I have been debating which project to post here...
I will do them all eventually...
Try to create an algorithm to predict the ice going out on the Nenana.
Set up time laps photography and a feature study of the Mendenhall glacier. (like EIS)
A service learning project to reduce carbon emissions.
Weather and Climate change in Juneau over last 75 years based on local photos and info.
all will involve cultural connections in some way...
I think we will look at the change in weather and retreat of Mendenhall Glacier using as many photos as we can collected from our families and friends in Juneau. Any weather related photos will help in this project.
US forest service photo
We will also gather weather information from as many sources as possible next week in the computer lab and chart the average monthly temperatures for as far back as we can find data.
I saw David Katzeek this week and will invite him to speak to our class and share his memories of the weather in Juneau. Hopefully he can also provide some other cultural resources to help us do a good job on the project.
My students seemed to be most interested when we talked about Juneau, so we will use their family resources to work on this together. Any old photos and info of how it use to be in Juneau will be welcome.
Handtrollers 5/28/08
Mendenhall lake 2/3/10
The students will scan the photos they bring to school or email them from home. We will set up a digital library of all the pictures and captions to go with them, interview people who have lived in Juneau a long time and record their observations and stories.
We will create a blog and otherwise share the info when we are done about how the weather use to be....
Like all good projects the students will do most of the work.... :-)
I hesitate to call permafrost melting cool, however, the release of methane gas that had been stored safely in the permafrost is now being released and as Clay has pointed out; with a bic can be kinda fun....
As I started through this module I got totally sidetracked on methane gas burning over frozen lakes and thermite explosions when Ice is involved... even Mythbusters confirmed it but could not explain the explosion!
I also learned about the extent of the Tlingit land and how they were forced out of Glacier Bay by advancing ice.
Glacier bay: Nasa
I learned The Taku Glacier had a positive mass balance from 1946 until 1988 and may begin to retreat if current trends continue.
Taku Glacier by susan dain-owens 2007
Ablation: The annual loss of snow and ice from a glacier. The opposite of which is accumulation.
A 50-year government study found that the world's glaciers are melting at a rapid and alarming rate. The ongoing study is the latest in a series of reports that found glaciers worldwide are melting faster than anyone had predicted they would just a few years ago.
If all the terrestrial ice melted sea level could increase 80 m. As shown in this interactive resource from NOVA. If the ice melts.
Extend
I showed many of the videos from this weeks module! As we wrap up our unit on Climate and Weather, we have explored many factors that play a role in Global warming. I have tried to balance the natural and man made sources that many scientist believe have lead to an increased rate of global warming.
The video on climate change was especially interesting to my class as it showed these changes can happen within ones lifetime..... not only slowly leaving time to adapt.
USGS photo
Washington’s South Cascade glacier has lost half its volume since 1960 and is predicted to lose an additional half in the next 100 years.
We also covered agian the Carbon Cycle and students decided the greatest impact would be to reduce the amount of fossil fuels we use by replacing oil and coal burning with Tidal, Wave, Wind and Solar Power!
Evaluate
We also discussed possible changes here in Juneau if global warming continues, some student responses are listed here:
less snow for skiing
nicer springs and summers
better growing seasons for plants
bigger deer racks
After watching the video on climate change and how it can happen so fast we also talked about what if it got cold again...fitting for the last few weeks.
more snow for skiing
longer, colder winters
advancing glaciers may force people to move (mendenhall)
harder for animals to survive (less vegitation)
Wow Dan, your done! I too marvel at the accomplishments of early navigators like Vancouver just to survive the obstacles in SE Alaska waters. Of course the Tlingit did it long before them all....
Dave, when I look at the graph from "climate change" I see us in a pretty long, "stable", temperature range when compared to before 8,000 BC.
Doug, I also liked the timing of this modul with all the great info. on glaciers for my class to view!
Explain: Cryosphere: all of Earth's surface where water is in solid form. When I first read that word I wondered if I had studied it before....or if it was a sub-category of the Troposhere or something I had forgotten. I'm not sure if I have studied it or not but, I've got it stored now!
from the national snow and ice data center
ocean
land
ice sheet
snow
sea ice (low concentration to high concentration)
The colors of the sea ice scale show up in my unpublished blog.... but not here?
I also learned about the permafrost melting around Alaska and how those who depend on the permafrost and sea ice to hunt and live are facing increasing challenges. Houses sinking and cliffs sluffing as permafrost melts, whale hunting from ice that breaks off and floats away stranding the hunters are two examples I learned of in this module.
BBC shows Siberian sub-arctic tundra melting.
The whole western Siberian sub-Arctic region has started to thaw
Extend and Explore
It has been such a timely unit of study lately! We have been discovering weather and climate in my science classes the last month or so. I have shown many of the videos and interactive pictures have been great!
To talk about the science behind natural global temperature fluctuations vs mans influence over the last 100 years and then show the Arctic Sea Ice Satellite Observations has really created some good discussions.
Follow that with a videos on melting permafrost and arctic climate perspectives, which puts a face on global warming impacting our Alaskan neighbors, and you have made a cultural connections for 7th graders! Cool!
I filled the cup of ice with water and tried to record the temp. I only had a digital therm. available for fevers...I did not get any readings...lol, out of range I assume cause you'd be dead.
I also think I added to much ice, cause it did over flow a bit....
I will try it again at school with the class.
Classmates:
I liked Konrad's pictures of the receding portage glacier.
I also enjoyed Dan's link to the formation and evolution of earth. I support the theory as the best one yet but, am not sold we have it all correct....maybe in another 100 years... ;-)
I checked in on James and can empathise with how busy he must be. I hope to experience the EAC from Nemo myself someday!
