Shrinking Glaciers: A Chronology of Climate Change

This video features scientists in New Zealand's Southern Alps, examining samples from the rocky landscape once dominated by glaciers. Their research, combined with other climate records, has revealed a link between glacial retreat and rising levels of carbon dioxide in the air.

Go To:

https://www.amnh.org/explore/videos/earth-and-climate/shrinking-glaciers-a-chron…

American Museum of Natural History

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Teaching Tips

Educators may want to explore the other Science Bulletin videos on this AMNH page.

About the Science

The scientists featured in video use a new technique called surface exposure dating, which uses chemical analysis to determine how long minerals within rocks have been exposed to the air since the glaciers around them melted.

Comments from expert scientist:

Really cool look into how field work and lab work operates!

Scientific strengths:

- Describes the methodology behind surface exposure dating: Cosmic rays reach the quartz on a rock, the rays breaks apart the silica and oxygen to produce beryllium 10, the rock is analytically sampled for a time in which it was exposed to the atmosphere, thus melting off the glacier.

- The scientists are then able to compare glacier melting with CO2 levels increasing

About the Pedagogy

Video shows scientists in the lab and doing field work.

Link to Classroom Discussion Activity is provided.

Technical Details

Related links to sources for background reading are provided.

Good graphics and easy-to-understand discussion by scientists.

Video can be watched online or downloaded.