The Role of Snow & Ice in Regulating Climate

Check Your Thinking: So now that you know quite a bit about ice, snow, and water, can you explain how snow and ice help to regulate global climate?   The atmosphere, water, snow, and ice work together to help keep the global temperature within a range that will support life. More importantly, these factors keep […]

Calculating Data with Excel

In order to calculate data on Heat Flux for the above activities, you need a Heat Flux calculator. The Alaska Lake Ice Observatory Network has developed such a calculator using Excel software. Two calculators are available below, one for snow data taken on frozen lakes, the other for snow data taken on the ground: Snow […]

Heat Flow in Water

So now let’s think about the movement of heat into and out of a body of water (or the ground). Check Your Thinking: What happens to the temperature of a lake over the course of the summer? What causes this to happen?   The reason that the angle of the rays is different in summer […]

Snow as an Insulator: Snow Density

As we just learned, snow is important for global climate because of its role in reflecting solar radiation. But snow and ice are also important because they slow down the escape of heat stored in bodies of water (both oceans and lakes/ponds). Certain characteristics of snow have an important impact on the rate of heat […]

Mapping With Google Earth

Required Materials Computer with Google Earth downloaded to the desktop Notebook (or sheets of drawing paper) Pencils or pens   What is Google Earth? Using a computer, Google Earth lets you view the Earth and explore galaxies in the sky above using satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and maps. It allows you to use your mouse, […]