CO2

Effect on the Earth’s System Lab & Worksheet

Name: ____________________________________________________

STATION 1: Air Today, Ocean Tomorrow:

Read this & annotate (text mark): The Earth’s oceans act as a sink or reservoir for carbon
dioxide. In fact 93% of Earth’s carbon dioxide is stored in its oceans.

Predict: What effect will increasing concentrations of CO2 have on the pH (base vs acid) of Earth’s
ocean (hydrosphere)?
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Data:
Fresh Water Salt Water

Time Observation pH Observation pH
Minutes
0

1

2


3

1. What effect does increasing the CO2 concentration in the water have on its pH?
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2. If atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations increase, what do you expect will happen to
the pH of our oceans (hydrosphere) over time?
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3. What are some limitations of this model?
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4. What are some benefits of this model?
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 STATION 2: Sea Level Change:

Read this & annotate: There are two kinds of ice in the Polar Regions, sea ice and land ice. Sea
ice forms from the ocean and some of this ice melts after a warm summer. Land ice forms on
land from precipitation that falls and accumulates on the ground. Layers of snow build up causing
pressure on the snow crystals beneath, pushing air out forming layers of ice. Eventually this ice
becomes a glacier that acts like a river flowing downhill. Once the glacier meets the ocean, they
break off forming icebergs.

Predict:
As sea ice melts, predict what effect it will have on sea level?
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As a land ice (glacier) melts, predict what effect it will have on sea level?
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Data:
Ice Initial height Post ice Change in sea
type: of H20 (cm) melt height level (cm)
(cm)
Sea ice
Land
ice

1. Was there a difference in the sea level rise between the two cups? Using your data support
your answer:
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2. Which should scientists be more concerned with, land ice or sea ice? Why?
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3. What are some potential impacts of rising sea level on the geosphere (Earth)?
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4. What are some potential impacts of melting ice on the
hydrosphere?________________________________________________________________________________________________
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5. What are some limitations of this model?
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6. What are some benefits of this model?
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STATION 3: Shell-Shocked:

Background: The pH of the ocean will decrease as it is forced to dissolve more and more atmospheric
carbon dioxide. This is important because more than 80% of all life on Earth is in the ocean, and over the
last 150 years, about 50% of all the extra carbon has been absorbed by these oceans. The result is more
acidic oceans.

Predict: How might sea life be affected as oceans become more acidic?
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DATA:
Shells Description/Observations
Initial
Appearance
In Vinegar
Appearance
Final
Appearance

1. What effect did the acidic conditions have on the shell?
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2. How does an increasingly acidic condition in the ocean affect sea life?
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3. Given that the shell is made up of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) what gas do you think will be released
and what effect will that have on the ocean (hydrosphere)?
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Reading the article “Ocean Acidification Threatens Economics and Marine Life”:

4. What evidence do scientists use to support their claim that ocean acidification is threatening
economics and marine life?
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5. What do scientists believe is causing acid acidification and what can be done to slow this process?
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6. What potential impact could extinction of this coral species have on the ecosystem?
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STATION 4: Bubbling Chalk:

Background: You have previously learned that there are two types of changes, physical and chemical. A
physical change occurs when a substance changes from one form to another. However, the chemical
identity of the substance remains the same. A chemical change occurs when one or more substances
change into entirely new substances with different properties. For example, when CO2 dissolves in water, a
new substance, carbonic acid, is formed acidifying rain water.

Predict: If atmospheric concentrations of CO2 continue to increase, what impact will it have on
precipitation and the Earth systems?
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Data Table:

Substance: Chalk Neutral pH Rain Acid Rain

Draw
Appearance before



Draw
Appearance during



Draw
Appearance after



1. Based upon your observations, would you say that the above reaction was an example of chemical
or physical weathering? Why? _____________________________________________________________________________________
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2. How does this model differ from the shell model? ___________________________________________
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3. In this model, what does the chalk represent? ____________________________________________________________

4. In this model, what does the vinegar represent? ________________________________________________________





 STATION 5: The Effects of CO2 On Temperature

Background: One of the most remarkable aspects of the paleoclimate record is the strong
correspondence between temperature and the concentration of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere observed during the glacial cycles of the past several hundred thousand years.
Paleoclimate is the study of past climates. It is a multi-disciplinary field combining history,
anthropology, archeology, chemistry, physics, geology, atmospheric sciences, and oceanic
sciences. Clues about past climate are obtained from proxy or substitute indicators. These proxy
indicators include: rock isotopic indicators, ice core samples, deep sea sediments, study of tree
rings, coral bed rings etc. In this activity, you will record the temperature of two containers with
water in them. One will have CO2 added while the second one will act as a control.

Predict: Which container do you think will show a higher temperature at the end of the 5
minutes, the one with or without CO2?
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Data table:

Time in Container with Container without
minute alka-seltzer. 0C alka-seltzer. 0C
s

0

1

2

3

4

5


1. Based upon your evidence, was your prediction correct? Explain using your data from above.
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2. In this model, what was the purpose of the alka-seltzer?
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3. What are the closed containers a model for?
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4. Based upon this activity and model, how would you describe the Earth as a system, open or
closed? Why?
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5. What are some limitations of this model?
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6. What are some benefits of this model?
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7. Based upon what you know (from previous activities etc.), what is one major gas produced
during the burning of fossil fuels? ________________. How will this affect atmospheric CO2 levels?
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8. Are burning of fossil fuels considered a CO2 source or sink? Why?
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9. As the world population continues to increase and more and more people drive cars using gas,
more homes being built using fossil fuels for electricity, additional deforestation to house people
etc. How do you think this will affect the carbon cycle and the Earth system?
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 STATION 6: The Albedo Effect:

Background: Albedo is a non-dimensional, unit-less quantity that indicates how well a surface
reflects solar energy. Albedo varies between 0 and 1. A value of 0 means the surface is a "perfect
absorber" that absorbs all incoming energy. A value of 1 means the surface is a "perfect reflector"
that reflects all incoming energy.

Predict: Analyze the photo of the Bhutan glacier taken by NASA’s Terra satellite. What do you
think will happen to the temperature under the ice parts and land parts as it is exposed to a heat
lamp?
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Data Table:
Time in Temp. 0C under Temp. 0C under
minutes the ice/snow area land area
(light) (dark)

O min

2 min

4 min

6 min

8 min

Make a line graph from your data listed above. One line should represent the
temperatures under the ice and the second line should represent the temperatures under
the land. Use a key to differentiate the ice line from the land line. Also make sure that
time goes on the X axis while temperature goes on the Y axis and title your graph.

1. Based upon your data and graph, was your prediction correct? Justify your response based upon
the evidence you collected.
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2. Based upon your data, what type of surface would have a higher albedo, the ice/snow parts or
land parts? Use your data to explain your answer.
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3. In this model, what does the heat lamp represent? _______________________________________________________

4. What is the method of heat transfer this model is illustrating? __________________________________________

5. List two additional methods of heat transfer. ___________________________ ______________________________

6. Earth is currently in a warming trend. What impact would the loss of land ice and sea ice have on
the Earth system? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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8. List some benefits of this model: _______________________________________________________________________________

9. List some limitations of this model: _____________________________________________________________________________

FINAL SUMMARY
In your notebook (on the lined paper) summarize your findings from the stations. Provide a
short description of what you did at each station, the data you collected from each station
and what the big picture is from each station.