COSEE/Horn Point - Taking the Pulse of our Ocean

Lessons Learned-Day 5

2006-07-14T10:07:00.000-04:00

Activity

Diversity in Science
Review: Recap on the week’s science content.
Lessons learned from former participants

Ecosystem Health-Day4

2006-07-13T08:35:00.000-04:00

Ecosystem Health

How scientists use real-time data to assess risks on our coasts?

How do water movement data allow us to track our pollutants?

How does accurate and timely data help us assess and manage the health of coastal waters?

LINKS
Pfiesteria "attack" Movies
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
NOAA PORTS database
General NOAA Oil Modeling Environment
GNOME
Delaware River and Bay PORTS Map
Oscar
Apple Quicktime Player Download
Currents-Chesapeake Bay Model
Vectors
NOAA Maps Chesapeake Bay

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

NATIONAL EDUCATION SCIENCE STANDARD ADDRESSED (5-8th grade):

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Content Standard For Risks and benefits
PURPOSE:
To engage students (especially minority students) in aquatic pollution issues by introducing them to the concepts of environmental justice.

To introduce students to the major events that initiated the environmental justice movement.

To introduce students to the wide range of aquatic environmental justice issues.

OBJECTIVES:

Students will learn the definition of environmental justice.

Students will review domestic and international environmental justice case studies.

Students will develop their own case study descriptions particular to their region or interest.

OVERVIEW:

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines environmental justice as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. According to EPA, fair treatment means that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies. Meaningful involvement means that: (1) people have an opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and/or health; (2) the public’s contribution can influence the regulatory agency's decision; (3) their concerns will be considered in the decision making process; and (4) the decision makers seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected.
The environmental justice movement began in the United States in 1982 in Warren County, North Carolina. The Afton community in Warren County was the location of a PCB landfill that was permitted to be created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The site selected was not scientifically the most suitable location for the landfill due to the very shallow water table that supplies all of the drinking water to the community. However, its construction was still allowed. In addition to the location of the landfill not being scientifically sound, other careless mistakes occurred. For example, the landfill was technically designed to be a “dry-tomb” landfill, but was capped with a million gallons of water.
Residents of the Afton community organized themselves and began protesting the landfill posing their community. The protests prompted the Congressional Black Caucus to request that the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) investigate hazardous waste landfill siting and the racial composition of the host communities. The 1983 GAO study,
Siting of Hazardous Waste Landfills and Their Correlation with Racial and Economic Status of Surrounding Communities, reported that: 1) three out of the four communities with commercial hazardous waste landfills in EPA Region IV were located in predominantly Black communities (although they made up only 20% of the regions populations) and 2) at least 26% of the population in all four communities had incomes below the poverty level (majority of this population was black).
In 1987, the Commission for Racial Justice produced the first national study to correlate waste facility sites and demographic characteristics. Race was found to be the most potent variable in predicting where these facilities were located. In 1991, The First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit was held in Washington, DC. At this summit, the environmental justice movement was broadened to include issues of public health, worker safety, land use, transportation, housing, resource allocation, and community empowerment. Delegates came from all fifty states, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and the Marshall Islands. On October 27, 1991, delegates adopted 17 “Principles of Environmental Justice.” Since then, The Principles have served as a defining document for the growing grassroots movement for environmental justice.

In 1992, The U.S. EPA investigated environmental risks to communities of color and published the final report, Reducing Risks for All Communities. On February 11, 1994, President Bill Clinton signed Executive Order 12898 "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations“

CLASSROOM ACTIVITES:
The University of Michigan provides a website where several dozen environmental justice case studies are documented. This site was constructed by college-level students in an environmental justice class and descriptions of domestic and international case studies are available. Each case study includes a description and background on the problem, the demographics of the region where the case occurred, strategies that citizens took along with their successes and failures, how the case was resolved, and recommendations for future courses of action.

The University of Michigan Environmental Justice Case Studies website:
http://www.umich.edu/%7Esnre492/cases.html

Domestic and International Environmental Justice Case Studies involving aquatic environments:
Domestic
DDT Contamination : Triana, Alabama
North River Sewage Treatment Plant: New York, New York
Solution Mining in White Pine, MI, and the Bad River Reservation
The Results of Mining at Tar Creek
International
The Three River Gorges Dam
The Nam Theun-Hinboun Hydropower Project in Laos

Activity 1
Have students take on the role of actual players in the environmental justice scenarios presented in the case studies. Conduct classroom discussions in the format of a courtroom drama or a meeting between involved parties seeking mediation with the intent of seeking a resolution to the problem presented in the case studies. The important roles taken by members of the media, politicians, researchers, and private and public agencies and how each of these groups interacted with the affected citizens are highlighted in the cases.
Activity 2
Have students research and develop their own environmental justice case study based on information obtained from the Scorecard website (http://www.scorecard.org). Once the case is developed, have the students present their finding and conclusions.

