GLG410--Computers in Geology


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Plotting a tape and compass transect

Here are the data collected by two geology students in their transect. You are to make a plot that shows the map view of their transect. The data were collected by measure the horizontal distance between two points and the bearing (angle measured in degrees from north) from the first to the second. Then they moved on to a new point and measure to it from the second point previously measured and so on.

Here is the location of their work:

View Larger Map
Here are a few pictures:

Tasks

  1. Make a map of the student's path
  2. Between point numbers 12 and 25 (second group!!!) is a north-south striking limestone. Plot the contacts on your map.
  3. Please turn in a functioning and well labeled and formatted spreadsheet and chart along with the following questions:

Data

point number     bearing (degrees)     horizontal distance (m)  comments
         1              136                    6.35
         2              136                    4.65
         3              136                     6.7
         4              136                     9.6
         5              136                    4.35
         6              136                    4.08
         7              136                     3.8
         8              136                     3.5
         9              136                     6.4
        10              139                     6.6
        11              139                     5.9
        12              139                     5.9
        13              139                     7.2
        14              139                    6.05
        15              139                     5.4
        16              139                    6.85
        17              139                     4.8
        18              137                   24.85
        19              124                      17
         1              124                    19.5 (new scale)
         2              121                     6.2 (3 was skipped)
         4              131                      28
         5              131                    35.8
         6              133                       7
         7              129                    27.7
         8              129                    28.8
         9              130                    29.4
        10              135                    29.8
        11              135                    29.9
        12              136                    29.9
        13              132                    29.8
        14              137                    29.8
        15              133                    22.5
        16              133                     1.2
        17              133                     4.6 (18 was skipped)
        19              124                    24.6
        20              124                    28.2
        21              123                    13.6
        22              119                      22
        23              123                    25.5
        24              122                   13.75
        25              120                    13.8
        26              119                    33.8
        27               32                      43
        28               49                      50
        29               44                   38.45
        30              120                      28
        31              125                    18.4
        32              127                    32.6
        33              125                    17.4
        34              125                       2
        35              126                      22
        36              120                    40.8
        37              123                    29.6
        38              112                    28.4
        39              115                    36.4
        40              109                    12.7
        41              120                    33.6
        42              114                    23.8
        43              110                      29
        44              113                    29.4
        45              102                    24.6
        46               94                    22.4
        47              170                      50
        48              170                      50
        49              120                      27
        50              112                      49
        51              114                    40.2
        52              118                       9
        53              133                      29
        54              123                      28
        55              125                      43
        56              127                      30
        57              130                      30
        58              125                      17
        59              120                      30
        60              123                      25
        61              135                    16.5
        62              124                      13
        63              124                      30
        64              120                      30
        65              128                      30
        66              125                    22.6
        67              109                    29.8
        68              109                    29.8
        69              108                      30
        70              108                      30
        71              107                    29.6
        72              105                    19.8

You will need to know how to:

  1. Convert text to columns
  2. Add some new columns
  3. Operate on the information in the columns and populate new columns as a function of other column data
  4. Plot the results as a chart
  5. Annotate the chart

Here are a couple of possibly useful videos:

How to convert text to columns


Thinking about angles and trigonometry in Excel


What the spreadsheet would look like and how to see the values of an individual point


Here are maps of two portions of the transect with relevant numbers

Here are two maps of portions of the transect showing the points plotted along with the basic triangles that are needed ("de" is delta easting and "dn" is delta northing). You can check the math of your spreadsheet with them. The point numbers are labelled with their number and their coordinates in parentheses). Note how the coordinate is the cumulative de and dn.
Starting points: pdf image
Points around the first turn to the northeast (numbers 26-29): pdf image

GLG410/598 Computers in Geology


Last modified: September 9, 2011