Reference no: EM133551767

Introduction

Have you ever seen a glacier, either in person or on film? These massive "rivers of ice" are quite impressive. Over many years, fallen snow compresses into thick ice. Due to the enormous mass, glaciers move like very slow, frozen rivers. Glaciers typically grow during Ice Age cycles and retreat during interglacial periods. Over the last 750,000 years, there have been eight Ice Age Cycles. During the most recent Ice Age, glaciers covered about 32 percent of the land and 30 percent of the ocean. We are currently in an interglacial period, and glaciers cover about 10 percent of the land area, mostly in the Polar Regions. This is part of the normal climate variation cycle.

However, since the early 20th century, glaciers around the world have been retreating at unprecedented rates. Within the past 200 years, human activity has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by 40 percent, warming the atmosphere and causing the glaciers to retreat much more rapidly than in a normal cycle.

Part One

Read the following two articles to research more about the impact of melting glaciers. Then answer the part one questions in the activity worksheet.

The Zachariae Isstrom Glacier

The Atlantic Deep Current

Part Two

Complete the inquiry chart in the activity worksheet by using the lesson and researching reliable sources. You can review reliable sources if needed. Good starting places for your research are NASA and NOAA websites. Be sure to note which sources you use.

How do I complete the Inquiry Chart?

You have four questions to explore, one at the top of each column. First, fill in what you think about each question. Then use the lesson and reliable sources to research more about each question. Next, fill in each box with evidence from your sources, and be sure to list the source you used. Finally, pull the ideas together in a short summary on the bottom row.