Live From Mars was active July 1996-December 1997.


PLANET EXPLORER TOOLKIT

Planetary Data Input Form

The following is the PDI (Planetary Data Input) Form for submitting your class' data for the P.E.T. Launch Phase/Data Collection. Data reports are due April 4th, 1997, unless your class has requested an extension by contacting Jan Wee at jwee@mail.arc.nasa.gov.

Feel free to print the form out and take to your data collection site. It is PREFERRED to have each participating school/ group fill out the PDI DATA FORM and submit it via the LFM web site.

Reporting Educator/Sponsor:
School/Group Name:
E-mail address:

Grade Level: (check best fit)

Number of Students Participating:

Mailing Address
Street:
City: State: Country:
Zip code:

Voice number:
Fax number:

SITE DESCRIPTORS

  1. Latitude/Longitude of data collection site:

      degrees North or South Latitude
      degrees East or West Longitude

      Check one:

        This information was determined by students
        This information was accessed from a reference source

  2. Time zone:

  3. Biome Description: Please indicate which "life zone" best fits your PDI site:
    Tundra
    Taiga ( Cold Woodlands)
    Forest
      Additionally check:
      Coniferous Forest
      Temperate or deciduous forest
      Tropical Forest
    Grassland or Savannah
    Desert
    Mountain
    Shoreline (Tidal Zone)

    4) Terrain Description: Please give a 2-4 sentence overview of the general landform/terrain characteristics of your site and any unique features:

II. WEATHER DATA

  1. TEMPERATURE in CELSIUS

    RECORDING DATE: DATE (EX. 03/28/97)

    * AIR TEMPERATURE (CELSIUS) Only ONE reading is required -- others are optional!

    1st reading
    time:     		2nd reading
    time:     		3rd reading
    time:
    1 CM ABOVE GROUND:
    1 METER ABOVE GROUND:
    2 METERS ABOVE GROUND:

    HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE DAY: DEGREES CELSIUS
    LOW TEMPERATURE FOR THE DAY: DEGREES CELSIUS
    (This information can be accessed from local weather station, TV, news reports, etc.)

  2. GROUND TEMPERATURE (CELSIUS)
    1 CM BELOW SURFACE: DEGREES CELSIUS
    10 CM BELOW SURFACE: DEGREES CELSIUS

  3. WATER TEMPERATURE (CELSIUS) -- optional for those sites with water on site
    1 CM BELOW SURFACE: DEGREES CELSIUS

  4. WIND SPEED and DIRECTION - measured using a windsock and Beaufort's Scale and a wind vane and compass for direction measured at 1 meter above the ground

    • WIND SPEED Beaufort Number:
      Wind Speed in (Km/hour):
      EX: Beaufort #2; 6.4-11.3 km/hour Translates to Light Breeze: Leaves rustle, can feel wind on your face, weather vane is inactive.
    • WIND DIRECTION:
      Indicate compass directions (N, S, E, W, NE, NW, SE, SW)

      This reading was taken at (Time)

  5. BAROMETRIC PRESSURE

    Please indicate the barometric pressure reading for your local area for the day data collection is conducted. This data is to be accessed from your local weather report, (newspaper/TV). Note: The average air pressure is 14.7 lbs. per square inch at sea level, which is equal to a reading of 29.92 inches of Mercury.

    • Inches of Mercury
      Check one: Rising, Falling, Steady

      What is your altitude in meters? M above sea level

  6. RELATIVE HUMIDITY
      Please indicate the relative humidity (amount of moisture in the air) expressed as a % of the maximum amount that water can hold at that temperature. This reading should be acquired through your local weather station, news reports, etc.

    • RELATIVE HUMIDITY: per cent
III. SAMPLE RETURN ANALYSIS
  1. SOIL -- Give the soil composition using the soil analysis located at the "Soil Sleuths" site:

      http://k12science.ati.stevens-tech.edu/~djazwin/

      % Clay % Sand % Silt

  2. WATER ANALYSIS - (50ml sample) Note: Water testing services will provide the following information for you or you may conduct the tests yourself.

    • pH Value: indicating degree of alkalinity/acidity using scale of 0 to 14.

    • Hardness: grains per gallon (usual range 0-200 grains) 0-2 is considered soft water; anything over 10 = hard

    • Iron: Iron content is usually measured in terms of three different types of iron and in parts per million. Please indicate the all/any of these specific counts:

      Colloidal (bacterial iron): parts per million
      Red Water Iron: parts per million
      Clear Water Iron: parts per million

  3. FLORA/FAUNA ANALYSIS -- based on the collection of flora & fauna and images, report the following. Please use commonly used names (check your guide books)

    • Three most common trees:

    • Three most common plants:

    • Three most common birds:

    • Other common animals:

  4. ROCK ANALYSIS -- based on sample return analysis or on site data collection report the *three most common rock types* in your region (ex. granite, basalt, sandstone, etc.)

    Please indicate if your site collection took place in any of the following areas

      along a stream/river
      glacially transported
      exposed bedrock area
      area with volcanic history
      shoreline
IV. IMAGES -- All classes are to use a color/24 image DISPOSABLE CAMERA and carefully select shots that will give the most revealing information about your site. Be sure to consider varying angles, height, etc., and including shots of the terrain, vegetation, etc. Select *four* of your MOST REVEALING images of your site and *one* group photo of the "Mission Scientists" (students) taken while on site. 

For those *with* Scanners: Please submit the 5 images as GIF files of "normal" size (Try to limit to no bigger than 3" X 3" on screen/monitor). Please follow the directions for submitting files found at:

For those *without* Scanners: Further word about film development and transfer of files to digital format will be posted to the debate-lfm forum and online via the LFM Web site. Please email jwee@mail.arc.nasa.gov if this category applies to you! Subject your message: P.E.T. -- NO scanner! PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING!

You may when done, or if you want to start over.