re: Road Scholar B

Posted: January 22nd, 2017, 6:41 pm
by Fanglin
freed2003 wrote:does anyone have a sample of a satellite map question?
My friend told me it was essentially the same as a quadrangle but I want some confirmation.
I saw one where It showed you a google maps photo of a power plant. You had to count the amount of employees (assuming each one separatly drives to work), and you have to guess at what kind of power plant it was (Coal, hydroelectric, wind...)

I saw another one, where you had to judge the time of day, by the shadows of the masts of ships...

Re: Road Scholar B

Posted: January 29th, 2017, 5:50 pm
by freed2003
Fanglin wrote:
freed2003 wrote:does anyone have a sample of a satellite map question?
My friend told me it was essentially the same as a quadrangle but I want some confirmation.
I saw one where It showed you a google maps photo of a power plant. You had to count the amount of employees (assuming each one separatly drives to work), and you have to guess at what kind of power plant it was (Coal, hydroelectric, wind...)

I saw another one, where you had to judge the time of day, by the shadows of the masts of ships...
Where'd you get the questions from? With a change that big they should've put it in the rules

Re: Road Scholar B

Posted: February 2nd, 2017, 2:54 pm
by snorrio
Hi guys, how do you measure a bearing?

Re: Road Scholar B

Posted: February 3rd, 2017, 4:40 pm
by Fanglin
snorrio wrote:Hi guys, how do you measure a bearing?
It's kinda like Azimuth in the sense that its 360˚ around, but it is labeled differently. Instead of having the entire circle, you either start north or south, measure yourself east or west.

If the angle is "southern heading" then you want to measure from the South (180˚) to the sides (270˚ and 90˚). If it's a "northern heading" you measure from North (0˚) and measure down to the same sides.

Once you have the North/south part done, you need to specify wether the heading is East or West, and at what angle.

Examples:
195˚ azimuth = S15˚W
56˚ azimuth = N56˚E
351˚ azimuth = N9˚W

and so on so forth

(note that you specify the north south east or west in the format above. N or S / angle up to 90˚ / W or E)

Hope this helps!

Re: Road Scholar B

Posted: February 3rd, 2017, 6:15 pm
by meteorology891
Sorry to change the topic, but when the rules sheets says notes, does that mean how ever many pages we want, or a certain amount of pages? :?: