Page 327 - Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology

A CTIVIT Y 11.1 Streamer Inquiry

Name: ____________________________ Course/Section: ___________________________ Date: _____________

Have you ever stood beside a stream and wondered where the water comes from or where it goes? Streamer is a

map-based database of stream maps and information that allows you to find out. It is a new component of the
U.S. National Atlas project, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey, that allows you to trace streams upstream to

their sources or downstream to where they empty into larger streams or the ocean. To use Streamer, go to http://

nationalatlas.gov/streamer/Streamer/welcome.html and click on the “Go to Map” panel. Then proceed below.

A. Where does the water come from?

1. Pick a community in the United States. What is the name of your community?

2. Locate your community on the Streamer map. You can double-click on the map to zoom in, or use your mouse to scroll
in or out, to find your community. You can also type the location of the community (city, state) in the “Location Search”
panel, then press “Enter,” to locate your community.

3. Choose the largest stream located in or near your community to study as “ your stream ” Click on the “Trace Upstream”
.
tab, then click on a point on the stream to display, in red, all of the streams that supply water to that point on the stream.
4. Now click on the “Trace Report” tab, and select “Detailed Report” to get a Stream Trace Detailed Report.

a. What stream did you study (Trace Origin Stream Name)?
b. What is the elevation [Trace Origin Elevation (feet)] and coordinates [Trace Origin (latitude, longitude)] of the point

on the stream that you selected?

Elevation: ____________ feet above sea level. Latitude: _______________ Longitude: _______________

c. Through how many communities [Cities
(count)] does the stream flow before it gets to this point? _______________________________________________

d. In how many named streams [Stream Names

(count)] does the water flow to this point in the stream? _______________________________________________
e. What is the total length of the stream(s) named in

Part 4 d [Total Length of Traced U.S. Streams (miles)]? _______________________________________________
f. Close the Stream trace Detailed Report ( not the map ) by clicking on the small gray “x” of the righthand tab at the top

of the screen (it will say “National Atlas Streamer Detailed Trace Report” when you hover over it with your mouse), and
proceed to part B below.

B. Where does the water go?

1. Click on the “Trace Downstream” tab. Then click on approximately the same point of the same stream that you studied in
part A. to display, in red, where the water goes after that point on the stream.

2. Click on the “Identify” tab. Now when you click on any part of the red downstream trace of the water, it will identify the
name of the stream at that point of the trace. List the names of all of the streams in the downstream trace of the water,
from upstream (the starting red point in your map) to where it enters the “Outlet Waterbody” (downstream end of the red
line on your map).

3. Click on the “Trace Report” tab, and select “Detailed Report” to get a new Stream Trace Detailed Report.
a. In how many named streams [Stream Names

(count)] does the water flow downstream from this point? _______________________________________________
b. Through how many communities [Cities (count)]

does the water flow downstream from this point? _______________________________________________
c. What is the total length of the stream(s) named in

Part 3b [Total Length of Traced U.S. Streams (miles)]? _______________________________________________

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