Welcome back climatologists! Yesterday you explored the SIM for evidence as to what is causing ice to melt on Earth’s surface. You discovered that when more ice is melting on Earth’s surface, the amount of energy absorbed by Earth’s surface increases. Today we will investigate ideas about what kinds of changes to the atmosphere can affect how much energy is absorbed by Earth’s surface. Now that we know energy is involved in the rising global temperatures and melting ice, we can finally answer the question of: Why is the ice on Earth’s surface melting? To do this we must learn more about our atmosphere and what is in it!
The Earth’s atmosphere is about 480 km (300 miles) thick and surrounds Earth.
What is Earth’s atmosphere made of? If you’re unsure, take your best guess!
Why do you think our atmosphere is so important to life on planet Earth?
Synthesize: Based on your data, do all gases have the same effect on the amount of energy absorbed by earth’s surface?
What are the ways each gas can interact with energy? Select all that apply.
Find a quote that answers this question:
What causes Global Climate Change?
The hole in the ozone layer is not a cause of global climate change.
What caused the hole in the ozone layer?
After science class one day, your friend texts you saying, “We will always need carbon dioxide in our atmosphere because that is one part of how plants produce their own food, through photosynthesis. And besides, animals including us breathe it out --so it can’t be all that bad!”
Criteria For Success
2-3 complete sentences using appropriate science vocabulary
Answer explains what changes happen to global temperature and surface ice
Answer explains what changes happen to the amount of energy absorbed by Earth’s surface
Word Bank
absorb
atmosphere
carbon dioxide
decrease
energy
ice
increase
methane
surface
temperature
Using what you know and discovered today in the SIM, write a short reply to your friend telling them about what happens to the amount of energy absorbed by Earth, global temperature, and surface ice when there is a large increase of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
You may instead draw a visual representation of this answer as long as you label each part.
Infrared radiation is...
Find a quote that answers this question:
What purpose does ozone serve to humans?
Why do you think that the amount of ozone in the atmopshere was decreasing?
