OrdersOfRelief
• Question 1
0 out of 0.5 points
In Google Eaerth go to (-27.667354°, 132.967490°) and then change the eye altitude
to 2600 miles
... [Show More] about Earth’s surface. What is the order of relief and the major
process(es) generating that relief? Also, what is the total relief from the highest
point (Mount Kusciusko at -36.456076°, 148.263240°) and the adjacent continental
shelf (at this spot near the end of the shelf -39.434483°, 148.616194°)?
Selected
Answer: This is a 1st order feature. It is produced by mostly volcanic processes.
The relief from highest location to the edge of the continental shelf is
about 7285 feet.
Correct
Answer: This is a 1st order feature. It is produced by plate tectonic processes. The
relief from highest location to the edge of the continental shelf is about
7600 feet.
Response
Feedback:
Australia is a 1st order feature, because it is a continent. The elevation of
Mount Kusciusko is 7285 feet as portrayed in Google Earth. The elevation of the
indicated spot on the edge of the continent shelf (-39.434483°, 148.616194°) is
about -300 feet. Thus, the total relief is rounded off to about 7600 feet. Plate tectonic
processes generated the basic continent of Australia. The reason why this continent
has so little relief is because it was part of the supercontinent of Gondwana. This is a
video that explains the last 220 million years of plate tectonic movement. While New
Zealand is on the margin of tectonic plates, Australia is in the middle. Thus, little
relief-building has taken place. This has allowed erosion to reduce the relief of
Australia.
• Question 2
0.5 out of 0.5 points
Grand Canyon is Arizona’s iconic physical geography feature, no matter whether you look at it from
the bottom or from the top. In Google Earth go to (36.100817°, -112.089503°) and
change the eye altitude to about 30 miles above the surface. What is the order of
relief that you are seeing and what would be the major process(es) generating the observed
relief. Also, what is the total relief from the high point of the North Rim (36.197536°, -
112.052940°) to the Colorado River (36.100817°, -112.089503°) near Phantom Ranch?
Selected
Answer: 3rd order of relief (about 5800 ft) has been generated by weathering, mass wasting,
fluvial processes.
Correct
Answer: 3rd order of relief (about 5800 ft) has been generated by weathering, mass wasting,
fluvial processes.
Response
Feedback:
The Grand Canyon as viewed from the bottom or the top is a 3rd order of
relief landform. The Grand Canyon formed by a mix of three general
types of processes: rock decay (weathering) breaking apart the
sedimentary rocks; then mass wasting (rock fall, rock avalanches, debris
flows) carried rocks down to ephemeral river channels. Then, during
flooding, thes [Show Less]