Research Logs

Research Log #1
Name: Amanda Jennings

Date: 11 September 2017
EQ: How does climate change affect the future of the Earth?
Three Points to Prove: #1: Climate change and global warming are real.
#2: Rising temperatures and sea levels threaten life on Earth.
#3: There are solutions than can slow down global warming.
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Point that this Source/Information Proves: # 1: Climate change and global warming are real.
Excerpts:
National Geographic explains that, “around the world, the Earth's average temperature has risen more than 1 degree
Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius) over the last century, and about twice that in parts of the Arctic.”
Scientists can find information about the Earth’s past climate because, “trees store information about the climate in
the place where they live. Each year, trees grow thicker and form new rings. In warmer and wetter years, the rings are
thicker. Old trees and wood can tell us about conditions hundreds or even several thousands of years ago.”
“Keys to the past are also buried under lakes and oceans. Pollen, creatures, and particles fall to the bottom of oceans
and lakes each year, forming sediments. Sediments preserve all these bits and pieces, which contain a wealth of
information about what was in the air and water when they fell,” explains National Geographic.
National Geographic provides proof that, “for a direct look at the atmosphere of the past, scientists drill cores through
the Earth's polar ice sheets. Tiny bubbles trapped in the gas are actually pieces of the Earth's past atmosphere, frozen
in time.”
Analysis:
This website provides evidence for the argument that global warming is real and has been happening for the past
couple of centuries. The first example used is data recorded over the past century and a half. A graph with this data is
provided, and it is clear that the average temperature of the Earth has risen over this period of time. It is a slight change,
and a relatively short amount of time, so more examples are provided for how scientists can see the temperatures of the
distant past were.
The first of these examples are trees. It is explained that trees hold key information about the climate of their
region in their rings. In warmer and wetter years, trees grow thicker rings, so old trees can tell us about the climate in the
region several hundred or even thousand years ago.
The second example is lakes and oceans. The author explains that pollen, creatures, and particles that fall to the
bottom of oceans and lakes form sediments that preserve these bits of information. To access these sediments, scientists
insert hollow tubes into the sediments at the bottom of lakes and oceans, which collect evidence from layers that could
date back millions of years. The pollen, creatures, and particles that are extracted contain information about what was in
the air and water when they drifted to the bottom of the lake or ocean in which they were found.
The last example provided was the polar ice caps. The frozen ice caps contain tiny bubbles trapped in the ice,
which are actually frozen pieces of the Earths past atmosphere. By drilling holes into the polar ice sheets, scientist have
already been able to determine that concentrations of greenhouse gasses, since the industrial revolution, have been higher
than they’ve been for the last hundreds of thousands of years.
Work Cited:
“Is Global Warming Real?.” National Geographic, 2017, http://nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-

warming/global-warming-real/.
I am assuming that this is a reputable and reliable article because it was published on National Geographic.
Research Log #2

