Students examine the two time series images to determine the differences between seasonal ice melt over water versus land.

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

Sea Level Scientists are also known by several other names (marine geologist, paleoceanographer, paleoclimatologist, etc.). These professionals use natural records from the past to characterize local, regional, and global environments.

This activity invites students to simulate and observe the different effects on sea level from melting sea-ice.

This activity is one of a series in the collection, The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change activities. 

Steve Nerem is the leader of NASA’s Sea Level Change team. His project, Observation-Driven Projections of Future Regional Sea Level Change, focuses on using NASA satellite and in situ observations and climate modeling to estimate future regional sea level change.

This activity invites students to model and observe the effect of melting ice sheets (from land) on sea level and the difference between the effect of melting sea-ice to that of melting land ice on sea level.

What is the hydrosphere and why is it important?

Background information on sea level change.

Oceanography covers a wide range of topics, including marine life and ecosystems, ocean circulation, plate tectonics and the geology of the seafloor, and the chemical and physical properties of the ocean.