Data Analysis Investigation 9-A

Skill Check Understanding Ice-Core Data

Initiating and Planning
As you learned in Section 9.1, the relative amounts of isotopes of
✓ Performing and Recording oxygen and hydrogen in ice can indicate global temperature in the
✓ Analyzing and Interpreting past. In this investigation, you will investigate how the composition of
ice can provide scientists with data about ancient temperatures.
✓ Communicating
Question

Materials
How can analyzing data about oxygen isotopes in ice provide
information about past climate?
• calculator
Organize the Data
Math Skills Follow these steps to learn how scientists convert information about
Go to Math Skills
Toolkit 3 for oxygen isotopes into information about temperature.
information about
how to organize 1. Construct a graph. Label the x-axis “Time (years before present),”
your data into a graph and use the range of 0 years to 20 000 years, with an interval of
2000 years. Label the y-axis “18O:16O Ratio (parts per thousand),”
and use the range of –30 to –45, with an interval of 1. Title the
graph “Changes in 18O:16O Ratio Over Time.”
2. The data in the table below show the ratio of 18O to 16O at eleven
points in time. Plot these data on your graph.

Changes in the Oxygen-18 to Oxygen-16 Ratio in Ice Cores

from 0 to 20 000 Years Ago

Time Ratio of 18O:16O Time Ratio of 18O:16O

(years before (parts per (years before (parts per
present) thousand) present) thousand)

0 –35.19 12 000 –41.38

2000 –35.03 14 000 –39.71

4000 –35.07 16 000 –42.18

6000 –34.96 18 000 –41.69

8000 –34.13 20 000 –43.87

10 000 –35.29

3. a. What was the average ratio of 18O:16O over the last 20 000 years?
b. Identify years in which the ratio of 18O:16O was above average
and the ratio was below average.
c. Compare your graph to the graph of global average temperature
below. Does an above-average ratio of 18O:16O represent a
warmer-than-average global temperature or cooler-than-
average global temperature? (Hint: remember that you are
working with negative numbers.)

382 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change

Analyze and Interpret 4. The atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration
Now that you have seen how scientists use 18O : 16O in 2009 was 388 ppm, and the concentration
ratios to identify warm and cold periods, use that of methane was 1745 ppb. Calculate the rate
information to evaluate the graphs on this page. of change in carbon dioxide and methane
1. How many warm periods and how many concentrations over the last 20 000 years.
cold periods occurred between 0 and 20 000
years ago? Conclude and Communicate
5. How do the ice-core data support the idea that
2. How has the average global temperature
changing concentrations of greenhouse gases are
changed since about 20 000 years ago?
related to global temperature?
Changes in Global Average Temperature,
20 000 years ago to Present 6. How accurate do you think the concentrations
of oxygen isotopes, methane, and carbon
4
Temperature Change (˚C)

2 dioxide in ice cores are as a record of

0 temperature? Explain your answer.
-2
-4 7. Create a flowchart that demonstrates how
-6
-8 changes in global temperature can be recorded
-10 in ice layers.
20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
Time (thousands of years ago)
Extend Your Inquiry and Research Skills
3. How closely does the plot of carbon dioxide 8. Inquiry Design a model that shows how
concentration resemble that of methane scientists use oxygen isotopes to learn about
concentration? of temperature? Describe past climates.
any patterns you see. 9. Research The current average temperature
Carbon Dioxide Concentration in Ice Cores,
at Vostok, Antarctica, is –60°C. Research the
20 000 years ago to Present estimated temperature of Vostok 20 000 years
ago based on ice-core and sediment-core data.
CO2 Concentration

250
Is Vostok colder or warmer today than it was
20 000 years ago?
(ppm)

200

150
20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
Time (thousands of years ago)

Methane Concentration in Ice Cores,

20 000 years ago to Present
Concentration (ppb)

700
Methane

600
500
400
300
20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0
Time (thousands of years ago)

Chapter 9 Addressing Climate Change • MHR 383

 Real World Investigation 9-B
Skill Check Evaluating the “Food Miles” Initiative
Initiating and Planning
A study in the United Kingdom called the “Food Miles” Initiative
Performing and Recording gathered information about the CO2 emissions associated with food
✓ Analyzing and Interpreting choices. Use the data to investigate the validity of the slogan “think
globally, buy locally.”
✓ Communicating
Question

Materials
Are locally-grown items or transported items better for the environment?
• calculator
Organize the Data
1. Imagine that you are shopping in a supermarket in the United
Kingdom. You have four items on your shopping list: apples,
onions, tomatoes, and lamb. You want to choose the more
environmentally friendly option.
2. Calculate the total carbon footprint of each item in the table below.

Analyze and Interpret

1. Compare the carbon footprint of each item by source. To lower
your carbon footprint, which source would you choose for each?
2. What might account for the difference in the emissions related to
produce from tropical and temperate sources?

Conclude and Communicate

3. What would you say to advocates of the “think globally, buy
locally” initiative about purchasing food from distant sources?
Comparison of Carbon Emissions
Extend Your Inquiry and Research Skills
for Production, Storage, and
Transport of Grocery Items 4. Research Research other information that would help you choose
in a United Kingdom Supermarket between the different sources of grocery items.

CO2 Emissions During Production CO2 Emissions from Storage and/or

Food Source
(kg CO2/tonne product) Transport (kg CO2/tonne product)

Apples New Zealand 60.1 124.9

United Kingdom 186.0 85.8

Onions New Zealand 58.9 125.6

United Kingdom 42.3 127.8

Tomatoes Spain 519.0 111.0

United Kingdom 2394.0 0.0

Lamb New Zealand 563.2 129.4

United Kingdom 2894.1 0.0

384 MHR • Unit 3 Climate Change