Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels
Begin
This interactive is brought to you by Virtual Science Teachers. Copyright Virtual Science Teachers 2022
This Virtual Science Teachers interactive is a work in progress. Feel free to use it, but be sure to come back later when it is complete too! Suzanne
https://view.genial.ly/6274ac05894dc800183143ad
Climate Change
Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels
CER
Claim Evidence Reasoning
Greenland Ice Sheet
Select Greenland.
Welcome to Greenland!
Select the glacier.
About 80% of Greenland is covered by a huge ice sheet, which is made up of many glaciers all joined together.
An INCREDIBLE amount of frozen water!
Select Greenland in the image of Earth.
The glaciers in Greenland and other parts of Earth are melting significantly faster than in previous decades.
image credit
Greenland in 2013
Greenland in early 1900s
image credit
Select the image that shows a river where ice used to be.
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
What could be causing the rapid melting of the ice in Greenland and other places on Earth?
Select any of the ice shown in this image of Greenland.
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
To understand why the Earth's ice is melting, it's important to first grasp the concept of melting itself.
During melting, a substance changes from which state to which state?
Liquid to Solid
Solid to Liquid
Gas to Liquid
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Yes! Melting occurs when a substance changes from a solid to a liquid.
Which of the follow causes a solid to melt into a liquid?
Adding heat energy
Removing heat energy
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
You got it! When a solid like ice absorbs enough heat energy, it transforms from solid to liquid.
Select the ice.
Ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice around the world are melting at an increased rate due to absorbing more heat energy than they did in the past.
But where is this extra heat coming from? Select the ice to find out.
Energy from the sun reaches Earth as solar radiation, which is a form of light energy.
Select a part of the graphic that represents sunlight energy as it enters Earth's atmosphere.
About 29% of sunlight is reflected back into space by clouds, the atmosphere, and bright surfaces like snow and ice.
Select a part of the graphic that represents sunlight that refects back into space.
Sunlight that is not reflected back to space is absorbed by the Earth and then released as heat energy.
Select any red arrow that shows the heat energy being emitted by the Earth.
Just as a blanket or jacket prevents heat energy from escaping,greenhouse gases trap heat within Earth's atmosphere.
Select one of the arrows that represent heat energy that does not reflect back into outer space but instead remains trapped within Earth's atmosphere.
Human activities like driving and factory operations increase greenhouse gas emissions, leading to more heat being trapped in Earth's atmosphere.
Select the part of the graphic that represents human activities that release additional greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
As Earth's atmosphere traps more heat energy, ice around the world absorbs it, melting at a faster rate.
Glacier- large, slow-moving masses of ice on land
Ice Sheet- massive, continent-covering ice expanses like those in Antarctica and Greenland
Sea ice- ice that forms and melts in the sea.
Continue
As mentioned before, reflective surfaces like snow and ice play a crucial role in reflecting some of the sun's energy back into space.
Select the part of the graphic that shows sunlight energythat reflects off the bright snow and icy surface.
When ice melts, the bright surfaces of snow and ice, which reflect sunlight, are replaced by darker surfaces like ocean water or land that absorb more sunlight.
Mostly reflects sunlight energy
Mostly absorbs sunlight energy
Select any part in the image above that shows a surface that would absorb more sunlight energy.
Select the correct words in the paragraph.
When ice melts, it exposes *darker* surfaces like ocean and land, which *absorb* more heat. This leads to more *warming* and more ice *melting* .
Check
- melting
- freezing
- condensing
Continue
Not quite. Try again.
As more heat is absorbed by Earth's atmosphere and surfaces, it leads to global warming, affecting both land and ocean temperatures.
How much warmer was the average global ocean surface temperature in 2020 than in 1880?
0.71 degrees Celsius
0.02 degrees Celsius
1.2 degrees Celsius
Watch and answer questions in this video from NASA to learn how the warming oceans affect glaciers.
Enter the code word provided at the end of the video.
lowercase letters only
melt
Continue
As a result of the warming atmosphere and oceans, ice throughout the world is melting rapidly, and the melting rate is accelerating.
Where does the melted ice go?
The End Fountain
To Space
Into the Ocean
Yes, the melted ice from Greenland's Ice Sheet and other glaciers around the world goes into the oceans and causes their levels to increase.
Sea Level Variations Since 1993
Credit: Climate.nasa.gov
According to this graph, between 1993 and 2022, Earth's sea levels have increased by about __________.