REFERENCES

“Appendix: Principles of Environmental Justice." In Toxic Struggles: The Theory and
Practice of Environmental Racism, edited by Richard Hofrichter, 235-239. Philadelphia, PA.: New Society Publishers 1993.

Bullard, Robert. “Anatomy of Environmental Racism." In Toxic Struggles: The Theory
and Practice of Environmental Racism, edited by Richard Hofrichter, 25-35. Philadelphia, PA.: New Society Publishers 1993.

Bullard R., (2004, January). Environmental Racism PCB Landfill Finally Remedied But
No Reparations for Residents. Retrieved July 15, 2005, from Clark Atlanta University, Environmental Justice Resource Center:

http://www.ejrc.cau.edu/warren%20county%20rdb.htm

Bullard R., Poverty, Pollution and Environmental Racism: Strategies for Building Health and Sustainable Communities. Retrieved July 15, 2005, from Clark Atlanta University, Environmental Justice Resource Center: http://www.ejrc.cau.edu/PovpolEj.html

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Justice website: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/index.html

Dynamic Coastal Waters and the Food Web-Day 3

2006-07-12T09:57:00.000-04:00

Dynamic Coastal Water and the Food Web

What can we predict about critters using observing systems?

What is the link between critter habitat and physical conditions?

LINKS

Hatch to Catch

Hatch to Catch II

Bigelow Lab

"Phytopia" is our award-winning educational CD-ROM: Order Learn more

Activities relating to salinity and climate currents, etc.

Maryland Sea Grant

Striped Bass

Education and Outreach

Carolina Coastal Ocean Observing and Prediction System

NOAA Tides and Currents

Rutgers University Coastal Observation Lab

William and Mary Observing System and Real-time Data

Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System

Environmental health

2006-07-11T13:42:00.001-04:00

Coastal Ocean and Estuarine Circulation/Weather

How do coastal ocean movements affect local weather patterns?

What drives coastal and estuarine circulation?

Ocean Literacy/NSES: 1a, 1c, 1e, 1g, 3a, 5h, 7d, 7e, 7f

LINKS

Now Coast-NOAA

The National Academies Press

Ocean Literacy Network

C.O.O.L Projects

Chesapeake Bay Observing System

Six Sigma Dictionary

Hourly Precipitation

Coastal Ocean, Coast of Maine

Central Sound Station

Introduction

Local weather and the Ocean

Objective: Participants will be able to assess how the ocean affects local weather patterns

Focal Question: How do coastal ocean movements affect local weather patterns?

1. Go to NOAA’s NOWCAST http://nowcoast.noaa.gov/

2. Click on map.
Find the Select menu and choose:

Mid-Atlantic under Location,

Meteorological under Information

Air Temperature under Variable

3. Find air temperatures for the following locations and times:

Location Now Last night @ 4AM Yesterday at 2PM

Ocean City, Maryland

Salisbury, Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland

4. Which areas had the MOST changes in temperatures?_____________

5. Which areas had the LEAST changes in temperature? _______________

6. Now find Ocean water temperature from:
http://nowcoast.noaa.gov/

7. Record your answer________________________

8. What affect does the ocean have on local temperatures?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

9. What differences might be expected in winter?

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

10. Explain why the ocean affects local weather patterns.

Science Overview

Topic: Motion in the Coastal Ocean: Freshwater, Winds, and Tides

While the deep waters of the open ocean move under the influence of the global heat engine, the shallow waters of the estuary and continental shelf respond quickly to local and regional winds, to freshwater discharge from rivers, and to the interaction of the tide with the complex shape of the bottom topography. The circulation of the estuary depends, in particular, on the mixing of fresh and salt water, mixing from turbulent motion created by the tide and the winds. Some of the key circulations in the estuary and on the continental shelf can be simulated with simple laboratory experiments. The real estuary and shelf can be observed with instruments and sonars placed on buoys or on the ocean bottom. Coastal Ocean Observing Systems, such as the Chesapeake Bay Observing System (CBOS) are now building arrays of such sensors and relaying data and information back to users via the Internet in real time.

Classroom Activities

Density-Driven Currents

Objective: To demonstrate density differences in ocean and coastal waters, and how these differences drive currents.

Background
Circulation in estuaries and oceans depends in part on differences in density of the waters. Water with more salt is heavier and sinks while fresher water is lighter and “floats” on the surface. These buoyancy differences result in the separation of water into layers (stratification) within an estuary or coastal ocean. Stratification can be disrupted by heating and cooling of surface waters and/or by wind-generated water movement like waves and currents. The primary source of fresh water in estuaries and coastal oceans is from rivers coming from land with a rating of 0-5 practical salinity units (PSU), while salt water is from the open oceans and has a rating of 32-35 PSU. In this simulation we will observe what happens when simulated river water (clear) is mixed with simulated ocean water (dyed blue).

