Module IX - I Only Have Ice For You

Essential Question:
How are climate, terrestrial ice and Alaskan indigenous cultures all connected?

ENGAGE

Water You Thinking?
Let's approach this science segment by revisiting a familiar theme in this course--Water. Water, water everywhere, but how much can you drink? How much of Earth's water is in the ocean? How much is fresh? How much is in the atmosphere? How much is in lakes, rivers, or underground? How much of Earth's fresh water is stored frozen as permafrost and glaciers?


A Drop in the Bucket
How would you estimate the planet's supply of water is distributed if it were reduced to 1000 drops. Give a try before you peek!

• _____ drops are in the oceans and inland seas
• _____ drops are in glaciers
• _____ drops are in ground water and soil moisture
• _____ drops are in the atmosphere
• _____ drops are in lakes and rivers
• _____ drops are in all living plants and animals
• 1000 drops total.
  

(Find answers at USGS,Water on Earth)


1000 Snow Flakes
More than 2/3 of all fresh water on Earth is stored in glaciers. If all present glaciers were represented by 1000 ice snow flakes, how would you estimate the distribution of glaciers on Earth? Give a try before you peek!

• _____snow flakes in Antarctica
• _____snow flakes in Greenland
• _____snow flakes in N. America
  
• _____snow flakes in Alaska
• _____snow flakes are in Asia
• _____snow flakes in S. America, Europe, Africa, New Zealand, etc., etc.
  
• 1000 snow flakes total
  

(Find answers at USGS, Introduction to Glaciers)


EXPLORE

Teachers' Domain
What better way to study terrestrial ice than to start with the only continent completely covered by it. Earth's Cryosphere: The Antarctic is a TD video that focuses on the global role of Antarctic glacial ice, which is vastly different from the sea-ice dominated Arctic.

Earth's Cryosphere: The Antarctic






Helpful Hint: Visit NASA's Antarctic Ice Bridge Blog for current research and new technologies being used to measure the extent and thickness of Antarctica's ice.

EXPLAIN

• How much of the world's fresh water is stored as ice in Antarctica?
  
• How are ice shelves different from sea-ice?
• How do ice shelves regulate glaciers on land?

EXTEND

• Why is the Antarctic the coldest place on Earth?
• What other online resources are useful for exploring the most remote continent?
  

EVALUATE

• How important is it for Alaska students to understand Antarctic processes?