earth science

Wheeler Survey

Wheeler Survey is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Wheeler Survey rather than just read about it. In short: The Wheeler Survey, carried out in 1872–1879, was one of the "Four Great Surveys" conducted by the United States government after the Civil War primarily to document the geology and natural resources of the American West. Supervised by First Lieutenant (later Captain) George Montague Wheeler, the Wheeler Survey documented and mapped the United States west of the 100th meridian.

Key takeaways

Wheeler Survey belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Wheeler Survey to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Wheeler Survey from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Wheeler Survey, carried out in 1872–1879, was one of the "Four Great Surveys" conducted by the United States government after the Civil War primarily to document the geology and natural resources of the American West. Supervised by First Lieutenant (later Captain) George Montague Wheeler, the Wheeler Survey documented and mapped the United States west of the 100th meridian. The survey team included Lieutenant Montgomery M. Macomb, plus the paleontologists Edward Drinker Cope and Charles Abiathar White as well as the astronomer Miles Rock. Wheeler led early expeditions from 1869 to 1871 in the West, and in 1872, the United States Congress authorized an ambitious plan to map the portion of the United States west of the 100th meridian at a scale of eight miles to the inch. This plan necessitated what became known as the Wheeler Survey. The survey's main goal was to make topographic maps of the southwestern United States.

In addition he was to ascertain everything related to the physical features of the region; discover the numbers, habits, and disposition of Indians in the section; select sites for future military installations; determine facilities available for making rail or common roads; and note mineral resources, climate, geology, vegetation, water sources, and agricultural potential.

Photographers on the expedition included Timothy H. O'Sullivan of New York and William Bell of Philadelphia. Many of their photographs are now on file at the Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs Division. The Wheeler Survey lasted until 1879, when the survey, along with the King and Powell Surveys, was terminated and their work was reorganized as the United States Geological Survey. Wheeler Peak in Nevada (part of the Great Basin National Park), Wheeler Peak in New Mexico (the state high point), and the scenic Wheeler Geologic Area in southern Colorado are named for George Wheeler.

References

External links A Guide to the Field notebooks of the Wheeler Survey, NC319. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Reno. Digitized field notebooks of the Wheeler Survey. University Libraries, University of Nevada, Reno.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wheeler Survey

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wheeler Survey claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Wheeler Survey before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Wheeler Survey ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Wheeler Survey

In research: Wheeler Survey appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Wheeler Survey in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Wheeler Survey is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1870s in the United States, Expeditions from the United States, Explorer stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wheeler Survey outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Wheeler Survey in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Wheeler Survey means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Wheeler Survey out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wheeler Survey in simple terms?

Why does Wheeler Survey matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Wheeler Survey?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Wheeler Survey.