Ice Cores
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By Antonetta Gashaj and Katie Longo Earth Science Period 2 Mrs. Geithner-Marron ICE CORES
description
Ice Cores. By Antonetta Gashaj and Katie Longo Earth Science Period 2 Mrs. Geithner- Marron. Nature’s Time Machine. Ice cores are known as nature’s time machine because the hollow cylinder used to drill into the ground shows what has happened to the Earth for the past 300,000 years(3). - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Ice Cores
By Antonetta Gashaj and Katie LongoEarth Science Period 2Mrs. Geithner-Marron
ICE CORES
Nature’s Time Machine• Ice cores are known as nature’s time
machine because the hollow cylinder used to drill into the ground shows what has happened to the Earth for the past
300,000 years(3).
• Each layer corresponds to a single year.
Between 1989 and 1993, Richard Alley, a researcher of the Greenland Ice Project, went with a group of other scientists to drill into the snow with cores. (2).
In Antarctica and Greenland, snow differs in the summer and winter. The lowest layer of snow indicates past climate history (ex: Volcano eruptions) that is essential to scientists (2).
(2)
Ice Core Data
(2)
Air Temperatures• When scientists dig thermometers into holes within the ice,
it provides them with information about temperature variations that have occurred over the past thousands of years(2).
• The ice closer to the surface, or the more “fresh” snow is warmer then the snow deeper in the ground.
(2)
Isotopes• Oxygen often comes in isotopes, a form of
chemical elements, which are useful for paleoclimate research.
• Scientist measure differences in oxygen isotope concentrations to reveal past climates(1).
• Ocean waters contain small amounts of oxygen. As temperatures rise, ice sheets melt, and freshwater runs into the ocean. (1)
Air Composition• The Ice Core shows the Earth’s characteristics
over the previous years.• “When snow forms, it crystallizes around tiny
particles in the atmosphere, which fall to the ground with the snow.”
• These particles show scientists that greenhouse gases (methane and carbon dioxide) were in the atmosphere at the
time they were sealed in the snow(2).
(2)
Volcanic Eruptions • Past volcanic eruptions have been discovered
because the volcanic ash traps itself in the sheets of snow with other particles and dust. The intensity of the volcano can also be measure based on how much ash was found(2).
• The reason this is essential to science is because
the volcanic eruptions can contribute to climate change.
(2)
Works Cited1. "Paleoclimatology: The Oxygen Balance." Earth's Observatory. NASA, n.d. Web. 7
Dec. 2012 2. Riebeek, Holli. "Paleoclimatology: The Ice Core Record." Earth Observatory.
NASA, 19 Dec. 2005. Web. 4 Dec. 2012. <http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Paleoclimatology_IceCores/>.
3. Tyson, Peter. "Stories in the Ice." PBS. NOVA, n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/warnings/stories/>.
Picture Link• (Picture of 2 cores from slide 2) http://www.google.com/imgres?
q=ice+core&um=1&hl=en&safe=active&sa=N&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=898&tbm=isch&tbnid=NL5j4nsMlb647M:&imgrefurl=http://www.kacoloradoicecore.com/&docid=B6RKynyLN7wHWM&imgurl=http://www.kacoloradoicecore.com/images/IC72_KAC%2525202%252520BlueIceCores.jpg&w=300&h=225&ei=kvK9ULbxBdGw0AHswYDwBg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=248&sig=107609270288350241535&page=1&tbnh=156&tbnw=231&start=0&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:0,i:133&tx=98&ty=87
• (All the other Pictures) http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Paleoclimatology_IceCores/
• Ice Core Video
•earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Paleoclimatology_IceCores/
• http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/icecore.html
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