INTRODUCTION TO THE CALIFORNIA COASTLINES

Ragged Point, Big Sur

How this exercise will work:

I want to see how you guys respond to a field trip that is entirely derived from pre-existing web pages.  I think using and incorporating information on the web is a good experience for you as a learner and good for all the web pages out there that appreciate people actually checking out all their hard work.

So this is how the exercise will operate:

1) Review the web pages provided in order to educate yourself on the nature of "coastal processes and landforms".  Feel free to supplement your education by looking for related web pages, and this will probably become necessary if you choose to explore in detail a specific landform and/or process for your paper.

http://coastalchange.ucsd.edu/index.html - Another great site posted by Lisa from class. Deals with coastal basics and specifically oriented towards coastal issues with California’s coastline.

http://gpc.edu/~pgore/geology/geo101/coastal.htm - somewhat disjointed, but informative

http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/VTrips/Ca1South.HTM - This site may work for you or not, give it a try, many cool photos and interpretations.

http://www.swgfl.org.uk/jurassic/coastal2.htm - Informative case study with good movies.

2) Head to the California Coastlines web page and start paroozing the coast of California, seeing if you can pick out features that you have just learned about, and make sure you understand how they came to be.

http://www.californiacoastline.org/

3) Choose a single image of great interest to you from the California Coastlines webpage and write your two page essay on the landforms in the image and the processes that generate them.  Also incorporate relationships between coastal landforms and processes with human development, vegetation, etc. 12 font, double spaced is fine, including a copy of the image you chose. On your image, annotate the image appropriately with arrows of features or areas that present environmental concern. Turn in your essay and a copy of the image you chose to write about, and that's it.  

5) Have fun and I hope you enjoy this investigation.