Thermal Expansion & Sea Level Rise
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Provided by: Paleontological Research Institution|Published on: April 27, 2021
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video by the Paleontological Research Institution describes thermal expansion, how it can be measured experimentally, and how the equation can be used to answer important questions.
- The video details how thermal expansion causes significant sea level rise with increasing temperatures.
Subjects: Physics, Mathematics
Authors: Paleontological Research Institution
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This is a great video of a thermal expansion experiment and the speaker walks students through the equation at a good pace.
- The graphs about sea level rise are impactful.
Prerequisites
- You may want to teach your students how to navigate between metric and imperial units.
- If you decide to replicate this experiment in your lab you will need the appropriate materials ready beforehand.
- It may benefit students to understand climate change and why thermal expansion is an important concept for the future.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Advanced students could experiment with varying degrees of diluted sea water to see if the melting of the ice caps will increase or decrease the rate of thermal expansion in the ocean.
- If you decide to replicate the experiment shown in this video, students could work in pairs or groups.
- Other resources about sea level rise include this interactive map from NOAA on sea level rise, sea level data from NASA, and this lesson looking at Earth's vital signs, including sea level rise.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
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Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Paleontological Research Institution
Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) is a national leader in Earth systems science education. They strive to help make sense of the present and potential future climate change, while also increasing understanding of global change in Earth’s past. Their programs focus on systems thinking, understanding scale and learning in your own backyard.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
