Exercise 1

From IDEAS

Exercise 1. Glacial Cycle Experiment

In this exercise you will examine animated results from a UMISM experiment showing the last glacial cycle. Guiding questions for your presentation (address what strikes you as important):

1. In the model, approximately how long does North American glaciation last?
2. Characterize sea-level changes over the glacial cycle, and note modification of the coastline.
3. What is the relationship between ice-volume and the temperature forcing function?
4. Characterize the glacial termination. Is there anything “funny” about it? Why doesn’t ice disappear completely from Quebec?
5. Open the NCEP seasonal cycle animation. Do you see any resemblance between modern temperature patterns during some part of the year, and the shape of the southern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet during retreat? If so, what might the connection be?
6. Based on what the information you have at your disposal, how much colder do you think climate over North America was during the Ice Age? What about over Maine?