Student Instruction Page for:
Advanced Topgraphy - Advanced Mountain Environments On-line Activity

Activity:

1. Download the TIFF topographic image for the specific location you are interested in. These images provided courtesy of: (company name and location)
 

Idaho: TIFF  gif Montana: TIFF  gif
California: TIFF  gif Arizona: TIFF  gif
2. Download the TIFF precipiation image for the same location as the topographic image you saved back in step 1. (save images by using the method described in step 1.) The original gif images, produced by the Oregon Climate Service, are also provided.
 
1) Arizona:  TIFF gif 2) N. California: TIFF gif 3) S. California: TIFF gif 4) Idaho: TIFF gif
5) Minnesota: TIFF gif 6) Montana TIFF gif 7) Nevada: TIFF gif 8) North Dakota: TIFF gif
9) Oregon: TIFF gif 10) Utah:  TIFF gif 11) Washington:  TIFFgif 12) Wisconsin: TIFF gif
3. Convert images to TIFF format by opening them with GIFConverter (or Paint Shop Pro) and then saving them as TIFF files. (be sure to label them so you remember what the image is!!)

5. Go to the "How Far Is It" site on the WWW and determine distance in kilometers (this is a great site to bookmark).

Here's how:

  1. Once at the site, scroll down to Xerox PARC MapServer, click it.
  2. An image of the world will come on the screen.
  3. Click once on N. America (this will enlarge that place 2x).
  4. Scroll down to Options Choose: <USA only more detail>.
  5. Click twice on USA image (now it's enlarged 8x).
  6. Scroll down to Options Choose: <No zoom on select>.
  7. Select one border of the state you are interested in.
  8. This will give you your first latitude/longitude reading.
  9. Highlight this by clicking, holding, and dragging the mouse.
  10. Copy highlighted latitude/longitude reading <command C>.
  11. Scroll down to Options Choose: <Place mark on...your lat & long>.
  12. Go to the menu bar and click <back> until you are at the "How Far Is It" home page.
  13. Scroll down to <From> and paste <command V> your first lat & long.
  14. Go to the menu bar and click <forward> until you are at the USA image.
  15. Carefully select the other border of the state you are interested in.
  16. This will give you your second latitude/longitude reading.
  17. Highlight this by clicking, holding, and dragging the mouse.
  18. Copy highlighted latitude/longitude reading <command C>.
  19. Scroll down to Options Choose: <Place mark on...your lat & long>.
  20. Go to the menu bar and click <back> until you are at the "How Far Is It" home page.
  21. Scroll down to <To> and paste <command V> your second lat & long.
  22. Click on <"Look it Up">.
  23. Record distance result in km.
  24. Click on <"see these places on the map">.
  25. Go to <File> on the menu bar and choose <Print>.
  26. Write the distance by hand on the printed map.
You will use this distance to set the scale in NIH image (or Scion Image) so you will get accurate results.

6. Start NIH image. Open TIFF topographic image and TIFF precipitation image. Use distance from "How Far Is It" to calibrate NIH image (or Scion Image).

Here's how:

  1. Choose the line tool.
  2. Click the point you started with on the Xerox PARC MapServer.
  3. Drag the line straight to the second point.
  4. Choose <Analyze> from the menu bar.
  5. Scroll down and choose <Set Scale>.
  6. Go to <Units> and choose kilometers by clicking and holding until kilometers is highlighted.
  7. Enter known distance in the box (the distance you wrote on the map from Xerox PARC MapServer).
  8. Click on <ok>.
  9. Choose <Analyze> from the menu bar, scroll down to <Measure> and release.
  10. Choose <Analyze> from the menu bar, scroll to <Show Results> (this should be the same length you entered).
Now you can make accurate distance measurements on your image and they will be on your Plot Profiles.

7. Using the topograph map image in NIH Image (or Scion Image), generate a Plot Profile of the elevation.

Here's how:

  1. Go to the menu bar and choose <Options> scroll down and choose: <Plot Profile Options>.
  2. Fixed Y axis is on, Min=0, Max=260.
  3. Fixed Plot size is off, Width=0, Height=0.
  4. Line Plot is on.
  5. Labels is on.
  6. Use the Line Tool to make a line across elevations you are interested in.
  7. Choose <Analyze> from the menu bar, scroll down to <Measure> and release.
  8. Choose <Analyze> from the menu bar, scroll to <Show Results> (record this distance for use with the Precipitation image).
  9. Choose <Analyze> from the menu bar, scroll to <Plot Profile>.
  10. Go to <File> on the menu bar and choose <PrintPlot>.
8. Use distance from "How Far Is It" to calibrate the precipitation image in NIH Image (or Scion Image) so the two Plot Profiles have the same linear scale (be sure the precipitation image is open in NIH or Scion Image).

Here's how:

  1. Choose the line tool.
  2. Click the point you started with on the Xerox PARC MapServer.
  3. Drag the line straight to the second point.
  4. Choose <Analyze> from the menu bar.
  5. Scroll down and choose <Set Scale>.
  6. Go to <Units> and choose kilometers by clicking and holding until kilometers is highlighted.
  7. Enter known distance in the box (the distance you wrote on the map from Xerox PARC MapServer).
  8. Click on <ok>.
  9. Choose <Analyze> from the menu bar, scroll down to <Measure> and release.
  10. Choose <Analyze> from the menu bar, scroll to <Show Results> (this should be the same length you entered).
Now you can make accurate distance measurements on your image and they will be on your Plot Profiles.

9. Using the precipitation map image in NIH Image or Scion Image, generate a Plot Profile of the precipitation.

Here's how:

  1. Go to the menu bar and choose <Options> scroll down and choose: <Plot Profile Options>.
  2. Fixed Y axis is on, Min=0, Max=30.
  3. Fixed Plot size is off, Width=0, Height=0.
  4. Line Plot is on.
  5. Labels is on.
  6. Use the Line Tool to make a line across the same place you made the line on the elevation map.
  7. Choose <Analyze> from the menu bar, scroll down to <Measure> and release.
  8. Choose <Analyze> from the menu bar, scroll to <Show Results>. (Note:  this distance has to be the same distance measured on the topographic map. If it is not, keep trying by extending or shortening the line by clicking and moving the line with the mouse.)
  9. Choose <Analyze> from the menu bar, scroll to <Plot Profile>.
  10. Go to <File> on the menu bar and choose <PrintPlot>.
10. Carefully observe the elevation and precipitation profiles. Are there any relationships between elevation and precipitation? If so what are they? Write these at the bottom of the profile plots.