50 millimeters (or 5 cm)
100 millimeters (or 10 cm)
1000 millimeters (or 100 cm)
100 millimeters (10 cm- about the height of a pencil), may not seem like a big increase in sea level.
But, it's A LOT of extra water.
Select the water.
A slight rise in sea levels leads to more frequent and severe floods during high tides.
High Tide
High Tide
Before increase in sea levels
After 10 cm increase in sea levels
Select diagram that shows tidal flooding.
High tide flooding has doubled in the United States in the last 30 years.
Select the area that is flooded due to tidal flooding.
Image Credit
Select the part of this bar graph that represents U.S. tidal flooding incidents in the 1950s.
Image Credit
Now select the part of this bar graph that shows the highest number of flooding incidents.
Not only has tidal flooding increased as a result of higher sea levels, storm surges are more common and more extreme.
Continue
Storm surges are caused by wind and pressure changes during hurricanes and other storms.
normal high tide
high winds
storm surge
Select the arrow in the diagram that represents the storm surge water level.
With increased sea levels, the storm surges reach much farther onto land.
After 10 cm increase in sea levels
Before increase in sea levels
storm surge
normal high tide
normal high tide
high winds
high winds
storm surge
Select the arrow in the diagram that represents the storm surge water level after the increase in sea levels.
Flooding and storm surges lead to coastal erosion, eroding beaches and endangering nearby land and habitats.
What is erosion?
The process of building up land with rocks and soil
The wearing away of land or soil by water, wind, or ice
You got it, erosion is the wearing away of land or soil by water, wind, or ice
These photos of Rodanthe, North Carolina, show erosion effects from a storm surge.
By St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Select the area that shows where the sea has eroded the beach and damaged a highway.
Now consider the causes and the effects of rising sea levels. Move each image to the correct category to receieve the code word.
ice
Enter the code word here.
lowercase letters only
Continue
Summarize the causes and effects of rising sea levels.
ocean
Enter the code word here.
lowercase letters only
Continue
The Mauna Loa Weather Observatory
Great work! Maybe one day you'll be a scientist that helps us better understand glaciers and sea levels.
photo credit: NOAA
photo credit: NOAA
This interactive is brought to you by Virtual Science Teachers. Copyright Virtual Science Teachers 2022
NOAA began measurements in 1974, and the two research institutions have made complementary, independent observations ever since.
https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-acidification
Continue
Sea Levels (mm)
The extra CO2 traps heat that would otherwise escape into space.
As Earth warms up, glaciers and ice sheets melt faster.
Carbon dioxide is released into our atmosphere.
Water from melted glaciers and ice sheets cause sea levels to rise.
Higher sea levels have caused tidal flooding to double in the US over the last 30 years.
Higher sea levels cause storm surges to be frequent and more extreme.
Drag the each image so it is above the correct caption. Once all images are correctly placed, a message will appear.
Great Work! Click here.
Sea Levels (mm)
The extra CO2 traps heat that would otherwise escape into space.
As Earth warms up, glaciers and ice sheets melt faster.
Humans release a lot of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Water from melted glaciers and ice sheets cause sea levels to rise.
Higher sea levels have caused tidal flooding to double in the US over the last 30 years.
Higher sea levels cause storm surges to be frequent and more extreme.
Drag the each image so it is above the correct caption. Once all images are correctly placed, a message will appear.
Great Work! Click here.
Sea Levels (mm)
The extra CO2 traps heat that would otherwise escape into space.
As Earth warms up, glaciers and ice sheets melt faster.
Humans release a lot of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Water from melted glaciers and ice sheets cause sea levels to rise.
Higher sea levels have caused tidal flooding to double in the US over the last 30 years.
Higher sea levels cause storm surges to be frequent and more extreme.
Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio
This graphic illustrates the change in global surface temperature relative to 1951-1980 average temperatures.
Flooding around the world has increased dramatically as a result of the higher sea levels.
As a result of the higher sea levels, Storm surges are more common and more extreme.
In addition to amplifying storm surge because the water starts at a higher level, sea level rise increases high-tide flooding, which has doubled in the United States over the past 30 years and is expected to rapidly worsen in the coming decades.
Nice work! The code for this section is 2552.
Return to map.
Just for fun, try out this sea level quiz from NASA.
https://climate.nasa.gov/quizzes/sea-level-quiz/
Data source: NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). Credit: NASA/GISS
This warming trend is concerning... small changes in temperature have big consequences.