Materials
Glass or clear plastic tank (example 10 gallon aquaria)
Blue food coloring
Water
Salt (kosher salt works best)
Straw
Worksheet

Procedure:
Part 1

1. Measure 1 liter of tap water (to simulate river water) into a beaker or similar vessel.
2. Repeat this step, except to this second beaker, add blue dye (to simulate ocean water) and add 10 grams of table salt.
3. Set up tank with a divider in the middle (see below for instructions). The divider should be cut to fit the width of the aquarium. Use ¼ inch durable plastic or glass.
4. Slowly pour the “river” water into one side of the demonstration tank and the ocean water (blue) to the other side. Fill tank about half full and remove the divider. Observe.
5. Record observations on the worksheet.

Part 2
1. Blow on the surface of the water through a straw.
2. Record observations on the worksheet.

Worksheet: Density-Driven Currents

Part 1

After adding the fresh and salty water to the tank:

1) Which water had a higher density?

2) What happened to the two water masses?

Part 2

After blowing on the surface of the water through a straw:

3) What happens to the two layers of water?

4) What happens when the wind stops?

5) How does this apply to the real world in coastal waters?

Field trip

Coastal water circulation and stratification

I. Assessing vertical water movement:
Vertical mixing or not?
A. Comparison of discrete vs. continuous data (Lab)
B. Vertical water movement field trip
C. Comparison of vertical mixing using field data
vs. observing system data (Lab).
D. Virtual field trip
II. Assessing water movement using drifters:
Horizontal movement or not?

Discrete vs. continuous data comparison

Objective: Students will be able to explain the difference between discrete vs. continuous data.

Background
How we collect and use information is changing. Ocean scientist used to go out on ships and take data points at specific locations and extrapolate to a larger scale, both in time and space. Meteorologists would study day-old weather maps to predict storms such as hurricanes or tornados. Today, scientist have the added benefit of information that's no more than a few seconds old (e.g. real-time) and is telecast via satellite to computers and posted on the Internet.
On the Internet, real-time doesn’t always mean data available the moment they are collected. Rather, real-time data are updated on a regular basis and frequently changes. For example, weather satellite images updated every hour are still referred to as "real-time data.” At first, the distinction among real-time data, near real-time data and archived data may not be clear. However, as you continue to explore these resources, this difference will be become easier to understand.
The purpose of this activity is to help you explain to your students the difference between discrete (snapshots) and continuous and real time data.

Materials
Computers with Internet access.
Projector (optional)
Student hand-outs

Procedure

1. Access the COOL Classroom Web site at
http://www.coolclassroom.org/cool_projects/lessons/miniunits/lesson1.html

2. Take a look at the series of photographs and attempt to determine what has happened based on the information available to you.

3. Have students complete student worksheet

4. Discuss results with the class.

Worksheet: Discrete and Continuous Data

1. Write a description (frame by frame) of what you think the girl in the pictures is doing:

2. Watch the video clip and write a description of what the girl actually did:

3. Does the story you deduced from the still photographs match what happened in the video?

4. Which method gave you more information about what she was doing?(circle one)
A. Photographs
B. Video

Scientists attempt to interpret events and processes that occur in the ocean based on the data available to them. The more data that can be collected to fill in the unknown gaps, the more accurately scientists can interpret the hidden world of the ocean.
Vertical water movement field trip

Objective: Participants will investigate first hand the vertical mixing of waters in an estuary.

Background
Estuaries and oceans are natures examples of how different water densities separate. When scientists conduct vertical profiles through a water column, they can determine if there is mixing of top water and bottom water through analysis of temperature, salinity and oxygen readings through the vertical gradient. Whether or not the water column is mixed or not has strong implications for organisms living in this environment. For example, the main source of oxygen to bottom water is from mixing with surface water, which is in direct contact with the air. If there is no mixing, oxygen is depleted from the bottom water and organisms will either move or die.

The first purpose of this investigation is to determine if estuarine water is mixed or stratified through vertical measurements of temperature, salinity and oxygen. The second purpose is to compare one time field data with those data from observing systems and assess the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods of data collection.

Materials:

Boat
YSI instrument
Data sheet
Internet connection

Procedure:

Select a station in the Choptank River with a depth of at least 15 meters and record latitude and longitude. Observe weather conditions and record on data sheet.
Observing salinity and Temperature:
Lower the CTD instrument and record temperature, salinity every 2 meters.
Observing oxygen:
At the same time and location lower the YSI instrument and record temperature, salinity and oxygen every 2 meters.

