Climate Proxy Lab
2 categories of Climate Proxies
1.
Those that show climate patterns around the globe
Examples:
2.
Those that show seasonal changes in specific areas
Examples:
Physical Samples
Tree Ring sketch a diagram and label unique features
(25 pts)
Video Information
(10 pts)
Tree Rings
Ice Cores
Ice Core sketch a diagram and label unique features
Reading Passages Information
Ice Core
Tree Ring
Coral
Ocean and Lake Sediments/Varves
(15 pts)
Climate Proxy Lab
2 categories of Climate Proxies


Those that show climate patterns around the globe
Examples: ice cores, ocean sediment (varves)
Those that show seasonal changes in specific areas
Examples: tree rings, coral bands
Physical Samples
Video Information
Highlight the information you think is most important
Tree Ring
Use the ring to draw a diagram of your tree ring.
Draw lines from your diagram to feature labels
Growth rings
Ice Cores
 Bubbles in the ice have ancient air in them
 Ice cores are taken from Greenland and North and
South Pole
 Scientists use ice cores to track the amount of carbon
dioxide that used to exist in the atmosphere.
Forest Fire
Dry Year
(little rainfall)
Tree Rings
Can be used by historians as well
Annual rings give information of rain fall and stream flow
Depending upon the species, tree ring information can be
up to 1,000 years.
Year with lots of rainfall
Ice Core Use the blank diagram to draw a diagram of your ice core.
Draw lines from your diagram to feature labels
Reading Passages Information
Highlight the information you think is most important
Ice Core
 Come from compacted snowfall in glaciers and ice
caps
 Have more information than other proxies
 Air bubbles have ancient air in them
Volcanic ash
Tree Ring
 Rings represent one year of growth
 Wide rings = wet years, narrow rings = drought
 Can be used to track 1,000 years
 Have information on precipitation and temperature
Pollen
Air Bubbles
Coral
 Coral has yearly growth rings like trees
 Have information about the ocean water at the time the
ring was formed
Ocean and Lake Sediments/Varves
 Tons of sediment falls on ocean bottom each year
 Study color, characteristics and contents of the
sediments
 Information about the climate and how much ice
existed
1. Compare and contrast the images of the climate proxies with rock layers. (25 pts)
tree ring
Ocean and lake sediments/varve
ice core
coral bands
rock layers
2. Compare and contrast the history revealed by ice cores and rock layers. Make sure
your explanation is complete. (25 pts)