Ice Hockey is Melting Away
Why It Matters
Could you imagine a world in which Canadians couldn’t play hockey?
As more data is collected regarding climate change, we learn of the shrinking of the arctic and see images of cute polar bears without a home. Now, it has gone too far! It seems that climate change is now trying to come between a country and their favorite pastime: http://www.iop.org/news/12/mar/page_54316.html
What do you think? Will hockey be the next sacrifice?
- Here is an animation of a glacial recession at Glacier National Park from 1850 projected through 2100:
- Use this PhET simulation to manipulate a glacier:<img src="http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/glaciers/glaciers-screenshot.png" alt="Glaciers" style="border: none;" width="300" height="225"/><div style="position: absolute; width: 200px; height: 80px; left: 50px; top: 72px; background-color: #FFF; opacity: 0.6; filter: alpha(opacity = 60);"></div><table style="position: absolute; width: 200px; height: 80px; left: 50px; top: 72px;"><tr><td style="text-align: center; color: #000; font-size: 24px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Click to Run</td></tr></table>
- Test out the different variables and tools that the simulation offers.
- Try to calculate the speed of the glacier.
- Make observations of the material being eroded and deposited. Create a moraine.
- What variables are critical to the growth or retreat of a glacier?
- Use the PhET glacier simulation to determine the changing conditions at the Columbia Glacier in Alaska seen here: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/columbia_glacier.php
- Of the variables in the glacier simulation, identify which ones are impacted by humans. How can we lessen our impact? What will happen if we do not lessen our impact on those variables?
Institute of Physics. http://www.iop.org/news/12/mar/page_54316.html
PhEt Interactive Simulations. University of Colorado at Boulder. http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/glaciers
U.S. Geological Survey. http://www.nrmsc.usgs.gov/research/glacier_model.htm