Changing Glacial Environments

LO: To explain the causes of changes to glacial environments.

Starter

Read the story of the

iceman and suggest some
reasons why his body was
found after 5000 years.
• When he died he was in the accumulation zone
where snow falls and is not blown away or melted
and over time he was covered in snow which turned
into ice

• The temperature at altitude preserved his body

• World temperatures are increasing meaning the ice

melted and revealed “Ötzi”
 Investigating Ice Cores
Task
1. Read the information on ‘investigating ice cores’ then complete the line
graph using the data on the sheet.

2. Describe the pattern your graph shows.

3. Explain why the pattern is occurring. Eg. How does the carbon dioxide
level affect the temperature of the atmosphere?

Ext: What might this mean for the future of the world's glaciers?
26/09/2022
Describe the pattern your graph shows.
• The graph shows that the number of CO2 particles per million in the
atmosphere has gradually increased since 1800.
• CO2 has increased by 106 particles per million from 1800 to 2008
• The graph shows the rate at which the CO2 is increasing more every
20 years. The biggest increase occurred from 1980 to 2008 and was 49
particles per million

Explain why the pattern is occurring.

• There is a link between the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

and air temperature according to evidence has from ice cores.
• Increased burning of fossil fuels and methane released from
permafrost has contributed to increased CO2 levels.
Plenary