Questions:

1. Was the water column mixed or stratified?

2. Explain your answer.

Vertical water movement field tripData Sheet for Vertical Mixing Field Trip

Station:___________________________

Latitude:__________________________ Longititude: _______________________

Weather: _________________________ _________________________________

Group: ___________________________ Date: ____________________________

Depth Time Temp (C) Do (mg/l) Salinity (psu)

Comparison of vertical mixing using field data vs. observing system data.

A. Now let’s investigate vertical mixing using data from the Chesapeake Bay Observing System (CBOS).

1. Back at your computer, go to the CBOS website: www.cbos.org

2. Click on the observing buoy (s) that are reporting salinity and temperature data from both the surface and the bottom of the water column.

3. Record your observations for the following”

Current surface salinity ___________________________________________

Current surface temperature ______________________________________

Current bottom salinity __________________________________________

Current bottom temperature _____________________________________

4. What other information can you obtain from the observing system?

B. Let’s compare our results from the field trip to real time data available from Observing Systems.

1. Which method of data acquisition provided a more comprehensive view of vertical mixing/stratification at the time of sampling?

2. Which method provided a better long term analysis of mixing/stratification over time?

Assessment

Which method would you use if:

1. You wanted to know if the water in the estuary was stratified at a certain depth?

2. You wanted to predict if there was going to be a turn-over event in the river?

3. You wanted to see if there might be a fish kill caused by low oxygen bottom waters.

Virtual Classroom Field Trip

Objective: Students will compare and contrast the applications of discrete vs. continuous data in relation to vertical mixing in an estuary and the ocean.

Background:
We have been using the terms "discrete" and "continuous" to describe data. Mathematics is said to be the language of scientists, so let’s take a closer look at what these terms really mean from a mathematicians viewpoint and how they relate to observing systems.
Mathematicians define discrete data as information based on counts. Only a finite number of values are possible, and the values cannot be subdivided meaningfully.
A good example of discrete data would be the number of glasses damaged in a shipment delivered to a store.
Another example: Population data. It's discrete because you are generally counting people and putting them into various categories like gender, race or age. So what about the '2.4 kids' statistic for average households? This illustrates the point that some data can not be broken down into smaller units and maintain meaning. (Resource: http://www.isixsigma.com/dictionary/Discrete_Data-226.htm)
So what is continuous data? Mathematicians say that continuous data is information that can be measured on a continuum or scale. Continuous data can have almost any numeric value and can be meaningfully subdivided into finer and finer increments, depending upon the precision of the measurement system.
Examples of continuous data are money, temperature, time, volume and size.
Simply stated…we will use the terms continuous and discrete more loosely to describe HOW we are using observing data. Discrete will refer to data consisting of unconnected distinct sampling efforts or “one time” sampling at a point in time. Continuous will refer to uninterrupted sampling over time. (resource: http://www.isixsigma.com/dictionary/Continuous_Data-96.htm)
You and your students can draw more examples of discrete vs. continuous data from the NOAA Web site: http://precip.fsl.noaa.gov/hourly_precip.html, which compares continuous and discrete weather data.

Here we will take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of both types of measurements using the vertical mixing as an example.

Materials:
Computers with Web access
Student Worksheet

Procedure:
Have the students obtain data from the following sources and then answer questions on the worksheet:

§ Water quality data from field trip
§ Ocean Observing Data from Chesapeake Bay Observing System: http://www.cbos.org/
§ Coastal Ocean, Gulf of Maine: http://www.gomoos.org/oceanconditions/

Worksheet: Virtual Field Trip

1). What “things" (characteristics or parameters) are common to all data sets?

2). Which site has the greatest “number of things” being measured? Observing sites or the field data?

3). Can you think of at least one advantage and one disadvantage of the observing sites continuous data collection?
Advantage

Disadvantage

3). Can you think of at least one advantage and one disadvantage of the discrete data collection from the field?
Advantage

Disadvantage

Let’s take it a step further…
Compare temperature, salinity and current speed for surface and bottom sensors at this moment in time at each of the observing sites below.

CBOS GOMOOSIsles of Shoals

Salinity

Temperature

Current speed

Questions to Consider…
1). Have these values changed over the past 24 hours? How?

2). Look closely at GoMOOS and CBOS data. Can you see differences? Describe those differences:
Salinity:__________________________________________________
Temperature:______________________________________________
Current speed:_____________________________________________

2). Can you think of reasons for similarities or differences?

Assessing water movement using drifters:
Horizontal movement or not?

Objective: Students will analyze horizontal water movement in an estuary using drifters.

