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Catalyst: Accelerating glaciers in Antarctica

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A river carved through ice shelf in Antarctica
Catalyst: Accelerating glaciers in Antarctica

SUBJECTS:  Science

YEARS:  9–10


Discover a white world in which glaciers are racing toward the sea at seven times their normal speed.

This is what is happening in Antarctica now and the consequences will eventually be felt at your nearest beach.

Travel with scientist Dr Paul Williams to see some stunning images of what is occurring around the fringes of the Antarctica continent and hear glaciologists explain why.


Things to think about

  1. 1.What do you know about glaciers? Glaciers are sometimes called 'rivers of ice'. What does this tell you about them? How fast do you think they move? What would happen to a glacier when it reaches the sea?
  2. 2.Note what's certain about sea levels and what's not. Check out what ice sheets sit on as compared to glaciers. Spot the cause of rising sea levels — melting ice sheets or melting glaciers. Identify what exactly is causing ice shelves to break up.
  3. 3.Why did the narrator ask whether 'the sleeping giant is stirring'? Based on what you saw in the video, what can be said for sure about Antarctic temperatures, ice sheets and glaciers? Why is it important to know whether rising Antarctic temperatures are caused by human actions or natural processes?
  4. 4.Check out whether floating ice shelves affect sea levels when they melt by placing some ice blocks in a glass of water. Mark the water level to start with, then check the water level when all the ice blocks have melted. What would you conclude about the effect of melted ice sheets on sea levels?



Date of broadcast: 29 Apr 2010


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Posted , updated