Activity #3: Contour Profiles

This activity shows where the new lava flow is in the map area and how it changed the seafloor. Five completed contour profiles are included in the following pages. It is recommended that students be divided into five teams, each completing one contour profile at each minute of latitude on the left side of the PRE- and POST- event maps (from 45° 55.6' to 45° 56.0').

Note that the upper surface of the new lava flow was probably nearly horizontal before it drained out and collapsed (shown by the dashed lines in the profiles). Thus, the area of collapse on each profile is the portion in the middle of the flow that is trough-like. For example, in the first profile, the new lava flow is up to 7 meters thick and the area of collapse is about 3 meters deep.

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