Materials:
§ Access to water
§ Method of marking off given distance (e.g. on land or boat)
§ Method of water transport (i.e. boat, canoe, kayak)
§ Bottle drifters with string attached
§ Student worksheets

Procedure:

1. Measure a known distance. For our purposes we will use the length of our boat. Anchor boat at bow and stern to avoid swinging. Determine the total distance in meters from bow to stern. Record distance.
Alternative method:

2. Drop bottle drifter with attached string in the water at the bow (or stern depending on the direction of water movement) of the boat.

3. Use timing device to record time it takes for the bottle to move the length of the boat.

4. Use the worksheet to determine the speed of the current.

Global Ocean Movement-Day 1

2006-07-10T11:38:00.000-04:00

Aquaculture and Restoration Ecology Laboratory at Horn Point Laboratory, Cambridge, MD

*Global Ocean Movement

What makes the global ocean move?

How is the movement tracked?

What are the interactions among the ocean, climate and sea level rise?

*All of the activities below can be copied and pasted into a word processor for interactivity.

LINKS
Climate Analysis
American Museum of Natural History: Science Bulletin NAO: Driving Climate Across the North Atlantic
North Atlantic Oscillation
Movie-El Nino
Chesapeake Bay Recent Marine Data
National U.S. Coastal Observing Systems
NOAA Coastal Services Center
The One Degree Factor
Gulf Stream Voyage
Blackwater Wildlife Refuge
Tides Online
Storm Surge
Chesapeake Bay Observing System

Introduction
Globe Toss
Websites Exploration

I. Globe Toss

Objective: To introduce the concept that the ocean comprises a significant portion of the earths surface. (adapted from the Lawrence Hall of Science)

Materials:
16” Inflatable globe
Instructions with data table
Procedure:
1. Inflate globe
2. With a partner toss the globe 10 times to each other. This means that each partner catches the globe 5 times for a total of 10.
3. On the table provided record how many fingers touch the ocean on each toss.

Number of Toss Number of Fingers in Ocean

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Total = %

Conclusion: What can you summarize from this activity?

II. Website Exploration

Objective. Participants will become familiar with the ocean and how scientists observe them.

A. Ocean circulation
You know it from the waves on a beach, a trip on a boat, or a message in a bottle – the ocean is always in motion. From tiny ripples to tidal waves, the liquid ocean never rests as differences in wind, water temperature, and salt all keep the water moving both at the surface and below the waves.
We know that ocean waters cover roughly three quarters of our planet. We think of the ocean as having great depth but actually ocean basins are shallow in comparison to their width. If the ocean basins were scaled down to the width of a page in a textbook, they would be no deeper then the page is thick. This thin, but restless shell of water contains a rich dynamic structure that supports the interactions of the living (biotic) as well as the non-living (abiotic) components of the ocean ecosystem.
In terms of interaction, the oceans are also a very important part of the earth's climate control system. By absorbing, storing and releasing the sun's energy through its constant motion, the oceans have influenced our global climate and its drastic and frequent changes over our planet's lifetime. Some global climate fluctuations are on a human-time scale that are observable while other changes can only be inferred from the geological record. In this unit we are going to explore the connection between the oceans and our climate.
The ocean observatory Web sites listed below can deliver real-time data about ocean currents and circulation via the Internet. We will explore how you can integrate this dynamic resource into your existing curriculum.

Ocean Currents of the World.

http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/circulation/title_page.html

B. How are these Ocean Currents observed?
There's a lot of excitement about the development of a global network of coastal and ocean observing systems. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development has long called for such a worldwide system to improve climate predictions, document patterns of change in the marine environment, and detect and predict the effects of human activities and climate change on marine ecosystems and the living resources they support. It's happening.
Thanks to huge advances in satellite technology that monitors ocean conditions from above, new radars that scan surface currents and waves even hundreds of miles offshore, and autonomous submarines that roam silently through the ocean, sensing conditions down below for weeks at a time, the concept of a global ocean observing network is well on its way to reality.
Here in the U.S., the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) is supporting development of coastal and ocean observatories to collect the biological, chemical, physical, and geological oceanographic data necessary to ensure national security, facilitate safe and efficient marine operations, manage living resources, detect and predict climate variability, preserve and restore healthy marine ecosystems, mitigate natural hazards, and ensure public health.
The strength of these systems is not just in their emerging global coverage, but that they bridge the gap between individual measurements in time and space. Previous environmental monitoring might only be undertaken at certain times, or use instruments anchored in a certain space in the ocean. The new observing system concept is to transcend space and time limitations and monitor conditions dynamically and continuously in real-time.
Another revolution is in the availability of this real-time ocean data to virtually anyone with an Internet connection. Thanks to coastal and ocean observing systems, you can help your students explore the physics, biology, chemistry, geography and mystery of the oceans in real-time right from your classroom. Let’s visit some of these observing systems to explore their locations and capabilities.

