Laboratory Manual for Introductory Geology 4e

GEOTOURS EXERCISE 14
Dissolving a Landscape with Groundwater
Name:
Course:
Section:
Date:
Exploring Geology Using Google Earth
1. Visit digital.wwnorton.com/geolabmanual4
2. Go to the Geotours tile to download Google Earth Pro and the accompanying
Geotours exercises file.
Expand the Geotour14 folder in Google Earth
by clicking the triangle to the left of the folder
icon.
The folder highlights features common in
karst landscapes where landforms develop due
to dissolution of limestone by groundwater.
(a) Check and double-click the Bosnia
and Herzegovina placemark to fly to a
region in Europe where karst landforms
were first described. What type of karst
landforms dot this plain?
(b) Check the OrleansIN_TopoMap overlay
and then check and double-click the
Feature placemark to fly to a similar karst
terrain near Orleans, IN. The Feature
placemark highlights the same kind of
landform as shown in (a). Using the
topographic map overlay, describe the
topographic characteristics of this landform.
(c) Check and double-click the semi-transparent Feature Area polygon and note that many more of these same features
are concentrated throughout this part of the map area. Turn the Feature Area polygon off, and check and double-click
the Depth placemark to fly to an example near the Lost River. Approximately how deep (ft) is this feature (leave the
topographic map on)? Hint: Subtract the elevation of the center of the feature from the elevation of the edge.
(d) Check and double-click the Spring placemark. From near the Depth placemark to the Spring placemark, the Lost
River changes from a perennial stream to an intermittent stream that only has water in it during wet periods. West
of the Spring placemark, the Lost River resumes flowing as a perennial stream at the surface. What happens in this
interval that causes the Lost River to be “lost”? Toggle the topographic map on and off to view the area.
(e) Check and double-click the Dry Valley placemark to fly to a dry valley where the intermittent stream flow is
diverted underground. What kind of stream is this called (leave the topographic map on)?
382 CHAPTER 14 GROUNDWATER AS A LANDSCAPE FORMER AND RESOURCE