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Point that this Source/Information Proves: #1: Climate change and global warming are real.
Excerpts:
The author states that scientists are able to document changes in arctic temperature, “by collecting samples of ice as well
as a wide range of satellite-based data.”
It is explained in the article that, “bright white ice reflects sunlight from the Earth’s surface. In contrast, open water is
very dark and absorbs sunlight. As sea ice melts more water is exposed, which tends to increase warming.”
The author presents the idea that, “it is tempting to take solace in the idea that these striking changes are happening
somewhere far away,” as a reason why we don’t take action in the matter.
In a study mentioned in the article, it was shown that, “the decreasing sea ice trend is linked in part to a cyclical
atmospheric pressure system, called the Arctic Oscillation.”
The graphs in this article are meant to support the question of, “whether this 25-year warming trend will continue, or is
part of a long-term cycle of ups and downs.”
Analysis:
In this article published in 2003, Krishna Ramanujan refers to a series of scientific studies executed by senior
researchers at NASA. It was shown that perennial sea ice (sea ice that remains throughout the whole year), is decreasing
at a rate of nine percent per decade, according to data collected from the 1980’s into the early 2000’s. Although,
conclusions influenced by this data may not be completely accurate since it covered such a short period of time.
Since ice is white, it reflects some of the sun’s rays off the Earth’s surface, while much darker ocean water
absorbs these rays, causing the water to warm. This in turn, causes more sea ice to melt, which means less sunlight is
reflected off the Earth. As this continues, the cycle will intensify over the years.
Another plausible cause of the reported warming arctic temperatures would be changing atmospheric pressure and
wind patterns over the Arctic, which push the sea ice around. The main cyclical atmospheric pressure system in the arctic
is called the Arctic Oscillation. This weather system has been in its positive phase for the 20 years before this article was
written, meaning lower air pressure in the area causes warm air to flow farther north and break up sea ice.
Graphs that show the rate of change in temperature, also show that seasonal changes have occurred. The Arctic
seasons have warmed, adding ten to seventeen days to the melting seasons each decade. This brings attention to the fact
that a longer melting period could produce thinner sea ice at the end of winter, making the ice more liable to early
thawing.
Work Cited:
Ramanujan, Krishna. “Dwindling Arctic Ice.” NASA Earth Observatory, 2003,

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/ArcticIce/.
I am assuming that this is a reputable and reliable article because it was published on NASA’s Earth Observatory website.
Research Log #3

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Excerpts:
The study in the article found that by, “studying air current patterns, researchers determined that between 30 and 50
percent of the decline in summer sea ice in the Arctic since 1979 may be due to natural process.”
According to NASA research, “the Arctic is warming at least twice as fast as the rest of the globe, and the first two
months of this year both had the lowest levels of sea ice on historical record.”
A professor at the University of California Sant Barbara, Qinghua Ding, said, “nobody knew how important the air
circulation was, probably 10 or 20 percent, they thought, but here we show that it’s much more,” based on his research.
From multiple research experiments, a conclusion was made that, “100 years from now, the Arctic will become ice free in
summer because eventually this internal variability will be overwhelmed by anthropogenic forcing.”
Unfortunately, it was concluded that, “there is still a 39 percent chance that the summer sea ice will disappear,” according
to the most recent research that was conducted.
Analysis:
As researchers studied air current patterns, they discovered that much of global warming is due to natural process,
but anthropogenic forcing has been a major factor in speeding up the rate of warming. Anthropogenic, meaning
environmental pollution caused by human activity. Because of our increased output of greenhouse gasses, the Earth is
warming at an accelerated rate than what would be naturally occurring.
A University of California Sant Barbara professor, Qinghua Ding, conducted research about how air current
patterns also play a significant part in speeding up the melting polar ice. Ding took into account all variables that could
influence the ice melting, and eliminated variables that dealt with anthropogenic forcing, to be left with how much air
circulation affects sea ice melting.
One of the main points in the article was that mankind is not completely to blame for global warming and sea ice
melting at an accelerated rate. Professor Ding’s message was that climate change is much more complicated than we
expected, and there is still much to be learned.
Work Cited:
Shankman, Sabrina. “Arctic Sea Ice Melt, Driven by Global Warming, Accelerated by Nature.” Inside Climate News,
2017, https://insideclimatenews.org/news/14032017/arctic-ice-melt-climate-change-science.
I am assuming that this is a reputable and reliable article because it was written about recent studies by university
professors and NASA researchers.
Research Log #4

