One of the most important indicators of our warming climate is the extent and thickness of polar sea ice. Currently satellites measure the extent of polar sea ice but it takes more sophisticated equipment aboard a low-flying plane to actually measure the thickness of sea ice. This lesson will show students how this is done.
Antarctic educator, Mark Walsh, created this video for the PolarTREC 2013 spring online professional development course. This video uses the concept of Density to explore how mountains are built as well as how to throw a good Cinco de Mayo party at McMurdo Station Antarctica. He uses the Dr. Samantha Hansen's Transantarctic Mountains work as an example of mountain building.
This student lesson focuses on plate tectonics and large-scale system interactions, utilizing PolarTREC teacher Brian DuBay's Transantarctic Mountains expedition videos.
Objectives: The student will investigate, make observations, and analyze geologic processes of plate tectonics.
Key concepts include:
a) how geologic processes are evidenced in Antarctic mountains;
b) tectonic processes (compressional, tensional, and transversal forces).
Adapted by Michelle Brand Buhanan for
The seismic equipment that is being used for TAMNNET (studying the Transantarctic Mountains) was specially engineered for use in polar climates. Polar projects commonly require a level of support that is several times that of seismic experiments in less demanding environments inclusive of very remote deployments. This site offers great engineering insights, design drawings, and additional related links.
Ice Stories is a project from the San Francisco Exploratorium as 'Dispatches from Polar Scientists' as an outreach effort from the 2007-08 International Polar Year. The Antarctic Geology focuses on mountains in East and West Antarctica. Be sure to check out the videos associated on the website "Secrets of Bedrock" and "Mystery Mountains".
This presentation, given by Robert Suydam, at the 2012 Arctic Ocean Ecosystem Workshop in Barrow, Alaska, is an overview of the resilience of the people of the North Slope with respect to their whaling history. The presentation showcases the history of both the science and traditional knowledge used in attempting to track whale population health and the ways in which
Rachel Potter presents her research on the use of radar to measure surface currents in the top 2 m of the water column in the Chukchi Sea. The information gained from her research allows her to determine where water is going and how fast it is flowing, which can aid in issues of search and rescue, contaminant spills, marine navigation
NBC Learn, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, explores the impact that climate change is having on our planet. In this video, IARC's Dr. Katey Walter Anthony and IARC affiliate Dr. Vladimir Romanovsky are interviewed about permafrost, methane, and their impacts on the environment. Viewers are given an explosive demonstration.
Students will observe how soils and rocks of different densities behave in wind and in water. They will make predictions and careful observations as they learn about sediment transport and sediment rates in streams and rivers.