1. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute How much water is in the East Antarctic ice sheet? Let’s measure it in Sea Level Rise around the globe

2. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute First, what is an Ice Sheet? The East Antarctica ice sheet is on the right. Can you name another? A continental sized glacier East Antarctic Ice Sheet ANTARCTICA

3. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute There are two other ice sheets… But why do we measure ice sheets by ‘Sea Level Rise’? GreenlandWest Antarctica Both much smaller

4. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute Ice is frozen water - ice sheets are just LARGE amounts of frozen water… When ice sheets form they remove water from it’s largest reservoir… the world’s oceans! Just how much of the Earth’s water is in the oceans? 96.5% Wonder how much is in me?

5. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute When large amounts of water freeze there is less available for the oceans …this has an impact on sea level! During glacial periods when the Earth is much colder, water is frozen into glaciers on the continents instead of falling into the oceans

6. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute So sea level was not always where it is now! Many years ago it was much lower… ~20,000 years ago we were in a glacial period so there was less water in the ocean. The New Jersey/ New York coastline was much further away. Blue section was once land, today it is under the ocean old coastline Going to the beach would have been a MUCH longer trip! Colder temperatures freeze water into glaciers

7. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute Sea Level was not always where it is now! Scientists have found evidence that ~20,000 years ago global sea level was ~125 meters lower than today… Let’s use these cliffs for scale- they measure 125 meters in height. Full size building Each meter is 3.3 ft…. so 413 feet! NOW think of the water going that far DOWN! How many feet is that?

8. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute Sea level has also been higher! Warmer temperatures melt glaciers, raising sea level Scientists estimate that sea level in Eastern coastal U.S. was 6 to 10m higher than today. Remember this rock formation is 125m tall. Locate where the water would have been in that time period This building would have been underwater How many feet is this? 20-33 ft. ~75,000-125,000 years ago there was a warming period.

9. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute So how much water is in an ice sheet? We just learned it is enough to raise sea level around the Earth

10. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University/Earth Institute To explore how much sea level rise is in the East Antarctic Ice Sheet… Try the Activity!