Observing Systems Locations

National
http://www.csc.noaa.gov/coos/index.html)

International
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/gsn/gsn

C. Ocean movement measurements using observing systems.
As an introduction to ocean observing systems, explore these websites to get a “feel” for how an array of observing systems can tell us what is happening real time in the ocean and how we can predict effects of changes in ocean circulation patterns and the resulting effects on climate and weather.
In Example 1 below The Equatorial Pacific ocean movements are measured by an array of buoys, which can predict events such as El Nino. Explore the following website (please visit the TAO website also) to learn more about how ocean currents are measured.
Ocean movement (circulation) affect weather and climate. Weather in the Mid-Atlantic region is primarily affected by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Visit this website to get an idea of how the NAO influences our weather (Example 2).

Example 1
Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/index.shtml

ENSO Cycle: El Niño/La Niña

Example 2
http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/NAO/
North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)

Website Exploration Worksheet
A. Ocean circulation

1. What current might have an effect on the weather of the Atlantic coast of the USA?

2. What current is responsible for El Nino and La Nina events off the coast of South America?

3. Is the West Wind Drift current cold or warm?

B. How are these Ocean Currents observed?

4. What parameters are measured on the mid-Bay CBOS buoy in the Chesapeake Bay.

5. What is the ocean temperature off the coast of Maine at this time?

C. Ocean movement measurements using observing systems.

6. Does an El Nino event affect weather strongly in the Mid-Atlantic region?

7. What state of the NAO causes cold dry springs in Maryland?

Classroom Activities

Surface Circulation of the North Atlantic

Gulf Stream Voyage

I. Surface Circulation of the North Atlantic: A Model

Focus Question: How does the ocean move in the North Atlantic?

Objectives:
1. Students should be able to explain the forces which produce the circulation patterns in the Gulf Stream.
2. Students should be able to predict current patterns or eddy development with variances in bathymetry.

Materials:
Heavy duty stainless steel baking tray (10 x 16)
Modeling clay
Laminated satellite images of the Gulf Stream
Laminated Bathymetric maps of the North Atlantic
Convection Fluid Bottles, Carolina Biological Supply Catalog #, Price, Qty. GEO8450,
Hair Dryer
Water, room temperature
Non permanent marking pens

Procedure:
1. In groups of 3-5, use clay to build a model of the North Atlantic. Use the bathymetric maps below and be sure to include the continental shelf, continental slope, capes, seamounts, and other seafloor features.
Maps:
Appendix 1: Bathymetry of the North Atlantic
Appendix 2: Bathymetry of the northern section of the North Atlantic
Appendix 3: Bathymetry of the south Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico
Appendix 4: Bathymetry of the eastern North Atlantic.
2. Create the shoreline of the North Atlantic in your container using the clay. (no more than 1-2 inches thickness of clay on edges).
3. Pour in a diluted solution of Convection Fluid (or water to which you will add food coloring) to a depth which just covers the subsurface oceanic features.
4. Set up a gentle “wind” blowing from the south to start a current. Make observations on the current patterns that develop.
5. Illustrate your notes on the observations, especially the patterns affected by the shoreline or around surface features (e.g. Cape Hatters).
6. When finished, return the Convection Fluid to the container. Remove clay from container and roll into ball.

Surface Circulation of the North Atlantic Worksheet

1. Did the shelf, slope or capes affect the surface current? Describe.

2. Do you think the Gulf Stream might have a greater affect on weather of the southeast vs. the northeast of the USA? Explain.

3. What other factors besides wind might affect the Gulf Stream current?

Appendix 1. Bathymetry of the North Atlantic

http://oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/atlantic/img_topo2/gulf-stream2.jpg
Appendix 2: Bathymetry of the northern section of the North Atlantic
http://oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/atlantic/img_topo2/the-northern-102.jpg
Appendix 3: Bathymetry of the south Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico
http://oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/atlantic/img_topo2/loop-current2.jpg
Appendix 4: Bathymetry of the eastern North Atlantic.
http://oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/atlantic/img_topo2/canary2.jpg

II. Gulf Stream Voyage
Locate the Gulf Stream with Real-Time data

Focus Question: How do we track the Gulf Stream?

