Additional Resources for Estuaries 101, Earth Science Module, Activity 3, Part 3

Huge Storm – January 2006 This pair of satellite photos taken by NASA Earth Observatory show flooding of the Delta due to the same storm event highlighted in the Estuaries 101 lesson. The image on the left was taken on December 10, 2005, the image on the right is from January 4, 2006. CREDIT: NASA Earth Observatory  Large images can be downloaded for free here: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=6181 Or by going to the NASA Earth Observatory and searching images for “2006 Sacramento”.

These graphs are the same data presented in the Estuaries 101 lesson, but they were produced using the online graphing tool available at www.estuaries.noaa.gov. They may provide more continuity for students if their future studies involve graphing NERRS data online.

MODIS satelite image taken on January 9, 2006 MODIS satelite image taken on January 9, 2006. Data presented in this lesson was collected at China Camp State Park, where the red star is located. A potential follow-up to this activity is to ask students what other research questions they could answer with this data set. It also leads into a discussion of density and salt-wedge estuaries. Graphs to assist with those lessons follow.

Depth profile of salinity on January 10, 2006 Depth profile of salinity on January 10, 2006. Data show stratification of estuary nearer to the Golden Gate, with fresher water on top of saltier wedge of water. Data graphed by NERR staff from USGS Water Quality of San Francisco Bay Program: Data freely available here: http://sfbay.wr.usgs.gov/access/wqdata/

Depth profile of salinity on January 10, 2006 Depth profile of salinity on January 10, 2006. Data show stratification of the estuary near China Camp State Park, with fresher water on top of saltier wedge of water. Data graphed by NERR staff from USGS Water Quality of San Francisco Bay Program: Data freely available here: http://sfbay.wr.usgs.gov/access/wqdata/

Depth profile of salinity on January 10, 2006 Depth profile of salinity on January 10, 2006. Data show stratification far up the estuary near Benicia, with a little bit of salt water at the bottom. Data graphed by NERR staff from USGS Water Quality of San Francisco Bay Program: Data freely available here: http://sfbay.wr.usgs.gov/access/wqdata/