Why is the Earth's surface warming up so quickly?
Worst Case Scenario
Best Case Scenario
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_Era_Temperature.svg
Efbrazil, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Graphic credit and information
Efbrazil, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Click here to learn what is causing the Earth to warm up so quickly.
What is the trend of this graph?
NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio, Key and Title by uploader (Eric Fisk), CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
By RCraig09 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=102770581
Click on the ultimate source of energy for life.
Yes, sunlight provides the energy needed for all life on Earth to live and grow. Sunlight also provides the energy that keeps Earth warm enough for life.
Click on the plant.
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
This image shows how sunlight (yellow) enters the atmosphere and heats the Earth.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a part of the diagram that represents sunlight energy that heats the Earth.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
As the Earth is warmed by the sunight, it emits infrared energy (red). Some of the infrared energy escapes the atmosphere and travels out to space.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a part of the diagram that repsents infrared energy leaving Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Some of the infrared energy gets trapped within the atmosphere by greenhouse gases like CO2.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a part of the diagram that repsents infrared energy that gets trapped within Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Without the greenhouse gases, the Earth would be too cold for life to exist.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a one of the images that represent life that would not be possible if it were too cold on Earth.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
These three images simulate what happens to infrared energy with varying levels of green house gases in the atmosphere.
High concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
No geenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
Click on the image that shows all of the infrared energy escaping Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Yes! In the first image, all of the infrared energy leaves Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
High concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
No geenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
Earth's temperature would be _________ if there were no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
much higher
much lower
about the same
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
That's correct, without greenhouse gases the Earth would be MUCH colder. What happens if the level of greenhouse gases increases to high levels?
High concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
No geenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
Click on the image that shows the most infrared energy getting trapped in Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Earth's temperature would be _________ if there were no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
much higher
much lower
about the same
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
You got it. The third image shows the most infrared energy being trapped by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
High concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
No geenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
Earth's temperature _________ as greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere.
decreases
does not change
increases
Click on the image that shows all of the infrared energy escaping Earth's atmosphere.
Sunlight
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Some radiation from the sun reflects off the greenhouse gases, such as CO2, and Earth's atmosphere. Most of the radiation is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere and warms it.
Great work! For a quick review, answer the questions throughout this video from the US EPA. The code word you need to move on is at the end of the video.
warm
Enter the code word provided at the end of the video.
lowercase letters only
CONTINUE
This video was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
2020
1960
1980
2000
1900
1920
1940
Graph Credit: Carbon Brief
Mostly reflects sunlight energy
Mostly absorbs sunlight energy
Select the surface that absorbs more sunlight energy.
Select the area that shows where the sea has eroded the beach and damaged a highway.
Not quite. Remember that heat travels from where it's warmer to where it's cooler. As an ice cube melts, heat is travels FROM its surroundings into the ice cube. The ice cube absorbs the heat energy.
Not quite. Perhaps this diagram can help you.
Select diagram that shows tidal flooding.
Select the part of this bar graph that showsthe highest number of flooding incidents.
Select any arrow that shows the heat energy being emitted by the Earth.
Select part of the graphic that represents sunlight energy as it enters Earth's atmosphere.
Not quite. Perhaps this diagram can help you.
Select the arrow in the diagram that representsthe storm surge water level after the increase in sea levels.
Select the part of the graphic that shows sunlight energythat reflects off the bright snow and icy surface.
Select one of the arrows that represent heat energy that does not reflect back into outer space but instead remains trapped within Earth's atmosphere.
Select the arrow in the diagram thatrepresents the storm surge water level.
Select any part in the image above that shows a surfacethat would absorb more sunlight energy.
Your response was not correct.
Erosion is the wearing away of land or soil by water, wind, or ice. Please try again.
Not quite. Notice that in 1880, the change from the 20th century average was -0.02 degrees C and in 2020 it was +0.69 degrees C. Try again!
Select the part of the graphic that represents human activities that release additional greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Select a part of the graphic that represents sunlight that refects back into space.
Not quite. Notice that in 1880, the change from the 20th century average was -0.02 degrees C and in 2020 it was +0.69 degrees C. Try again!
Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels
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Transcript
Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels
Begin
This interactive is brought to you by Virtual Science Teachers. Copyright Virtual Science Teachers 2022
This Virtual Science Teachers interactive is a work in progress. Feel free to use it, but be sure to come back later when it is complete too! Suzanne
https://view.genial.ly/6274ac05894dc800183143ad
Climate Change
Melting Ice and Rising Sea Levels
CER
Claim Evidence Reasoning
Greenland Ice Sheet
Select Greenland.
Welcome to Greenland!
Select the glacier.
About 80% of Greenland is covered by a huge ice sheet, which is made up of many glaciers all joined together.
An INCREDIBLE amount of frozen water!
Select Greenland in the image of Earth.
The glaciers in Greenland and other parts of Earth are melting significantly faster than in previous decades.
image credit
Greenland in 2013
Greenland in early 1900s
image credit
Select the image that shows a river where ice used to be.
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
What could be causing the rapid melting of the ice in Greenland and other places on Earth?
Select any of the ice shown in this image of Greenland.
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
To understand why the Earth's ice is melting, it's important to first grasp the concept of melting itself.
During melting, a substance changes from which state to which state?
Liquid to Solid
Solid to Liquid
Gas to Liquid
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Yes! Melting occurs when a substance changes from a solid to a liquid.
Which of the follow causes a solid to melt into a liquid?
Adding heat energy
Removing heat energy
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
You got it! When a solid like ice absorbs enough heat energy, it transforms from solid to liquid.
Select the ice.
Ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice around the world are melting at an increased rate due to absorbing more heat energy than they did in the past.
But where is this extra heat coming from? Select the ice to find out.
Energy from the sun reaches Earth as solar radiation, which is a form of light energy.
Select a part of the graphic that represents sunlight energy as it enters Earth's atmosphere.
About 29% of sunlight is reflected back into space by clouds, the atmosphere, and bright surfaces like snow and ice.
Select a part of the graphic that represents sunlight that refects back into space.
Sunlight that is not reflected back to space is absorbed by the Earth and then released as heat energy.
Select any red arrow that shows the heat energy being emitted by the Earth.
Just as a blanket or jacket prevents heat energy from escaping,greenhouse gases trap heat within Earth's atmosphere.
Select one of the arrows that represent heat energy that does not reflect back into outer space but instead remains trapped within Earth's atmosphere.
Human activities like driving and factory operations increase greenhouse gas emissions, leading to more heat being trapped in Earth's atmosphere.
Select the part of the graphic that represents human activities that release additional greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
As Earth's atmosphere traps more heat energy, ice around the world absorbs it, melting at a faster rate.
Glacier- large, slow-moving masses of ice on land
Ice Sheet- massive, continent-covering ice expanses like those in Antarctica and Greenland
Sea ice- ice that forms and melts in the sea.
Continue
As mentioned before, reflective surfaces like snow and ice play a crucial role in reflecting some of the sun's energy back into space.
Select the part of the graphic that shows sunlight energythat reflects off the bright snow and icy surface.
When ice melts, the bright surfaces of snow and ice, which reflect sunlight, are replaced by darker surfaces like ocean water or land that absorb more sunlight.
Mostly reflects sunlight energy
Mostly absorbs sunlight energy
Select any part in the image above that shows a surface that would absorb more sunlight energy.
Select the correct words in the paragraph.
When ice melts, it exposes *darker* surfaces like ocean and land, which *absorb* more heat. This leads to more *warming* and more ice *melting* .
Check
Continue
Not quite. Try again.
As more heat is absorbed by Earth's atmosphere and surfaces, it leads to global warming, affecting both land and ocean temperatures.
How much warmer was the average global ocean surface temperature in 2020 than in 1880?
0.71 degrees Celsius
0.02 degrees Celsius
1.2 degrees Celsius
Watch and answer questions in this video from NASA to learn how the warming oceans affect glaciers.
Enter the code word provided at the end of the video.
lowercase letters only
melt
Continue
As a result of the warming atmosphere and oceans, ice throughout the world is melting rapidly, and the melting rate is accelerating.
Where does the melted ice go?
The End Fountain
To Space
Into the Ocean
Yes, the melted ice from Greenland's Ice Sheet and other glaciers around the world goes into the oceans and causes their levels to increase.
Sea Level Variations Since 1993
Credit: Climate.nasa.gov
According to this graph, between 1993 and 2022, Earth's sea levels have increased by about __________.
50 millimeters (or 5 cm)
100 millimeters (or 10 cm)
1000 millimeters (or 100 cm)
100 millimeters (10 cm- about the height of a pencil), may not seem like a big increase in sea level.
