Into Living Things
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elnino/reach/living.html


This resource presents information about using living things like trees and coral reefs and everyday occurrences like snowfalls to look at what has happened in past climates in order to understand what is happening today, or what might happen in the future. Scientists who do this are called paleoclimatologists. Some of the things that can be learned from tree rings include insect outbreaks, glacial activity, volcanic events, fires, floods, and earthquakes that might have occurred in the area. Oxygen trapped in ice cores can provide information about past temperatures. Carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen peroxide in ice also give information about past climates. The tephra (volcanic ash) and sulfate in the ice allow reconstruction of the Earth's volcanic history and at low latitudes these layers can also preserve pollen, organic matter, and insects. There is also detailed information on what can be learned from coral reefs.

This description of a site outside SERC has not been vetted by SERC staff and may be incomplete or incorrect. If you have information we can use to flesh out or correct this record let us know.


This resource originally cataloged at:

DLESE

Subject: Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climatology
Grade Level: Middle (6-8)
Theme: Teach the Earth:Incorporating Societal Issues:Climate Change, Teach the Earth:Course Topics:Atmospheric Science