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Nov. 4, 2005
"Computer This" overview.
You probably know that your assignment will consist of:
* capturing quantitative data from the Internet
* representing this information as an Excel chart
* Answering to some questions related to captured data.
The area of the problem will be 'oceanic and atmospheric science'.
http://www.noaa.gov
While I'm arranging our meeting I'd like you to get familiar with the following
topics:
1. All information for the contest should be taken from www.noaa.gov
(you may use external search engines (e.g. www.google.com) to find the
information within this domain, though) I'd like you to browse this site to get
more familiar with it and better understand it's structure.
2. Play with Excel charts to get some skills in building them. As an example try
to build a column chart based on the following data (ITIC special summary of
five Pacific-Wide Historical Tsunamis):
1946 35.0 m
1952 18.4 m
1957 22.8 m
1960 25.0 m
1964 6.3 m
please construct a Column Chart to illustrate the wave heights that resulted
from each of the five Pacific-Wide Tsunamis. The Y axis of your chart should
represent the Maximum Wave Height (in Meters) that is mentioned in the ITIC
summary for each tsunami. The X axis of your chart should show the Year that
each of the five Pacific-Wide Tsunamis occurred. Please place an appropriate
title above your chart, and be sure to label both the X and Y axes per the
instructions in the paragraph above.
Your Excel file should include both a spreadsheet data table and a Column Chart
as described above.
November 24, 2005
We'll discuss the following problem:
(This a division C 2004 year problem)
Background
Sunspots are visible, darkened regions on the Sun's surface whose
characteristics include strong magnetic fields and cooler-than-average surface
temperatures. The appearance and disappearance of these regions is a dynamic
phenomenon, and the number of sunspots visible from earth is constantly varying
as the Sun rotates in space. At any point in time, the number of sunspots is
directly related is directly related to ionizing radiation, solar flares, and
coronal mass ejections (CME's) being emitted from the Sun. all of which can
effect radio communication, electric power grids, and the appearance of
brilliant Aurora Borealis (i.e. "Northern Lights") displays here on
earth.
Graphical Problem
Using data from the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), please
construct a 3-D Line Graph in Microsoft Excel to illustrate solar activity for
the ten-year period of 1991-2000. On one line of the graph, please plot the
Annual American Sunspot Number for each year of this ten-year period. On a
second line in the graph, please plot the Average Monthly Number of H-alpha
Solar Flares for each year of the ten-year period. Please place an appropriate
title above your graph, label both the X and Y axes, and include a legend to
indicate
which line in the graph represents the Annual American Sunspot Number and which
line represents the Average Monthly Solar Flares.
Short Answer Questions
In Microsoft Word, please provide the answer and associated URL for each of the
following questions. Once again, official NGDC web sites should be used as the
source for your answers.
Please note that several questions require two separate answers, and that
complete sentences are NOT required in your response.
1. In what year did Swiss astronomer Johann Wolf introduce a method for the
daily measurement of sunspot numbers? (10 points)
2. What was the largest Daily American Sunspot Number observed in 1995? In
what month was it observed? (5 points each).
3. The sun emits radio energy known as Solar Flux that varies in intensity
as sunspot numbers rise and fall. At what frequency (in MHz) is Solar Flux
measured? (10 points)
4. Sunspot numbers repeatedly rise and fall over periods of time known as
sunspot cycles. What is the average time (in years) for sunspot numbers to rise
from a minimum to a maximum?
What is the average time (in years) for sunspot numbers to fall from a maximum
to a minimum? (5 points each).
5. Cosmic rays are high-energy particles that are found in space and filter
through our atmosphere. From what region (layer) of the Sun are Solar Cosmic
Rays emitted? Does the emission of Solar Cosmic Rays vary with the sunspot cycle
(yes or no)? (5 points each)
Dec. 6, 2006
Please find the next assignment below. All questions require using Excel
functions. You do not need any other data except tables imported at the step 0.
Please put your answers in the same Excel file and send it to me. The due date
for this assignment is Dec 17. (If you have a problem with some question you can
skip it, or ask me
and I'll be happy to help you).
0. Import the following data tables into Excel spreadsheet:
* Temperature - Highest of Record
(http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/hghtmp.txt)
* Temperature - Lowest of Record
(http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/lowtmp.txt)
1. Find highest and lowest temperature ever registered in CA. (Using Excel
functions)
2. Find the station which has the maximal difference between highest and lowest
temperature
(Using Excel functions)
3. Find the station which has the minimal difference between highest and lowest
temperature
(Using Excel functions)
4. Using Excel text functions create new column (right of station name) which
contains the state name for each station. For example: BIRMINGHAM AP, AL -
AL, LOS ANGELES AP, CA - CA
Dec. 12, 2005
Dear All,
We're going to have our next meeting at this Sunday (Dec 18).
Students will be given unseen problem and 50 min to solve it. I plan to have
this meeting as close as possible to the "real contest atmosphere"
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"A person who never made a
mistake never tried anything new." Albert
Einstein