What tool can you think of that can be used to represent our planet’s wealth of natural and human-made resources on a simple piece of paper? A map!

Maps have been used for centuries, helping people explore and better understand their surroundings. Designed to provide specific information, they give users a visual representation of a location or an area.

Reference maps represent key features of the land, such as the borders of countries, cities, and towns. For example, these maps can help guide people along park trails or through city streets.

Other maps are designed to represent certain themes, summarizing information that represent patterns. Thematic maps might provide data about the distribution of rock and mineral deposits, human population density throughout the world, the average rainfall of a region, or the location and distribution of soil types.

Throughout Operation: Tectonic Fury, you will use these types of maps just as geologists do. In Mission 1, you will use maps similar to the ones Dr. Mike Wise uses to locate precious rocks and minerals. In Mission 2, you will explore a variety of thematic maps that help us determine the best crops to grow in different parts of the world with Dr. Virginia Dale. Maps will also be helpful in Mission 3 when you scour the planet with Dr. George Guthrie looking for suitable locations to store greenhouse gases. In Mission 4, you will work with maps developed by Dr. Walter Smith to locate earthquakes, volcanoes, and underwater seamounts.

 

The Argonauts meet Dr. Walter Smith at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Here, they project the maps Walter has made using information gained from satellites onto NOAA's Science On a Sphere® globe. The biggest discovery they make is that most of the ocean has not been mapped.