**Sea Level Change-Floating Ice versus Land Ice**

***[Task Overview]{.underline}***

**Much of the world's ice can be divided into two major categories:
floating ice (icebergs, sea ice) and land ice (glaciers, ice sheets).
Both types of ice are at risk of shrinking if** **temperatures continue
to increase, yet each affects global sea level in different ways.**

**The purpose of this activity is to allow students to see just how
changes in sea level happen. In order to fully understandf the full
breadth of this activity, one must draw some conclusions as to the
long-term implications of global sea-level rise.** **To view current
information on this, please visit the following link that is part of the
NASA Earth Science web site:**
[**http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/environment/sealevel_feature.html**](http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/environment/sealevel_feature.html)

***[Standards]{.underline}***

***National Science Education Standards addressed:***

-   **Science as Inquiry-Content Standard A**

-   **Energy in the Earth System-Content Standard D**

-   **History and Nature of Science-Content Standard G**

***Benchmarks for Science Literacy addressed:***

-   **The Nature of Science**

    -   **1~B~-Scientific Inquiry**

    -   **1~C~-The Scientific Enterprise**

-   **The Physical Setting**

    -   **4~B~-The Earth**

    -   **4~C~-Processes that Shape the Earth**

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-   **Common Themes**

    -   **11~A~-Systems**

***[Objectives]{.underline}***

**Students will demonstrate the difference between floating ice and land
ice.**

**Students will identify how floating ice and land ice affect sea level
rise.**

**In this activity, students will** **create a "desktop" example of the
differences between floating ice** **and land ice and their melting
characteristics.**

***[Materials]{.underline}***

**To view an example of a "teacher-led" demonstration set-up, please
visit the following web-sites:**

**Floating Ice:**

[**http://oceandrilling.coe.tamu.edu/curriculum/Sea_Level/Ice_Volume/floatingice.html**](http://oceandrilling.coe.tamu.edu/curriculum/Sea_Level/Ice_Volume/floatingice.html)

**Land Ice:**

[**http://oceandrilling.coe.tamu.edu/curriculum/Sea_Level/Ice_Volume/ice.html**](http://oceandrilling.coe.tamu.edu/curriculum/Sea_Level/Ice_Volume/ice.html)

**2 large** **bowls (glass or plastic)-Can also use 2 beakers**

**Flat piece of wood**

**Ruler** **(with cm)**

**Ice cubes**

**Water**

***[Procedure]{.underline}***

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="6.261111111111111in"
height="2.8333333333333335in"}

1.  **Label Bowl 1-Floating Ice and Bowl 2-Land Ice**

2.  **Fill each bowl to the same level (about 2/3 full) with cool
    water**

3.  **In Bowl 1, add about 5-7 ice cubes (These will represent Floating
    Ice)**

4.  **In Bowl 2, add wood block** **and place 5-7** **ice cubes on wood
    block set-up (These will represent Land Ice)**

5.  

6.  **Measure and record level (depth) of water, radius (at water line)
    and record in tables below**

7.  **Measure the depth and radius at each timed interval and record in
    tables provided.**

8.  **Then, calculate the volume at each timed interval**

9.  

**Record your observations of the water level from Bowl 1 and Bowl 2 in
the table below.**

**[Trial 1:]{.underline}**

**Change** ***change in depth of the water from its original level***

  ------------------ ----------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
  **Depth (cm)**     **Start**   **2      **4      **6      **8      **10
                                 min**    min**    min**    min**    min**

  **Floating Ice**                                                   

  **Land Ice**                                                       
  ------------------ ----------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------

  ------------------ ----------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
  **radius (r) at    **Start**   **2      **4      **6      **8      **10
  water line (cm)**              min**    min**    min**    min**    min**

  **Floating Ice**                                                   

  **Land Ice**                                                       
  ------------------ ----------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------

**How to Calculate Volume: Because we will be using a bowl, we will be
using the volume equation for a sphere, then simply dividing the value
in half.**

**For** **example:**

**Remember, r= ½ D, where D=Diameter (measured at water line)**

**V=[4πr^3^]{.underline}** **if r=15cm, then
V=[4(3.14)(3375cm^3^)]{.underline}, then**

**3 3**

**V=[42390cm^3^]{.underline}** **,** **V=14130cm^3^,** **then**

**3**

**convert for bowl (half of sphere)** **V=[14130cm^3^]{.underline}**
**V=7065cm^3^**

**2**

  ------------------ ----------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
  **Volume (cm^3^)** **Start**   **2      **4      **6      **8      **10
                                 min**    min**    min**    min**    min**

  **Floating Ice**                                                   

  **Land Ice**                                                       
  ------------------ ----------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------

**[Trial 2:]{.underline}**

  ------------------ ----------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
  **Depth (cm)**     **Start**   **2      **4      **6      **8      **10
                                 min**    min**    min**    min**    min**

  **Floating Ice**                                                   

  **Land Ice**                                                       
  ------------------ ----------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------

  ------------------ ----------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
  **radius (r) at    **Start**   **2      **4      **6      **8      **10
  water line (cm)**              min**    min**    min**    min**    min**

  **Floating Ice**                                                   

  **Land Ice**                                                       
  ------------------ ----------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------

  ------------------ ----------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
  **Volume**         **Start**   **2      **4      **6      **8      **10
  **(cm^3^)**                    min**    min**    min**    min**    min**

  **Floating Ice**                                                   

  **Land Ice**                                                       
  ------------------ ----------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------

***[Assessment]{.underline}***

1.  **Were the results from each** **trial similar or different?**

2.  **Did the depth and volume change at each timed interval?**

3.  **How can we translate the small changes you have seen in this
    activity to larger scale global changes?**

4.  **Suggest some reasons why the melting of floating ice and land ice
    has such different effects on sea level.**