Current Events

  • Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read more

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    Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education

    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.
  • Earth's Center Is 1,000 Degrees Hotter Than Previously Thought, Synchrotron X-Ray Experiment Shows
    Scientists have determined the temperature near the Earth’s center to be 6000 degrees Celsius, 1000 ...Read more

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    Earth's Center Is 1,000 Degrees Hotter Than Previously Thought, Synchrotron X-Ray Experiment Shows

    Scientists have determined the temperature near the Earth’s center to be 6000 degrees Celsius, 1000 degrees hotter than in a previous experiment run 20 years ago. These measurements confirm geophysical models that the temperature difference between the solid core and the mantle above, must be at least 1500 degrees to explain why the Earth has a magnetic field. For more information about this study, see the press release from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.
  • Ocean Volcanic Rocks Contain Samples of Recycled Crust
    Scientists have long believed that lava erupted from certain oceanic volcanoes contains materials fr...Read more

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    Ocean Volcanic Rocks Contain Samples of Recycled Crust

    Scientists have long believed that lava erupted from certain oceanic volcanoes contains materials from the early Earth’s crust. But decisive evidence for this phenomenon has proven elusive. New research from a team including Carnegie’s Erik Hauri demonstrates that oceanic volcanic rocks contain samples of recycled crust dating back to the Archean era 2.5 billion years ago. Their work is published in Nature. Oceanic crust sinks into the Earth’s mantle at so-called subduction zones, where two plates come together. Much of what happens to the crust during this journey is unknown. Model-dependent studies for how long subducted material can exist in the mantle are uncertain and evidence of very old crust returning to Earth’s surface via upwellings of magma has not been found until now. For more information about these results, see the press release from the Carnegie Institution.

Web Seminars

Welcome Climate Change Educators!

From this hub you will find resources associated with the NASA-funded Global Climate Change Educator Professional Development Network.

Check out the free 90-minute live seminars, offered through NSTA Web Seminars, highlighting science content and classroom activities on topics related to climate change. From this page you will find links to web seminar registration (when available) and access the NSTA web seminar archive to view past presentations. Become a fan of this project on Facebook and connect with this network of educators.

These web seminars are based on our Climate Discovery course series for professional development of secondary educators. If you are interested in more intensive learning about climate science, please visit NCAR Online Education for course details and registration. On the instructors page you can learn more about the people who are development web seminars and courses.

Web Seminars:

An Introduction to Earth’s Climate

Learn the basic science about Earth’s climate. We will examine techniques to help students understand the difference between weather and climate, and provide an overview of the factors that impact climate. Then, we will explore a classroom activity about the delicate balance of the climate system.

Clues to Climates of the Past

How do we know what we know about climate in the distant past? Join us for this web seminar to explore the types of evidence used to reconstruct climate from the Proterozoic to the present. We will highlight an activity that will get your students exploring paleoclimate in the classroom.

Global Climate Change and the Earth System

In this web seminar we will take a tour of our planet with the purpose of illustrating how climate change and increasing greenhouse gases is affecting the Earth system. We will explore classroom resources that explore carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth system, including a classroom-ready activity, images, and interactives.

Effects of Climate Change: Ocean and Ice

In this web seminar we will explore how warmer temperatures and melting snow and ice are affecting the ocean. We will review the science behind sea level rise and do a classroom activity that addresses the topic with students. We will also examine other ways that the ocean may be changed by climate change such as possible changes in ocean circulation.

Effects of Climate Change to Life on Earth

From flowers to mosquitoes to coral reefs, climate change is having an impact on living things worldwide. In this web seminar we will explore how climate change affects species and ecosystems. With case studies about plants, coral reefs, and human health, we will take a look at some examples of how climate change is affecting life of Earth.

Predicting Future Climate and Considering Solutions

How do we know how climate will change in the future? Join us for this web seminar and learn how climate models are used to predict the future. Then, we will consider climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions that are being implemented by governments and individuals. Classroom activities that get students thinking about energy use and its affect on climate will be highlighted as well.

Looking for additional teaching resources?

Windows to the Universe also offers a multitude of resources to support teaching and learning about other aspects of Earth and space science too. Explore the links below to learn more.

Last modified October 8, 2010 by Randy Russell.

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Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation and NASA, our Founding Partners (the American Geophysical Union and American Geosciences Institute) as well as through Institutional, Contributing, and Affiliate Partners, individual memberships and generous donors. Thank you for your support! NASA AGU AGI NSF