Glaciers in the Balance
Data Story
Students evaluate three different claims and explain which of the claims the graph supports. They describe at least one important implication of the data.
Welcome to this Tuva data story! Glaciers develop whenever more snowfall accumulates in winter than can melt during summer. “Cumulative mass balance” refers to the long-term balance between how much ice and snow the glacier accumulates in winter and how much of it melts in summer. The balance between gain and loss of a glacier’s mass is measured in “mm of water equivalents” (mm w.e.). When an imbalance between snow accumulation and snow melting persists over many decades, the mass of a glacier either increases over the years (a positive mass balance) or decreases (a negative mass-balance). This dataset provides the average gain or loss of water equivalent (i.e. cumulative mass balance) of many glaciers worldwide compared to the mass balance of glaciers in 1970. The data for each year also includes the number of glaciers that are included in each yearly average. In this data story, you will evaluate three different claims and explain which of the claims the graph supports. You will then describe at least one important implication of the data. Click Next to get started!
Topics and standards: Science, Climate Change, Earth Science, Stability & Change, Grades 9-12, Grades 6-8, Support or Refute?, Climate & Global Change, Water Air & Ice, Ice, Climate & Weather