But, it's A LOT of extra water.
Select the water.
A slight rise in sea levels leads to more frequent and severe floods during high tides.
High Tide
High Tide
Before increase in sea levels
After 10 cm increase in sea levels
Select diagram that shows tidal flooding.
High tide flooding has doubled in the United States in the last 30 years.
Select the area that is flooded due to tidal flooding.
Image Credit
Select the part of this bar graph that represents U.S. tidal flooding incidents in the 1950s.
Image Credit
Now select the part of this bar graph that shows the highest number of flooding incidents.
Not only has tidal flooding increased as a result of higher sea levels, storm surges are more common and more extreme.
Continue
Storm surges are caused by wind and pressure changes during hurricanes and other storms.
normal high tide
high winds
storm surge
Select the arrow in the diagram that represents the storm surge water level.
With increased sea levels, the storm surges reach much farther onto land.
After 10 cm increase in sea levels
Before increase in sea levels
storm surge
normal high tide
normal high tide
high winds
high winds
storm surge
Select the arrow in the diagram that represents the storm surge water level after the increase in sea levels.
Flooding and storm surges lead to coastal erosion, eroding beaches and endangering nearby land and habitats.
What is erosion?
The process of building up land with rocks and soil
The wearing away of land or soil by water, wind, or ice
You got it, erosion is the wearing away of land or soil by water, wind, or ice These photos of Rodanthe, North Carolina, show erosion effects from a storm surge.
By St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
Select the area that shows where the sea has eroded the beach and damaged a highway.
Now consider the causes and the effects of rising sea levels. Move each image to the correct category to receieve the code word.
ice
Enter the code word here.
lowercase letters only
Continue
Summarize the causes and effects of rising sea levels.
ocean
Enter the code word here.
lowercase letters only
Continue
The Mauna Loa Weather Observatory
Great work! Maybe one day you'll be a scientist that helps us better understand glaciers and sea levels.
photo credit: NOAA
photo credit: NOAA
This interactive is brought to you by Virtual Science Teachers. Copyright Virtual Science Teachers 2022
NOAA began measurements in 1974, and the two research institutions have made complementary, independent observations ever since.
https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-acidification
Continue
Sea Levels (mm)
The extra CO2 traps heat that would otherwise escape into space.
As Earth warms up, glaciers and ice sheets melt faster.
Carbon dioxide is released into our atmosphere.
Water from melted glaciers and ice sheets cause sea levels to rise.
Higher sea levels have caused tidal flooding to double in the US over the last 30 years.
Higher sea levels cause storm surges to be frequent and more extreme.
Drag the each image so it is above the correct caption. Once all images are correctly placed, a message will appear.
Great Work! Click here.
Sea Levels (mm)
The extra CO2 traps heat that would otherwise escape into space.
As Earth warms up, glaciers and ice sheets melt faster.
Humans release a lot of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Water from melted glaciers and ice sheets cause sea levels to rise.
Higher sea levels have caused tidal flooding to double in the US over the last 30 years.
Higher sea levels cause storm surges to be frequent and more extreme.
Drag the each image so it is above the correct caption. Once all images are correctly placed, a message will appear.
Great Work! Click here.
Sea Levels (mm)
The extra CO2 traps heat that would otherwise escape into space.
As Earth warms up, glaciers and ice sheets melt faster.
Humans release a lot of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Water from melted glaciers and ice sheets cause sea levels to rise.
Higher sea levels have caused tidal flooding to double in the US over the last 30 years.
Higher sea levels cause storm surges to be frequent and more extreme.
Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio
This graphic illustrates the change in global surface temperature relative to 1951-1980 average temperatures.
Flooding around the world has increased dramatically as a result of the higher sea levels.
As a result of the higher sea levels, Storm surges are more common and more extreme.
In addition to amplifying storm surge because the water starts at a higher level, sea level rise increases high-tide flooding, which has doubled in the United States over the past 30 years and is expected to rapidly worsen in the coming decades.
Nice work! The code for this section is 2552.
Return to map.
Just for fun, try out this sea level quiz from NASA.
https://climate.nasa.gov/quizzes/sea-level-quiz/
Data source: NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). Credit: NASA/GISS
This warming trend is concerning... small changes in temperature have big consequences.
Why is the Earth's surface warming up so quickly?