Date: 1 October 2017
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Point that this Source/Information Proves: #2: Rising temperatures and sea levels threaten life on Earth
Excerpts:
NOAA has conducted research that proves, “global sea level has been rising over the past century, and the rate has
increased in recent decades.”
To put emphasis on the fact that rising sea levels threaten the human population, the author says, “almost 40 percent of the
population lives in relatively high-population-density coastal areas, where sea level plays a role in flooding, shoreline
erosion, and hazards from storms.”
“Sea level rise at specific locations may be more of less than the global average due to many local factors: subsidence,
upstream flood control, erosion, regional ocean currents, variations in land height, and whether the land is still rebounding
from the compressive weight of Ice Age glaciers,” the author explains.
The author states that the two major causes of global sea level rise are, “thermal expansion caused by warming of the
ocean (since water expands as it warms) and increased melting of land-based ice, such as glaciers and ice sheets.”
The author warns that, “in urban settings, rising seas threaten infrastructure necessary for local jobs and regional
industries.”
Analysis:
In this article published on NOAA’s (National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration) website, it is explained
how sea levels are rising using research data. The rate of sea levels rising has drastically increased in recent years, and it
threatens coastal cities. The data is collected using tide stations and satellite laser altimeters.
Major cities on the coast are facing constant flooding and shoreline erosion due to the rising of sea levels. These
rising sea levels may be more drastic in some areas due to local factors such as erosion, ocean currents, and variations in
land height. Soon, the shoreline of cities will push farther inland, enveloping the homes and work places of many people
all over the world.
The global rising sea level is partially due to the warming of the Earth causing polar sea ice to melt at an
accelerated rate. This means less surface area is available to reflect the suns says, so the ocean absorbs more heat, in turn
causing more ice to melt. Another factor of rising sea levels, is thermal expansion. This also has to do with global
warming since water expands as it warms. It is a constant cycle of warming and melting that intensifies itself. Human
actions like pollution are also speeding up this cycle.
Rising sea levels also affect the infrastructure of urban coastal cities, which is necessary for local jobs and
regional industries. Many examples are given of places important to the global economy that are at risk due to rising sea
levels.
Work Cited:
NOAA. “Is Sea Level Rising?.” National Ocean Service, 2017, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html.
I am assuming that this is a reputable and reliable article because NOAA (National Ocean and Atmospheric
Administration) is an organization funded by the government.
Research Log #5

Date: 3 January 2018
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Points that this Source/Information Proves: #1: Climate change and global warming are real.
Excerpts:
Pat Brennan introduces that “a new NASA tool links changes in sea level in 293 global port cities to specific regions of
melting land ice, such as southern Greenland and the Antarctic Peninsula.”
The author explains that this tool is “intended to help coastal planners prepare for rising seas in the decades to come.”
The author explains in simpler terms, “sea level drops in the vicinity of a melting glacier but rises farther away. When this
spatial pattern can be attributed to a given glacier or ice sheet, it is known as a sea level fingerprint.”
To observe changing sea levels, scientists use “a dynamic mathematical formula called the adjoint method, which is used
in seismic and meteorological studies.”
Brennan states factors contributing to sea level rise: “Melting ice and rising ocean temperatures contribute about evenly to
global sea level rise today. Individual cities are also affected by local conditions such as land sinking.”
The author explains that once the right data is inputted, “a detailed profile of the sensitivity of sea level at any of these
cities to changes in ice anywhere in the world.”
So far, the tool has shown that “the specific location of mass loss in Greenland is crucial, as it greatly affects the local sea
level predictions for many major coastal cities in North America and Europe.”
Analysis:
In this overview of a recently developed tool by NASA, the author, Pat Brennan, explains what the tool has found
and how the tool works. There are specific examples of cities in which this tool has been used to observe that ice melting
is causing changes in sea levels around the world. Port cities, like New York and Sydney, in particular are greatly affected
by the melting of large ice masses.
As to why a rise in sea level is occurring, the author explains that there is not just one factor contributing to this.
Local factors may affect one city in particular, while global factors like melting ice and rising ocean temperatures are
affecting port cities worldwide.
The newly developed tool, as it is described in the article, is relatively easy to use. By simply downloading it, and
imputing data, it generates “a detailed profile of the sensitivity of sea level at any of these cities to changes in ice
anywhere in the world.” With previous tools, studies had been unmanageable, but with this new tool, one would have an
overall mechanism for rapidly computing high-resolution results using a variety of potential data sets.
Work Cited:
Brennan, Pat. “NASA Links Port-City Sea Levels to Regional Ice Melt.” Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the
Planet, 2017, https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2658/nasa-links-port-city-sea-levels-to-regional-ice-melt/.
I am assuming that this is a reputable and reliable article because NASA is a well-known and trusted government agency
in the science field.
Research Log #6

