STOP 9, 20 Records from the past

- Instruction sheet Background information

To help to make climate forecasts for the future, it is useful to study past climate The field of science !hich aims to "ain #etter insi"ht into past climate on $arth and the mechanisms that are causin" climate chan"e is called palaeoclimatolo"y The floors of oceans and lakes are co%ered !ith %arious layers of mud-like sediments, !hich contain fossils One type of fossil from lake or ocean sediments that is often used #y palaeoclimatolo"ists is diatoms $ach kind of diatom has a different shape of its skeleton This difference is used to identify the %arious fossil types of diatom In addition to this, e%ery species "ro!s optimally under a certain temperature called the optimal temperature &To', so the presence of a certain species can pro%ide some clues a#out the climate at the time !hen the indi%iduals !ere still ali%e Scientists can determine the temperature at the time of formation, !hich is called the #alanced a%era"e temperature &Tm', #y applyin" the follo!in" formula(

Aim
Reconstructin" a climate history #y analy)in" the types of diatoms from a sediment core

Materials
*0 Petri dishes that correspond to sediment samples from different parts of a sediment core The depth and a"e are indicated on each Petri dish &+P years, years +efore Present' Sample Age (BP Depth (cm) number years)
* 2 . / 0 1 2 9 *0 *000 2000 .000 /000 -000 0000 1000 2000 9000 *0000 *0 *20 2.0 ./0 /-0

$ach Petri dish contains *2 pink, "reen, yello! and purple #eads $ach color represents a specific type of diatom that sur%i%es #est in certain temperatures &, optimal temperature, To' Type of diatom To ( )
pink yello! "reen purple 20 **0 -

Procedure
* 3olor the attached dia"ram &on the !orksheet' accordin" to the diatom composition found in each Petri dish 3ount the amount of #eads of each color found in each Petri dish and color the circles accordin"ly 4rom the #ottom &hori)ontal a5is' to the top of each column of circles, color first the pink ones, then the yello! ones, the "reen ones, and the purple ones 6ra! a line a#o%e the top set of pink dots 7 this !ill "i%e you a line !ith the a"e on the 8-a5is and the num#er of diatoms per type on the 9-a5is 3alculate the #alanced a%era"e temperature &Tm' for depths at *000 years +P, /000 years +P and 1000 years +P 4ill the :Ta#le of the Tm %alues; and ans!er the <uestion accordin" to the instructions pro%ided

2 .

This acti%ity has #een adapted for I$SO20** from the ori"inal %ersion titled :$5periment from the Past; pu#lished #y International Polar 4oundation http(==!!! educapoles or"= &* of . '

Records from the past &2,/pt'

>orksheet , 6ia"ram -

Table of Tm !alues
Age (years BP)

npink ? T0,pink nyello! ? T0,yello! n"reen ? T0,"reen npurple ? T0,purple ntotal

Tm ( )

*000 /000 1000

This acti%ity has #een adapted for I$SO20** from the ori"inal %ersion titled :$5periment from the Past; pu#lished #y International Polar 4oundation http(==!!! educapoles or"= &2 of . '

Analysis of the results

@uestion * &0,0pt' Put the . time periods listed in the ta#le a#o%e in the follo!in" ordinated list from the coldest &*' to the !armest &.' * &coldest' 2 . &!armest' , , , time periodAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB"e &years +P' time periodAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB"e &years +P' time periodAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB"e &years +P'

@uestion 2 &*,-pt' The cur%es for the t!o !arm periods sho! e5actly the same ma5imum in terms of num#er of :pink diatoms; !hile the #alanced a%era"e temperature &Tm' for these periods differ, ho! can you e5plain thatC &mark one correct ans!er' a' #' c' d' The most recent !arm period has more :purple diatoms; The Tm takes into account the relati%e composition of diatoms present in each sample The Tm takes into account the a"e of each samples The optimal temperature of the :pink diatoms; chan"es accordin" to the a"es

This acti%ity has #een adapted for I$SO20** from the ori"inal %ersion titled :$5periment from the Past; pu#lished #y International Polar 4oundation http(==!!! educapoles or"= &. of . '