Virtual Field Labs

Dr. Richard and Dr. Karen Alley take us to Antarctica to analyze the stability of Thwaites, the World’s most dangerous glacier.  Vital signs are taken using satellite imagery to see how much sea levels may rise in the future.  A quest to see if the “Doomsday Glacier” nickname is deserving.

Curriculum Connections

• Glaciology: Fundamentals of ice sheets and ice shelves
• Oceanography: Sea level rise-current and future causes
• Remote Sensing: Satellite imagery and analysis
• Climate Change: Warming oceans, abrupt climate disruptions, IPCC projections.

Comparing climate changes in the Earth’s past to the changes in climate we are experiencing today.

Curriculum Connections

• Chemistry/Physics: Nuclear chemistry
• Astronomy: Supernova-cosmic radiation
• Math: Time calculations using rates.  Rate calculations using time.
• Math: Graphing. Could extend to slope calculations.
• Climate Change-Milankovitch Cycles, modern and historic CO2 and temperature changes

Comparing climate changes in the Earth’s past to the changes in climate we are experiencing today.

Curriculum Connections

• Chemistry/Physics: Nuclear chemistry
• Astronomy: Supernova-cosmic radiation
• Math: Time calculations using rates.  Rate calculations using time.
• Math: Graphing. Could extend to slope calculations.
• Climate Change-Milankovitch Cycles, modern and historic CO2 and temperature changes

Dr. Meredith Kelly looks at geologic clues from the end of the last ice age for insight into how our current ice sheets may respond to the rapid warming of our planet. These videos are part of the U.S. Ice Drilling Program’s School of Ice Virtual Field Lab series.

Curriculum Connections

• Math: Calculating rates
• Geology: Sediment and landform analysis
• Geology: Analyzing glacial geologic landforms
• Geography: Using topographic maps
• Climate Change: Melting rates and stability of ice caps

Dr. Erich Osterberg explores abrupt climate disruptions in the past as a way to predict the abrupt climate changes we can expect in the future. These videos are part of the U.S. Ice Drilling Program’s School of Ice Virtual Field Lab series.

Curriculum Connections

• Math: Dimensional Analysis/Factor Label calculations
• Math: Graphing. Could extend to slope calculations.
• Chemistry-ion analysis in ice cores
• Biology-tree ring analysis
• Historic weather patterns
• Climate Change-Melting rate of Greenland