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Excerpts:
Pat Brennan explains sea-level fingerprints, saying, “As ice vanishes, the loss of its gravitational pull lowers sea level
nearby, even as sea level rises farther away.”
The author refers to quantitative estimates by other scientists who think “the Greenland and Antarctic influence alone
would account for an increase in the rate of sea level rise on the East Coast of 0.0016 to 0.0059 inches (0.04 to 0.15
millimeters) each year, varying by location. That’s equivalent to 7.8 inches (0.2 meters) of sea-level rise on the northern
East Coast over the next century, and 2.5 feet (0.75 meters) in the south.”
Brennen tells about a model by two other scientists which “eliminates a large area of uncertainty: post-glacial rebound, or
the gradual rise of land in a region that is no longer burdened by the massive glaciers of the last ice age.”
The author gives evidence that sea levels have been rising faster in recent years: “an increase in global mean sea level
from 0.08 inches (2.2 millimeters) per year in 1993 to 0.13 inches (3.3 millimeters) in 2014.”
The author also makes sure his audience knows “that there is acceleration going on, but also that regional sea level change
can be quite different from global.”
Analysis:
Pat Brennan, a writer for NASA’s Sea Level Change Portal, summarizes two studies done by other scientists in
this department whose results show that sea levels are rising at an accelerated rate, specifically on the East Coast. He
introduces sea-level fingerprints, which occur when large ice masses melt but gravitational forces lower sea levels near
the melt, and rise sea levels further away from the melt.
The first study was conducted by NASA scientists, James Davis of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in
New York and his co-author, Nadya Vinogradova. Their study includes data from tide gages along the East Coast, but
also includes loss of ice mass from Greenland and Antarctica as probable causes for sea level rise. Their model shows
evidence of sea-level fingerprints as an effect of the Greenland ice melt.
The second study is referred to by James Davis, as he says that this study’s results reinforce the conclusions of his
own study. Together, these papers prove that sea levels are rising at a faster rate than they used to, but that the global
versus regional sea level change are quite different because they are affected by different factors. Brenna concludes with a
quote from Davis, who warns that warming global temperatures will push other scientists to identify important trends over
time.
Work Cited:
Brennan, Pat. “Greenland Melt Speeds East Coast Sea Level Rise.” Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet,
2017, https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2651/greenland-melt-speeds-east-coast-sea-level-rise/.
Research Log #7

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Excerpts:
The author introduces that, “New maps of Greenland's coastal seafloor and bedrock beneath its massive ice sheet show
that two to four times as many coastal glaciers are at risk of accelerated melting as previously thought.”
Rassmusen explains that big universities are getting involved in this too: “Researchers at the University of California at
Irvine (UCI), NASA and 30 other institutions have published the most comprehensive, accurate and high-resolution relief
maps ever made of Greenland's bedrock and coastal seafloor.”
As it is explained by the author, “data from OMG's survey of the shape and depth, or bathymetry, of the seafloor in
Greenland's fjords improved scientists' understanding not only of the coastline, but of the inland bedrock beneath glaciers
that flow into the ocean.”
Rassmusen quotes another scientist who studied data from NASA’s new OMG survey, saying, "what made OMG unique
compared to other campaigns is that they got right into the fjords, as close as possible to the glacier fronts. That's a big
help for bedrock mapping."
The author explains what these new maps tell scientist: “The new maps reveal that two to four times more oceanfront
glaciers extend deeper than 600 feet (200 meters) below sea level than earlier maps showed … Deeper-seated glaciers are
exposed to this warmer water, which melts them more rapidly.”
“OMG is collecting annual measurements of the changing height of the ice sheet and the ocean temperature and salinity in
more than 200 fjord locations,” Rassmusen concludes.
Analysis:
Carol Rassmusen, a writer for NASA’s Earth Science News Team, informs about new maps of Greenland which
show that more glaciers are at risk of accelerated melting. Research teams from many institutions, including the
University of California at Irvine, have published high-resolution relief maps of Greenland’s bedrock and coastal sea
floor. New data from NASA’s Ocean Melting Greenland (OMG) campaign has changed these maps and given scientists a
better understanding of how melting ice could affect the geography of coastal Greenland.
Rassmusen also includes data from the new maps which tell scientists that glaciers are more susceptible to an
accelerated melting rate because they extend deeper into the ocean than previously thought. This could be detrimental
because the deeper water temperature is six to eight degrees warmer than the water above it, so deeper seated glaciers
which are exposed to this warmer water would melt more rapidly.
Work Cited:
Rassmusen, Carol. “New Greenland Maps Show More Glaciers at Risk.” Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the
Planet, 2017, https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2646/new-greenland-maps-show-more-glaciers-at-risk/.
Research Log #8

