Interpret the map, or model, to find patterns in the occurrence of tropical cyclones from 1842 through 2018.

Students will watch a video on the Greenland Ice Sheet and answer questions.

Watch the video and have students answer the questions about Earth's cryosphere.

Compare pictures of different volcanoes. Then visit NASA's Space Place to learn about volcanoes and answer questions about volcanic eruptions.

Learn about volcanic ash and watch a visualization of the Calbuco volcano to see how ash travels around the world. 

Review this page to learn about the background of volcanoes and their eruptions.

An urban heat island is a phenomenon that is best described when a city experiences much warmer temperatures than in nearby rural areas. The sun’s heat and light reach the city and the country in the same way. The difference in temperature between urban and less-developed rural areas has to do with how well the surfaces in each environment absorb and hold heat.

Watch NASA videos about aerosols and volcanic ash.

Our Earth is a dynamic system with diverse subsystems that interact in complex ways. Questions that scientists have about the Earth as a System may include the following. As you learn more about the Earth System, reflect on these questions. 

Arctic sea ice is the cap of frozen seawater blanketing most of the Arctic Ocean and neighboring seas in wintertime. It follows seasonal patterns of thickening and melting. Students view how the quantity has changed from 1979 through 2018.