Objective: Students will be able to use real time data to locate the Gulf Stream

Background:
The use of satellite imagery is one of the most accurate ways to locate the Gulf Stream. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) operates a Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite (POES) with an Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor. This sensor measures the amount of thermal infrared radiation given off by the surface of the ocean. Because the amount of thermal infrared radiation given off by an object is related to its temperature, scientists are able to calculate the temperature of the sea surface. The radiation data is color-coded to produce an image of the ocean. This satellite imagery makes it easy to locate the warm current of the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic by comparing color differences to a color/temperature scale.
Sea surface height, measured by the TOPEX/Poseidon and ERS-2 satellites is another indicator of the Gulf Stream location. The Radar Altimeter on ERS-2 sends radar signals to the Earth and ocean surface and then collects the return signal. That information is processed to reveal ocean wave height, wind speed over the ocean, surface backscatter and the satellite's altitude. This data provides the capability to monitor the global ocean circulation and regional current systems. The satellite systems offer daily global coverage. Other means of measuring sea surface temperature such as buoys (drifting and moored) are used to maintain accuracy of the satellite data.
Oceanographers use the images to visualize the Gulf Stream, its width, the number of rings and meanders, etc. Constant monitoring is necessary because the Gulf Stream is not a stable current, it meanders North and South. Sometimes these meanders are small, taking the form of waves that appear to break backward relative to the northeasterly flow of the current. In some instances, the meanders become so large that a pocket of warm water is pinched off and separated from the stream into the cooler shelf water. These are called warm core rings. The warm core rings rotate clockwise for several days, eventually drifting west to southwest until they interact with the shelf or the Gulf Stream. Most warm core rings are reabsorbed into the stream after wandering for one to three months. The effects of warm core rings were observed by early oceanographers, but the true extent was not well understood until the availability of satellite imagery. It is also interesting to note that just as meanders to the North can pinch off a warm core ring, meanders to the South can pinch off a cold core ring. These cold core rings are often less visible in the satellite imagery because of the warmer water lying above, but they can still be seen by the trained eye.

(Northern Gulf Stream Image June 11, 1997) @ http:/fermi.jhuapl.edu/avhrr/gs/averages/index.html

In the following activity, pairs of students will obtain real-time data about the Gulf Stream posted by buoys, ships and satellites and compare their findings.
MaterialsFor each group, copies of the tracking chart (Full Basin, Western Atlantic) For each student, copies of the Blank Gulf Stream MapComputers with Internet accessColored pencilsStudent Worksheets

Procedure
Gulf Stream Voyage lesson can be found at:

http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/gulfstream/teachercurrentnow.shtml

Create working groups of six students. Break each group of six into pairs. At the bottom of this lesson under procedure you will find a section on buoys, ships, and satellites where you may proceed with the instructions below.Pair 1: Buoys
Have the students obtain the most recent data from the buoys listed on the Web site. They should then record the following information on the Pair 1 Student Worksheet: Latitude and Longitude, Time and Date, Air Temperature (ATMP), Water Temperature (WTMP). Scroll down the page to the previous 24 observations. Have students plot the location of the six buoys on the chart and answer the one question under the data table.

Pair 2: Ships
First, have the students obtain the most recent ship data by clicking on the ships in the North Atlantic as listed on the Web site. The symbols on the chart represent the ships and buoys currently logging data in the Northern Atlantic. The red symbols are buoys and the blue symbols represent ships. Notice the series of letters and numbers under the blue ship symbols. These are the "Ship IDs". No two sets of letters and numbers are the same. Have students locate at least two ships in the vicinity of the buoys used above and write down the exact "Ship ID" on the Pair 2 Student Worksheet.
Next, have the students click on the Ships database link. Enter the ship's ID into the white box. Click Search. Students should look through the data that the ship has recently transmitted, most ships transmit data every 6 hours. Record the water temperature. Record the locations of the ships on the chart and answer the 2 questions under the data table. Pair 3: Satellites
Give your students the most recent satellite image of the Gulf Stream and have them answer the questions under satellite information on the Pair 3 Student Worksheet. Students will use colored pencils to sketch the approximate current location of the Gulf Stream on the chart. Students can use the latitude and longitude points to guide placement of the current.
Regroup
After each pair of students has collected their respective data and answered their questions, have the students regroup into their group of six. Have the students compare their data and answer the questions under “when you regroup with your other group members” on the worksheets.
Have students compare the ocean water temperature data from the satellite image with the temperatures collected from the ships and buoys.

Worksheet: Pair 1, Buoy InformationBuoy Information
From the Web site, obtain the most recent data from the following buoys. Scroll down the page to the Previous 24 observations.
Buoys
Latitude and Longitude Time Date Air Temp (ATMP) Water Temp (WTMP)

Nantucket Buoy

George's Bank Buoy

East of Cape May Buoy

Delaware Bay Buoy

East of Cape Hatteras

South Hatteras

Has there been a significant change (more than 10 degrees) in water temperature in the past 24 hours? How can you explain the temperature fluctuation?
Answer the following questions when you regroup with your other group members.How closely do the data sources compare?
With the availability of satellite imagery, why do you think scientists continue to collect data from ships and buoys?
What features of the Gulf Stream do change over time?

Does the position of the North Wall fluctuate greatly during the year?

Describe yearly sea surface temperatures changes of the northwest Atlantic Ocean.