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Points that this Source/Information Proves: #1: Climate change and global warming are real.
Excerpts:
Viñas explains why Arctic sea ice is important to the planet: “the layer of frozen seawater covering much of the Arctic
Ocean and neighboring seas, is often referred to as the planet’s air conditioner: its white surface bounces solar energy
back to space, cooling the globe.”
Proving that our planet has become more fragile due to climate change, Claire Parkinson, senior climate scientist at
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, states that, “if the exact same weather system had occurred three decades ago, it is
very unlikely that it would have caused as much damage to the sea ice cover, because back then the ice was thicker, and it
more completely covered the region.”
As an example of how the Earth is warming, the author states, “This year’s maximum extent is likely to be among the five
lowest in the satellite record — a continuation of the low extents in 2015 and 2016.”
There is also evidence provided that baffles scientists: “What had been most surprising about the changing sea ice
coverage in the past three decades was the fact that the Antarctic sea ice was increasing instead of decreasing.”
The author concludes that, “adding the Antarctic and Arctic sea ice extents month by month through the satellite record
shows that globally the Earth has been losing sea ice since the late 1970s.”
Analysis:
A member of NASA’s Earth Science News Team, Maria-José Viñas, explains what has caused low Arctic ice
extents and uses research from other NASA scientists as evidence. She explains that the lowest ice extents in history have
been caused, in part, by unusual weather conditions. Also, that if these exact conditions had occurred many decades ago,
they would not have the same result because the ice was thicker and more widespread back then.
Viñas also informs that on the other side of the Earth, Antarctica was in its maximum yearly sea ice extent, but it
is among the five lowest in recorded history. These record low ice extents follow the record highs from 2012 to 2014,
which only proves that the ice extent in recent years is unstable, but still following a decreasing trend.
New data from the ice extent levels in the Antarctic surprised scientists because it shows that there has been a
recent increase in sea ice. Now, scientists are using this data to come up with hypotheses as to why the sea ice coverage
has been increasing in recent years, if globally, the coverage has been decreasing over a longer period of time.
Work Cited:
Viñas, Maria-José. “End-of-Summer Arctic Sea Ice Extent is Eighth Lowest on Record.” Climate Change: Vital Signs of
the Planet, 2017, https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2633/end-of-summer-arctic-sea-ice-extent-is-eighth-lowest-on-record/.
Research Log #9

