Ice Sheet Collapse

In yesterday's movie, an ice sheet collapsed creating a tidal wave and changing weather patterns. Just yesterday, a scientific report stated that a large part of West Antarctica could melt if greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere increase only slightly from today's levels.

Here is the article. Read it and answer the following questions in an Appleworks document. Put your document into the Ice Sheet Collapse folder.


1. The first paragraph says two things would cause a large part of the ice covering West Antarctica to be lost. What are those two things?

2. If the West Antarctic ice sheet collapsed and the East Antarctic ice shtte continues to melt, what would happen?

3. How much of the worlds fresh water is stored in Antarctica?

4. What did the scientists do to figure this out?

5. The floating ice sheet will not do anything if it melts. Why?

6. The real threat comes when what ice melts?

7. The 50 core samples allowed scientists to study what?

8. How often and how many times has the Ross Embayment area collapsed in the past?

9. The drill samples also showed changes in the tilt of the Earth's axis played a role in what?

10. Around four million years ago rising carbon dioxide caused what?

11. Computer modeling shows that something could happen to the West Antarctic ice sheet. What could happen, and when?

12. What's the primary driver of ice sheet melting?

13. How much of a degree rise is enough to collapse the West Antarctic ice sheet?

PUT YOUR DOCUMENT INTO THE "ICE SHEET COLLAPSE" FOLDER.