Salt Marshes: estimation techniques using basic algebra and geometry part of SISL:2012 Sustainability in Math Workshop:Activities
Yelena Meadows, Upper Iowa University; Sharareh Nikbakht, Appalachian State University
The activity allows for learning about salt marshes ecosystem and practicing of basic math in estimations.

Estimating Exchange Rates of Water in Embayments using Simple Budget Equations. part of Quantitative Skills:Activity Collection
Keith Sverdrup, National Science Foundation
Simple budgets may be used to estimate the exchange of water in embayments that capitalize on the concept of steady state and conservation principals. This is especially true for bays that experience a significant exchange of freshwater. This exchange of freshwater may reduce the average salt concentration in the bay compared to seawater if it involves addition of freshwater from rivers, R, and/or precipitation, P. Alternatively, it may increase the average salt concentration in the bay compared to seawater if there is relatively little river input and high evaporation, E. Since freshwater input changes the salt concentration in the bay, and salt is a conservative material, it is possible to combine two steady state budgets for a bay, one for salt and one for water, to solve for the magnitude of the water flows that enter and exit the bay mouth. Students will make actual calculations for the inflow and outflow of water to Puget Sound, Washington and the Mediterranean Sea and compare them to actual measured values.

Question of the Day: Ocean Waves #2 part of Starting Point-Teaching Entry Level Geoscience:Interactive Lectures:Question of the Day
Surfers know that the best waves from distant storms have periods of about 14 seconds. The object of this activity is to compute how long it takes the 14 second period waves to travel 6,000 km across the pacific. ...

How Biodiverse is Lake Superior? An exercise in proportions. part of SISL:2012 Sustainability in Math Workshop:Activities
Stephanie Kajpust
Students use critical thinking and algebra to measure and evaluate the biodiversity in Lake Superior.