Sea Ice Project

Today the students completed a study of the impact of melting ice on water levels. I choose this particular topic because of the number of variables involved usually causes each group to come up with different conclusions.  Also, this is a real-world problem that scientists are observing.

In today's Washington Post, it was reported that sea-ice was at its lowest volume in record (1971-2010). Click here to read more! You may ask "why is this important?" Well, the Arctic Ocean is part of the global conveyor of water. Warmer water from the equatorial oceans moves north. While cold water moves south from the north, the currents help to influence cloud formation. This conveyor moves thermal energy throughout the planet creating the various seasonal patterns and climates. 

Beyond weather, the arctic is an important zone for wildlife. Obviously, polar bears, seals and sealions depend on the Arctic ice for survival. But you can add several whales, walruses, and Native Alaskans to the list of those that depend on the Arctic ice. A very telling graphic also appeared on the website and is linked below: