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Using a climate change story to teach about large lake processes

Discover how a climate change story can be used to teach about the processes and changes occurring in large lakes like Lake Superior. Explore historical records and present-day data to understand the impacts of climate change on the lake.

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Using a climate change story to teach about large lake processes

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  1. Using a climate change story to teach about large lake processes Jay Austin Associate Professor Large Lakes Observatory /Department of Physics University of Minnesota Duluth Teaching Climate Change: Lessons from the Past 20 June, 2012

  2. The Past and Present • The Past: What sorts of records allow us to reliably look into the past? • The Present: How do we understand how Lake Superior is changing right now?

  3. Sault Ste. Marie, 1906-2006(“the past”)

  4. SSM, July-September avg.

  5. SSM, July-September avg.

  6. Global AT average

  7. Global AT average

  8. Comparing SSM to globe

  9. Comparing SSM to globe ~0.1C/yr

  10. Regional Air Temperature Anomaly ~0.06C/yr

  11. NOAA’s NDBC buoys(“The Present”) • Three buoys in Lake Superior • 1979-Present • April-November • AT,WT, WS/WD • (also buoys in other lakes)

  12. 45006 * 45001 * 45004 * 45006

  13. NDBC 45001 (Central) Water Temperature, July-Sep ~0.1C/yr

  14. NDBC 45001 (Central) Water Temperature (Max. Temperatures) ~0.12C/yr

  15. Lakes around the world

  16. Freshwater Density

  17. Summer stratification Warm water overlies cooler water- surface layer can be relatively thin (~10-30m)

  18. Winter Stratification Cool water overlies warmer water- surface layer very deep- often comprises entire water column

  19. Start of Stratified season

  20. Central Buoy WT, 2006 Max temp., mid August Fall Cooling Rapid warming Buoy recovered Slow warming Summer Overturn

  21. Two extremes- 1996 (cold) and 1998 (warm) 1998 1996

  22. Ice Cover in Decline

  23. Magnuson et al. 2000 Formation dates Breakup dates

  24. Magnuson et al., 2000

  25. Howk 2008

  26. Summer Overturn date depends on last winter’s ice cover

  27. Summer Water Temperature depends on last winter’s ice cover (1998)

  28. Length of season 10d later/century 12d earlier/century 22d longer/century

  29. Acknowledgements!

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