Teaching Module: Orbital Forcing and Earth’s Climate

A set of classroom/laboratory activities to reconstruct Earth’s past climate using isotopic composition data from ice cores and to highlight the influence of orbital forcing and atmospheric carbon dioxide feedback on Earth’s climate.

Students will reconstruct Earth’s past temperatures by plotting graphs of isotopic compositions from ice cores in Antarctica. They will determine the relative contributions of orbital parameters (eccentricity, obliquity, precession) and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations on Earth’s past climate.

Use this tool to help students find answers to:

1. 1. How can you use isotopic compositions to reconstruct past climate?
   2. What is the influence of orbital forcing on Earth’s climate?
   3. How are temperature variations amplified by increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations?

1.  

About the tool:

Tool Name	From Isotopes to Temperature, & Influences of Orbital Forcing on Ice Core Records
Discipline	Earth Science
Topic(s) in Discipline	Isotopic Compositions, Isotopic Ratios, Orbital Forcing, Milankovitch Cycles, Climate Feedbacks
Climate Topic	Climate and the Atmosphere, Climate and the Cryosphere
Type of Tool	Teaching Module
Grade Level	Undergraduate
Location	Global
Language	English
Translation
Developed by	Spruce Schoenemann, UW Earth and Space Sciences for the University of Washington in the High School Climate Science Course.
Hosted at	PROGRAM ON CLIMATE CHANGE, College of the Environment, University of Washington.
Link	https://pcc.uw.edu/education/classroom-resources/climate-teaching-modules/uwhs-atms-211-from-isotopes-to-temperature-influences-of-orbital-forcing-on-ice-core-records/
Access	Online
Computer Skills	Basic