Page 360 - Laboratory Manual in Physical Geology
P. 360

ACTIVITY                                             ACTIVITY

         13.1  Cryosphere Inquiry                             13.3   Continental Glaciation of

               THINK  |  What is the cryosphere, and how do           North America
         About It   changes in the cryosphere affect other          THINK  |
                    parts of the Earth system?                           How do glaciers affect landscapes?
                                                              About It
            OBJECTIVE   Analyze global and regional


         components of the cryosphere, and then infer how        OBJECTIVE   Analyze features of landscapes aff ected
         they may change and ways that such change may        by continental glaciation and infer how they formed.

         affect other parts of the Earth system.
                                                                PROCEDURES
           PROCEDURES                                              1.     Before you begin , read the Introduction, Glaciers,
              1.     Before you begin , do not look up defi nitions and   and Glacial Processes and Landforms. Also, this is
             information. Use your current knowledge, and           what you will need :
             complete the worksheet with your current level of       ____  Activity 13.3 Worksheet (p.  351 ) and pencil
             ability. Also, this is  what you will need  to do the
                                                                  2.     Then follow your instructor’s directions  for
             activity:
                                                                  completing the worksheets.
                ____ pen
               ____  Activity 13.1 Worksheets (pp.  347–348 ) and
                 pencil
             2.     Complete the worksheet in a way that makes       Dynamic Cryosphere
             sense to you.
                                                               The total amount of ice on Earth’s surface is ever-
             3.     After you complete the worksheet , be prepared   changing due to annual variations in global patterns
             to discuss your observations and classifi cation   of air circulation and regional variations in things
             with other geologists.                          like ground temperature, ocean surface temperature,
                                                             and the  weather  (daily to seasonal conditions of the
                                                             atmosphere, such as air temperature and humidity,
         ACTIVITY                                            wind, cloud cover, and precipitation). Global
                                                             and regional amounts of ice are also affected by
         13.2   Mountain Glaciers and                          climate —the set of atmospheric conditions (like air
                 Glacial Landforms                           temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitaion) that
                                                             prevails in a region over decades. A region’s climate

               THINK  |                                      is generally determined by measuring the average
                                                             conditions that exist there over a period of years or
         About It   How do glaciers affect landscapes?
                                                             the conditons that normally exist in the region at a
                                                             particular time of year.

            OBJECTIVE   Analyze features of landscapes aff ected
         by mountain glaciation and infer how they formed.         Climate Change
           PROCEDURES                                          A region’s climate is based on factors like latitude,
                                                               altitude, location relative to oceans (moisture
              1.     Before you begin , read the Introduction, Glaciers,
             and Glacial Processes and Landforms. Also, this is   sources), and location relative to patterns of global

               what you will need :                          air and ocean circulation.  Climate change  refers to
                                                             a significant change in atmospheric conditions of a
                ____ ruler, calculator                       region or the planet. This can occur due to natural
               ____  Activity 13.2 Worksheets (pp.  349–350 ) and   factors like changing patterns of global air circulation,
                 pencil
                                                             variations in volcanic activity, and changes in solar
             2.     Then follow your instructor’s directions  for   activity. It can also occur due to human factors
             completing the worksheets.                      like construction of regional urban centers (adding
                                                             regional sources of heat energy) and deforestation
        where ice permanently covers the ground (glaciers and   (removing a transpiration source of atmospheric water
        ice caps, ice sheets), to places where ice covers parts of   vapor; adding soot and gases to the atmosphere as the
        the ocean (ice shelves, sea ice). The ice in your freezer   forest is burned).
        may last for days or months, but ice in some of Earth’s
        ice caps is thousands of years old.



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