Worst Case Scenario
Best Case Scenario
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Common_Era_Temperature.svg
Efbrazil, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Graphic credit and information
Efbrazil, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Click here to learn what is causing the Earth to warm up so quickly.
What is the trend of this graph?
NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio, Key and Title by uploader (Eric Fisk), CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
By RCraig09 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=102770581
Click on the ultimate source of energy for life.
Yes, sunlight provides the energy needed for all life on Earth to live and grow. Sunlight also provides the energy that keeps Earth warm enough for life.
Click on the plant.
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
This image shows how sunlight (yellow) enters the atmosphere and heats the Earth.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a part of the diagram that represents sunlight energy that heats the Earth.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
As the Earth is warmed by the sunight, it emits infrared energy (red). Some of the infrared energy escapes the atmosphere and travels out to space.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a part of the diagram that repsents infrared energy leaving Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Some of the infrared energy gets trapped within the atmosphere by greenhouse gases like CO2.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a part of the diagram that repsents infrared energy that gets trapped within Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Without the greenhouse gases, the Earth would be too cold for life to exist.
infrared waves
sunlight
This gif was made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Click on a one of the images that represent life that would not be possible if it were too cold on Earth.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
These three images simulate what happens to infrared energy with varying levels of green house gases in the atmosphere.
High concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
No geenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
Click on the image that shows all of the infrared energy escaping Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
Yes! In the first image, all of the infrared energy leaves Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
High concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
No geenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
Earth's temperature would be _________ if there were no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
much higher
much lower
about the same
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
That's correct, without greenhouse gases the Earth would be MUCH colder. What happens if the level of greenhouse gases increases to high levels?
High concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
No geenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
Click on the image that shows the most infrared energy getting trapped in Earth's atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
Earth's temperature would be _________ if there were no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
much higher
much lower
about the same
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
These gifs were made using PhET's greenhouse gas simulation. Click here to use it!
You got it. The third image shows the most infrared energy being trapped by the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Simulation by PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder, licensed under CC-BY-4.0 (https://phet.colorado.edu).
High concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
No geenhouse gases
Medium concentration of CO2 and other geenhouse gases
Earth's temperature _________ as greenhouse gases are added to the atmosphere.
decreases
does not change
increases
Click on the image that shows all of the infrared energy escaping Earth's atmosphere.
Sunlight
Almost 80% of Greenland is covered by a giant sheet of ice.
Some radiation from the sun reflects off the greenhouse gases, such as CO2, and Earth's atmosphere. Most of the radiation is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere and warms it.
Great work! For a quick review, answer the questions throughout this video from the US EPA. The code word you need to move on is at the end of the video.
warm
Enter the code word provided at the end of the video.
lowercase letters only
CONTINUE
This video was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
2020
1960
1980
2000
1900
1920
1940
Graph Credit: Carbon Brief
Mostly reflects sunlight energy
Mostly absorbs sunlight energy
Select the surface that absorbs more sunlight energy.
Select the area that shows where the sea has eroded the beach and damaged a highway.
Not quite. Remember that heat travels from where it's warmer to where it's cooler. As an ice cube melts, heat is travels FROM its surroundings into the ice cube. The ice cube absorbs the heat energy.
Not quite. Perhaps this diagram can help you.
Select diagram that shows tidal flooding.
Select the part of this bar graph that showsthe highest number of flooding incidents.
Select any arrow that shows the heat energy being emitted by the Earth.
Select part of the graphic that represents sunlight energy as it enters Earth's atmosphere.
Not quite. Perhaps this diagram can help you.
Select the arrow in the diagram that representsthe storm surge water level after the increase in sea levels.
Select the part of the graphic that shows sunlight energythat reflects off the bright snow and icy surface.
Select one of the arrows that represent heat energy that does not reflect back into outer space but instead remains trapped within Earth's atmosphere.
Select the arrow in the diagram thatrepresents the storm surge water level.
Select any part in the image above that shows a surfacethat would absorb more sunlight energy.
Your response was not correct.
Erosion is the wearing away of land or soil by water, wind, or ice. Please try again.
Not quite. Notice that in 1880, the change from the 20th century average was -0.02 degrees C and in 2020 it was +0.69 degrees C. Try again!
Select the part of the graphic that represents human activities that release additional greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Select a part of the graphic that represents sunlight that refects back into space.
Not quite. Notice that in 1880, the change from the 20th century average was -0.02 degrees C and in 2020 it was +0.69 degrees C. Try again!