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Excerpts:
As it is introduced by the author, “each layer of ice tells a story about what Earth was like when that layer of snow fell …
as snow deposits onto a growing glacier, the temperature of the air imprints onto the water molecules.”
Jessica Stoller-Conrad of NASA explains that “the icy layers also hold particles—aerosols such as dust, ash, pollen, trace
elements and sea salts—that were in the atmosphere at that time. These particles remain in the ice thousands of years later,
providing physical evidence of past global events.”
The author quotes scientist, Allegra LeGrande of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, who is studying these
ice cores and future climate models: “the climate of the next century will be well beyond the range of the climate that we
have observed for the last 160 years.”
The author explains that, “To test the climate models under these very different environmental conditions, scientists test
the models by simulating past climates. Ice core records are an essential part of creating and checking these simulations.”
“Each season’s snowfall has slightly different properties than the last. These differences create annual layers in the ice that
can be used to count the age of the ice, just like rings inside a tree,” the author clarifies.
Analysis:
Jessica Stoller-Conrad, a writer for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, tells how drilling out cores in deep ice
provide scientists with information about the atmosphere at the time that layer of snow fell. By drilling out these ice cores,
scientists are able to compare the Earth’s atmosphere at different points in history to the current atmosphere.
Studying these ice cores can also help scientists make predictions about what Earth’s future atmosphere and
climate will be like. They use the ice core data and other variables to validate prediction models for the future climate.
However, it will be difficult to accurately, or even reasonable, predict the future climate of our planet because there are
many factors that play a part.
It is explained that scientists are able to use these ice cores because they act just like the rings of a tree: there are
differences in the properties of each season’s snowfall, which create distinct layers that are used to determine the age of
that layer of ice. From there, scientist analyze how the climate has changed over time and are able to make predictions
about the future climate.
Work Cited:
Stoller-Conrad, Jessica. “Core Questions: An Introduction to Ice Cores.” Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet, 2017,
https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2616/core-questions-an-introduction-to-ice-cores/.
Research Log #10

Date: 13 April 2018
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Point that this Source/Information Proves: #2: Rising temperature and sea levels threaten life on Earth.
Excerpts:
Christine Dell’Amore of National Geographic explains that, “many birds are nesting, breeding, and migrating earlier as
spring arrives sooner than before.”
The author provides an example of a wild animal that is affected by global warming: “Polar bears depend on sea ice,
which is forming later in the fall and disappearing earlier in the spring. ”
Peter Alpert, a program director in environmental biology at the U.S. National Science Foundation in Arlington,
Virginia says that climate change will most negatively affect species that are, “highly specialized in what they eat or
where they live, especially those whose habitats disappear completely.”
“To spare many thousands of species, not only do we need to radically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but we also
have to do it soon,” according to Bob Scholes and Hans-Otto Pörtner of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change.
Christine Dell’Amore of National Geographic says, “potential climate change solutions include making vehicles,
homes, and buildings more energy efficient and increasing wind and solar power, hydrogen produced from renewable
sources, and other alternative energies.”
Analysis:
The greenhouse effect occurs when gasses in the atmosphere let the sun’s light in but keep some of the heat from
escaping like the glass walls of a green house. The more greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, the more heat that gets
trapped, strengthening the greenhouse effect and increasing the Earth’s atmospheric temperature. The greenhouse gasses
include water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, and chlorofluorocarbons.
The burning of fossil fuels has increased the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by more than a third since the
industrial revolution. The rapid increase in greenhouse gasses that has occurred over the past few decades has warmed the
planet at an alarming rate.
Overpopulation is the underlying cause of our rapid use of fossil fuels and other nonrenewable resources. A large
population means large demands of materials. Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy, such as solar or wind energy,
won’t produce greenhouse gas emissions.
Work Cited:
Dell'Amore, Christine. "7 Species Hit Hard By Climate Change—Including One That's Already Extinct". National
Geographic, 2014, https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140331-global-warming-climate-change-ipcc-
animals-science-environment/.
National Geographic. Causes and Effects of Climate Change. https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-

videos/climate-101-causes-and-effects. Accesses 22 Apr 2018.
I am assuming that this is a reputable and reliable article because it was published by National Geographic.

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Research Log #1

Name: Amanda Jennings

“Is Global Warming Real?.” National Geographic, 2017, http://nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-

Name: Amanda Jennings

Ramanujan, Krishna. “Dwindling Arctic Ice.” NASA Earth Observatory, 2003,

Name: Amanda Jennings

Name: Amanda Jennings

Name: Amanda Jennings

Name: Amanda Jennings

Name: Amanda Jennings

Name: Amanda Jennings

Name: Amanda Jennings

Name: Amanda Jennings

National Geographic. Causes and Effects of Climate Change. https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-

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