Introduction and Guiding Question

Glaciers are large moving masses of ice. They are formed when cold
temperatures keep fallen snow from completely melting, and the snow that
has not melted accumulates into a snowfield. This snow develops into a
glacier when the top layers of snow eventually exert enough downward
pressure to force the accumulated snow to recrystallize into ice. If the global
warming trend continues, the warmer temperatures would result in melting
glaciers, and the amount of snow accumulating in the snowfields would
decrease because more snow would also melt. The guiding question was,
How do climate conditions affect the size of a glacier? The goal of our
investigation was to find out how sea-level air temperature and the amount
of average snowfall affect the size of a glacier.
Method
To collect our data, we used a computer simulation that allowed us to
change the average amount of snowfall and sea-level air temperature, and
also measure the thickness and length of the glacier. There were two
different parts to our experiment; one part was changing the sea-level air
temperature, and the other part was changing the average amount snowfall.
When we changed one variable, we kept the other one at its control
condition; 1.2 feet for the average snowfall, and 58.5 degrees Fahrenheit for
the sea-level air temperature. For the first part, we kept the average amount
of snowfall at its control condition, and tested the thickness and length of the
glacier at three different sea-level air temperatures. For the second part, we
kept the sea-level air temperature at its control condition, and tested the
thickness and length of the glacier at three different average amounts of
snowfall. We also tested the thickness and length with both variables at their
control conditions. When calculating the thickness, we measured in three
different areas of the glaciernear the front, middle, and endand recorded
the average of the three numbers. Before each treatment condition was

tested, the simulation was reset, and we waited 500 years before collecting
the information. To analyze our data, we organized it into a table so we could
easily compare numbers next to each other to see how they had changed
compared to the measurements at the control conditions. We also created
line graphs so we could make observations on how little or much the
thickness and length had changed between each treatment condition.
The Argument
Our claim was that a rise in sea-level air temperature will cause the
size of the glacier to decrease, and a rise in the average amount of snowfall
will cause the size of the glacier to increase. Our evidence shows that when
we increased the sea-level air temperature, the thickness and length of the
glacier decreased. For example, if you look on the data table about
treatment conditions to sea-level air temperature, it shows when we
increased the sea level air temperature from 58.5 degrees Fahrenheit to 61.1
degrees Fahrenheit, the thickness of the glacier decreased from 854.9 feet to
569.9 feet, and the length decreased from 87,303 feet to 40, 879 feet. A
decrease in thickness and length suggests and indicates a decrease in the
size of the glacier. Global warming means a rise in global temperatures. The
warmer temperatures result in melting glaciers, which also means smaller
glaciers. This concept supports our evidence because the warmer sea-level
air temperature resulted in a smaller (and melted) glacier, the same way that
global warming would affect glaciers. Our evidence also shows that when we
increased the average amount of snowfall, the thickness and length of the
glacier increased. For example, if you look at the data table for treatment
conditions to average amount of snowfall, it shows when we increased the
snowfall from 2.4 feet to 3.6 feet, the thickness increased from 1,156.5 feet
to 1,260.7 feet, and the length increased from 149,836 feet to 181,726 feet.
An increase in the thickness and length of the glacier suggests and indicates
an increase in the size of the glacier. Glaciers are formed when snow
accumulates into an area (or snowfield) and the weight of the top layers of

snow exerts enough downward pressure to force the snow below to

recrystallize into ice. This concept supports our evidence because when the
amount of average snowfall increases, there would be more layers of snow.
This means more bottom layers that are available to recrystallize into ice,
and heavier top layers to force them to recrystallize. The result would be a
larger glacier. Therefore, our evidence supports our claim that a rise in sealevel air temperature will cause the size of the glacier to decrease, and a rise
in the average amount of snowfall will cause the size of the glacier to
increase.

Treatment Conditions to Sea-level Air Temperature

Average
Snowfall(f
eet)
Control
Condition
s

1.2

1.2
1.2
1.2

Sea-level
Air
Temperatur
e(F)
58.5

Thickness(
feet)

Length
(feet)

854.9

87,303

61.6
64.7
67.8

569.9

40,879
---

---

Treatment Conditions to Average Amount of Snowfall

Average
Snowfall(f
eet)
Control
1.2
Condition

Sea-level
Air
Temperatur
e(F)
58.5

Thickness(
feet)

Length
(feet)

854.9

87,303

s
2.4
3.6
4.8

58.5
58.5
58.5

1,156.5
1,260.7
1,311.3

149,836
181,726
203,018

Average Snowfall Average

vs. Thickness
Snowfall vs. Length of
Glacier

Thickness

Length
(feet)

Average
Snowfall
Average
Snowfall
(feet) (feet)

Sea-level Air Temperature vs. Thickness

of Glacier

Sea-level Air Temperature vs. Length

of Glacier

Length

Thickness

Sea-level Air

Sea-level Air