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How much water is in the East Antarctic ice sheet?

How much water is in the East Antarctic ice sheet?. Let’s measure it in Sea Level Rise around the globe. A continental sized glacier. First, what is an Ice Sheet?. ANTARCTICA. East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The East Antarctica ice sheet is on the right. Can you name another?.

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How much water is in the East Antarctic ice sheet?

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  1. How much water is in the East Antarctic ice sheet? Let’s measure it in Sea Level Rise around the globe Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute

  2. A continental sized glacier First, what is an Ice Sheet? ANTARCTICA East Antarctic Ice Sheet The East Antarctica ice sheet is on the right. Can you name another? Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute

  3. There are two other ice sheets… Greenland West Antarctica West Antarctica But why do we measure ice sheets by ‘Sea Level Rise’? Both much smaller Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute

  4. Ice is frozen water - ice sheets are just LARGE amounts of frozen water… When ice sheets form they remove water from it’s largest reservoir… the world’s oceans! 96.5% Wonder how much is in me? Just how much of the Earth’s water is in the oceans? Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute

  5. When large amounts of water freeze there is less available for the oceans During glacial periods when the Earth is much colder, water is frozen into glaciers on the continents instead of falling into the oceans …this has an impact on sea level! Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute

  6. So sea level was not always where it is now! Many years ago it was much lower… Going to the beach would have been a MUCH longer trip! ~20,000 years ago we were in a glacial period so there was less water in the ocean. The New Jersey/ New York coastline was much further away. Blue section was once land, today it is under the ocean old coastline Colder temperatures freeze water into glaciers Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute

  7. Scientists have found evidence that ~20,000 years ago global sea level was ~125 meters lower than today… Sea Level was not always where it is now! Let’s use these cliffs for scale- they measure 125 meters in height. Each meter is 3.3 ft…. so 413 feet! Full size building NOW think of the water going that far DOWN! How many feet is that? Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute

  8. ~75,000-125,000 years ago there was a warming period. Sea level has also been higher! Remember this rock formation is 125m tall. Locate where the water would have been in that time period Scientists estimate that sea level in Eastern coastal U.S. was 6 to 10m higher than today. 20-33 ft. Warmer temperatures melt glaciers, raising sea level This building would have been underwater How many feet is this? Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute

  9. So how much water is in an ice sheet? We just learned it is enough to raise sea level around the Earth Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute

  10. To explore how much sea level rise is in the East Antarctic Ice Sheet… Try the Activity! Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute

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