This problem-based learning module is designed to master the Ohio Learning standard of Science in Earth and Space Science number 2, Cycles and Patterns of Earth and the Moon. Thermal-energy transfers in the ocean and the atmosphere contribute to the formation of currents, which influence global climate patterns. Students will be exploring the various factors affecting the climate patterns we experience due to thermal energy. Students will work independently as well as with a partner. The final product is expected to be presented to their peers and teachers. This blended module includes teacher-led instruction, student-led stations, real world data analysis and technology integrated investigations.

This is a hands-on lab activity about the chemical composition and conductivity of water. Working in groups, learners will: conduct an experiment involving the process of electrolysis, prepare an experiment to better understand the process of ion exchange, discuss and research the "softness" and "hardness" of water, and use the periodic table to identify elements and learn their characteristics. Background information, a glossary and more is included. Materials needed for each student group include a 9-volt battery, two electrodes (e.g. copper strips, or two #2 pencils sharpened at both ends), electrical wire and glass beakers or ceramic saucers. This activity is part of the Aquarius Hands-on Laboratory Activities.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"The characteristics of the world around us vary from one location to the next. This is also true of aquatic environments, where bottom-dwelling microorganisms must cope with variation in temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients. Unfortunately, little is known about how these microbial communities and their functional genes respond to environmental changes. A team of researchers at Stockholm University recently set out to do just that by collecting samples of sediment at 59 sites spanning 1,145 km across the Baltic Sea. They characterized the environmental attributes and microbial community at each site using genetic sequencing and other laboratory techniques. The researchers found that salinity and dissolved oxygen content had the greatest effects on the microbes making up each community with the communities in oxygen-deficient “dead” zones being particularly dissimilar to those with higher dissolved oxygen content..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

The year is 2050 and your once-idyllic beachfront vacation home is now flooded up to the second story. The crab your family has enjoyed every Christmas for as long as you can remember has now become an endangered species. The oceans have changed. In Earth 540, Oceanography for Educators, we explore the mechanisms that lead to sea level rise and ocean acidification. We strive to understand how natural processes such as ocean currents, the gulf-stream, tides, plate tectonics, and the Coriolis Effect, affect our oceans and ocean basins. We then predict how man-made issues such as climate change and overfishing will affect our beloved waters and our livelihoods. Want to see into the future? Then this course is for you!

Between 70 and 75% of the Earth's surface is covered with water and there exists still more water in the atmosphere and underground in aquifers. In this lesson, students learn about water bodies on the planet Earth and their various uses and qualities. They will learn about several ways that engineers are working to maintain and conserve water sources. They will also think about their role in water conservation.

This article describes a researcher's history of studying sea ice and the dynamic nature of observed changes to the sea ice in the polar regions.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Salmon are famous for their swims upriver to spawn. Many people focus on this amazing feat of stamina, but even more remarkable is their ability to switch from living in freshwater to seawater, and back again. Most fish make their homes in just one type of water. So how do salmon do it? A team of biologists at Skidmore College, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the University of Gothenburg recently uncovered changes in the expression of certain genes that explain in part how Atlantic salmon make the transition. Atlantic salmon are born in freshwater, and between the ages of one and four migrate downstream to the sea. Before starting this migration, the fish undergo a months-long process preparing them for life in seawater. This is called smoltification. During this time, fish develop gill cells called ionocytes that contain specialized proteins that pump out excess salt..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

In this activity, students learn about ocean currents and the difference between salt and fresh water. They use colored ice cubes to see how cold and warm water mix and how this mixing causes currents. Also, students learn how surface currents occur due to wind streams. Lastly, they learn how fresh water floats on top of salt water, the difference between water in the ocean and fresh water throughout the planet, and how engineers are involved in the design of ocean water systems for human use.

This class examines tools, data, and ideas related to past climate changes as seen in marine, ice core, and continental records. The most recent climate changes (mainly the past 500,000 years, ranging up to about 2 million years ago) will be emphasized. Quantitative tools for the examination of paleoceanographic data will be introduced (statistics, factor analysis, time series analysis, simple climatology).

This class examines tools, data, and ideas related to past climate changes as seen in marine, ice core, and continental records. The most recent climate changes (mainly the past 500,000 years, ranging up to about 2 million years ago) will be emphasized. Quantitative tools for the examination of paleoceanographic data will be introduced (statistics, factor analysis, time series analysis, simple climatology).

This course introduces theoretical and practical principles of design of oceanographic sensor systems. Topics include: transducer characteristics for acoustic, current, temperature, pressure, electric, magnetic, gravity, salinity, velocity, heat flow, and optical devices; limitations on these devices imposed by ocean environments; signal conditioning and recording; noise, sensitivity, and sampling limitations; and standards. Lectures by experts cover the principles of state-of-the-art systems being used in physical oceanography, geophysics, submersibles, acoustics. For lab work, day cruises in local waters allow students to prepare, deploy and analyze observations from standard oceanographic instruments.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Freshwater salinization, which can be caused by saltwater intrusion, urbanization, and climate change, is becoming an extensive global environmental problem. Microeukaryotic plankton are key components of aquatic ecosystems and play significant ecological roles. However, few studies have investigated the influences of small salinity shifts on microeukaryotic plankton community assembly and co-occurrence networks in inland freshwaters. In a recent study, researchers used high-throughput sequencing to analyze microeukaryotic plankton communities in a subtropical urban reservoir. They found that increasing salinity altered the community composition and led to a significant decrease in plankton diversity. The salinity changes influenced the microeukaryotic plankton community assembly primarily by regulating the deterministic-stochastic balance. The core plankton sub-network had greater robustness at low salinity levels, while the satellite sub-networks had greater robustness at medium/high salinity levels..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.