Remote Sensing Lab, Part B
Patterns of Deposition
Background
The purpose of this lab in to develop an
understanding of how
fluvial (= river) processes,
wave processes, and
wind
produce
deposits of sediment
Meandering river = fluvial sedimentation
Low-energy (slowly flowing) rivers
Delta
flowing
river
meets
still
body of
water
6. Distributary
1. River
2. Delta
3. Lake
4. Delta
Front
5.
Delta,
continued
Close-up
of distributary
mouth
Alluvial fan – delta on land
Sand dune – wind sedimentation
deserts and beaches
Sand Bars,
Barrier
Islands and
Spits
sediment
transport by
ocean
waves cause
longshore flow
Instructions
For each five areas:
1. Two images are provided for each area:
Image 1: Location of the study area (its right in the middle)
Image 2: The study area itself.
Find the study area on Google’s satellite map feature and use it to
view the area. Examine it at a variety of zoom levels.
2. Identify the main rivers (if any), their direction of flow, and assess
whether the flow is likely high-energy or low-energy. Identify bodies
of salt water (if any) and assess whether they are high-energy (that
is, subject to ocean waves) or low-energy.
3. Identify what parts of the region are topographically high and
topographically low. Both the pattern of rivers and shadows can
help.
Instructions, continued
4. Identify deposits of sediment, and describe where they
came from and the processes that moved them and
caused them to accumulate. Make some inference
about the type of sediment (e.g. coarse or fine) based on
the energy-level of the environment.
5. Make a full-page sketch of the area. Include rivers,
valleys, canyons, ridges, oceans, bays, etc. and a scale
in kilometers. Identify the high ground and the low
ground.
6. Describe briefly how the sediment deposits have
changed (and are changing) with time. Identify specific
evidence that supports your ideas.
Area 1:
Mississippi
River near
Greenville
Area 1:
Mississippi
River near
Greenville
Area 2:
Mississippi
Delta
Area 2:
Mississippi
Delta
Area 3: Cape
Hatteras
Area 3: Cape
Hatteras
Area 4: In
Nevada
Area 4: In
Nevada
Area 5: In
Algeria
Area 5: In
Algeria