Worksheet: Pair 2, Ship Information
Ship InformationObtain the most recent ship data and (choose two) write down the exact "ship ID" in the table below. Enter the data that the ship has recently transmitted, most ships transmit data every 6 hours, in the table below. Record the location of the ship(s) on the chart.

Ship 1
Ship ID
Time
Date
Lat & Long
Water Temp(SeaT)

Ship 2
Ship ID
Time
Date
Lat & Long
Water Temp(SeaT)

Is there a place in the data where the ocean water temperature (SeaT) suddenly rises or falls? Explain.
Based on the buoy and ship information collected, would you be able to accurately determine where the location of the Gulf Stream? Explain. Answer the following questions when you regroup with your other group members.How close do the data sources compare?

With the availability of satellite imagery, why do you think scientists continue to collect data from ships and buoys?

What features of the Gulf Stream do change over time?

These last 2 questions need the archived satellite images under assessment at the end of the satellite section.
Does the position of the North Wall fluctuate greatly during the year?

Describe yearly sea surface temperatures changes of the northwest Atlantic Ocean.

Worksheet: Pair 3, Satellite Information
Satellite Information
Having seen the most recent satellite image of the Gulf Stream, please answer these questions:
What do the various colors represent? Based on the visual information provided in the satellite image, can you determine the location of the Gulf Stream? Describe. Can you determine which way the Gulf Stream is flowing? Describe. 2. Using colored pencils, sketch the approximate current location of the Gulf Stream on the chart. Use the appropriate colored pencil to represent the temperature of the water and label. Use the latitude and longitude points to guide placement of the current.

Re-group and answer the following questions.How close do the data sources compare?

With the availability of satellite imagery, why do you think scientists continue to collect data from ships and buoys?

What features of the Gulf Stream do change over time?

Does the position of the North Wall fluctuate greatly during the year?

Describe yearly sea surface temperatures changes of the northwest Atlantic Ocean.

Apply to Classroom

I. Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge

Focus Question: What effect will rising water have on the coast?

Objectives:
1. Students should be able to explain what areas of the coast line will be flooded in a given number of years.
2. Students should be able to predict flooding from storm surges.

Background
Sea Level is the sea height relative to a benchmark on land. Sea level rise is an increase in sea height over a period of time such that fluctuations due to tides and waves are factored over time, e.g. months to years. Over the past decades, increases in sea surface height have been attributed to increases in temperature of the ocean due to global warming. As water is heated it expands, resulting in inundation of coastal areas. Additionally the melting of the ice caps contributes to the rise in sea height.
Storm Surge is the rise in sea height due to the “pushing” up of water onto land by winds contained in storms, such as hurricanes. Factors determining the height of the storm surge include the strength of the wind in the storm, speed of storm, and slope of the sea floor leading to the shore, and stage of tide (high or low). For more information, visit http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/storm_surge.shtml.

Materials
- Graphs and charts of calculated and actual estimates of sea level rise
- Topographic maps of local areas 1:24000 scale with 5 ft contour lines,
(available at your county Natural Resources Conservation Service office)
- Non-permanent marking pens

Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge Worksheet

Procedure
Part 1. Becoming familiar with topographic maps

1. Locate the following on your topographic map and note the color:

Land Type Map Color

Water

Forest

Towns

Agricultural land

Contour lines

Major Highway

Secondary Road

Buildings

2. Using the non-permanent markers, trace the shoreline of the area, circle major buildings such as schools, churches, and mark several main roads.

Part 2. Determining flooded areas from sea level rise

1. Using the data and information provided in appendix 1, calculate the annual average sea level rise in mm per year.

2. Determine how many years it will take to flood the areas you marked above.

Area Years to flooding

School
Hospital
Highway
Secondary Road
Neighborhood

3. Use the contour lines on your topographic map to draw in the new coastline after 100 years. To do this you will need to know the total rise in sea level over the 100 year period calculated from #1 above.

Part 3. Determining flooded areas from a storm surge

1. A hurricane in your area produced a storm surge of 6 feet.

2. Would the impact of the storm be greater or less if it hits land at 8:00 AM vs. 2:00 PM today? Explain your answer.
To determine your response you will need to visit the following websites:

Local Chesapeake Bay:
http://tidesonline.nos.noaa.gov/
www.cbos.org
National Buoys systems:
http://www.csc.noaa.gov/coos/index.html

Appendix 1. Data for Sea Level Rise

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_level_rise

www.ess.uci.edu/~famiglietti/grace/ppt/Theme_3_Nerem.ppt

www.ess.uci.edu/~famiglietti/grace/ppt/Theme_3_Nerem.ppt

Reflection
Global Ocean Movement

What I learned about global ocean movement?

How could I use it in the classroom?