What was the Little Ice Age Climate Period from the 14th to 19th Centuries and Why Do We Care?
DESCRIPTION:
Before the 20th century, from about 1400 AD to 1900 AD, glaciers were larger and climate was much colder than present. This period is known as the Little Ice Age in Europe and North America, and studying it might help us learn about present climate changes.
Presenter: Mike Kaplan, Lamont Research Professor, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Target Audience: Grades 9-12
1. Global Ice Viewer - Visuals to learn about how climate change has affected glaciers, sea ice, and continental ice sheets worldwide.
2. Images of Change - Helheim Glacier melt in Greenland - The NASA Images of Change gallery features images of different locations on planet Earth, showing change over time periods ranging from centuries to days. Some of these effects are related to climate change, some are not. Some document the effects of urbanization, or the ravage of natural hazards such as fires and floods. All show our planet in a state of flux. This specific link illustrates Helheim Glacier melt in Greenland.
3. NASA Climate Change: The rise and fall of Ice Age glaciers - Animation from NASA JPL revealing how massive ice sheets thickened and thinned over time. Their rise and fall keep time with the last great ice age. And they reveal a pattern that continues today: The land surface is still rebounding from the heavy weight of those long-vanished glaciers.
Presenter: Mike Kaplan, Lamont Research Professor, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Target Audience: Grades 9-12
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
1. Global Ice Viewer - Visuals to learn about how climate change has affected glaciers, sea ice, and continental ice sheets worldwide.
2. Images of Change - Helheim Glacier melt in Greenland - The NASA Images of Change gallery features images of different locations on planet Earth, showing change over time periods ranging from centuries to days. Some of these effects are related to climate change, some are not. Some document the effects of urbanization, or the ravage of natural hazards such as fires and floods. All show our planet in a state of flux. This specific link illustrates Helheim Glacier melt in Greenland.
3. NASA Climate Change: The rise and fall of Ice Age glaciers - Animation from NASA JPL revealing how massive ice sheets thickened and thinned over time. Their rise and fall keep time with the last great ice age. And they reveal a pattern that continues today: The land surface is still rebounding from the heavy weight of those long-vanished glaciers.