Mountain Landforms Lab Report

SUMMARY: We began this part of the lab by analyzing the three sources of imagery, searching for advantages and disadvantages in each of the enviorments. After, we searched for examples of geological features such as Mountain peak on a ridgeline, drainage basin, canyon of the main stream of the catchment flowing just above the edge of the desert basin, alluvial fan deposited by that main stream just below the edge of and the desert basin.

QUESTIONS:
1. Consider the list of landforms you looked for in Nevada. Which two were easiest to identify? Which two were the hardest? Explain why. Answer:
The most difficult to identify was the beach ridges and the sand dunes. We were not really postive about the appearance of the beach ridges and

Why do the images of Mount Washington NH and Wellfleet MA look so different? Answer:
They are different landforms and from glacial deposition and bedrock erosion the landforms have been altered and do not look the same. Wellfleet is more of an area in Massachusetts and it extends longer than Mount Washington but is not as high in altitude. The images make Wellfleet look more like an area or town while Mount Washington looks like a mountain range. There is also the lake difference where Mount Washington’s lake could barely be seen but Wellfleet was much more clear and bigger.
2. Narrate the geological story for EITHER landscape, choosing the one you are most interested in. Answer: I am more interested in Wellfleet since I live closer to it. The geological story of Wellfleet is global climate change caused glaciers to advance into the temperate regions of North America. This was followed by periods of warming and retreating ice. As the glaciers grew in size they incorporated a great deal of water evaporated from the sea causing sea level to drop considerably. As glaciers move they scour the land underneath them and accumulate sediment within the ice. When a glacier stops and begins to retreat it leaves behind a large deposit of sediment. Eventually the rising sea encroached upon the glacial deposits left behind by the ice. The eroded sand was then transported and redeposited by waves and currents to form bays, like Wellfleet