Name: _____________________ P: ______________

Antarctica and its role in climate change.

Read the following article about Antarctica and its role in climate change. Using the
article, complete the questions listed below.
Introduction
1. Antarctica is the ___________________, driest, ___________________ and
_________________ place on Earth.
1.

Antarctica sits over the _____________________ pole.

1. It contains _______% of the Earths fresh water and _______% of its ice.
1.

What does the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predict.

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From greenhouse to icehouse world

1. True or False
Antarctica may have had small regions of alpine glaciation and a
temperate climate.
1.

What caused the expansion of ice on Antarctica and fall in global sea levels?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

1. The development of an ___________ ___________ on Antarctica is one of the most

significant changes to Earths climate.
What is the geological evidence for the freezing of Antarctica?
1. The main evidence for cooling and sudden growth of ice on Antarctica comes from

chemical measurements of tiny fossils planktons in deep ocean _________________

drill cores.
1. In the mid ____________________, the Deep Sea Drilling Project ship began drilling
sea floor sediments of the edge of Antarctica.

What caused the freezing of Antarctica?

1. For many years scientists believed that the freezing of Antarctica was caused by a
series of movements in Earths major __________________ plates.
1. The new theory indicates that _________________ ______________________
gas concentrates was the major influence on the polar cooling.
Have the ice sheets always been stable?
1. Evidence shows the sea levels has risen and fallen by ____ to _____ m many
times during the last _______ million years.
1. True or False There is a widespread debate between scientists to how stable the
ice sheets have been.
Four good reasons to keep doing climate research in Antarctica.
1. What were the four good reasons listed in the article.
1. ________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________
1. Do you think scientists should continue climate research in Antarctica?
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