For research projects in this class, you will form groups with 2 or 3 people in each group. Each group will start by reading a paper or papers about an issue involving ice and changing environments, and write a collaborative report of about 3000-4000 words equivalent (6-8 pages) about the issues involved. This is the way most scientific papers are written. Each group is also encouraged to explore or follow up ideas in directions of your choosing.

• For example, your basic goal could be to identify the key elements in the paper that are used to argue to a conclusion, summarize that argument, and then discuss implications for the environment and society.
• Or, you might take the approach of writing a job description for an environmental consultant, and then writing a report by that person for a politician's office, about a current topic involving glaciers and sea level, or water resources, etc.
• Your group might write a report about how to make this course communicate more effectively to larger numbers of students about environmental concerns involving glaciers and ice.

During the last several weeks of the quarter, you will have opportunities in class or lab for your groups to discuss ideas and to report your progress.

During the last week of the quarter, each group will present its findings to other class members in your Lab sections. I expect that you will question the other groups, to satisfy your curiosity about their topics and to ensure that they explain their research to you adequately. This is also your responsibility as a scientific audience.

Ideally, each group member will contribute substantially to your group paper. In addition to the group paper, I will also ask each of you to turn in a short (1 page or less) paper describing your activities and contributions to the group project. You will be able to post your statement in a Collect-It drop-box.

• After the first 4 weeks, you will have formed tentative groups and identified topics to explore.
• Each Group will make appointments to meet as a group with the instructor in week 5 or 6, and again in week 9 to discuss progress, ideas and issues. It will be the responsibility of each Group to arrange these and additional meetings as desired, for mutually convenient times.
• During Week 6, each Group will present a 1 page outline of their paper.
• During your final Lab sessions of the quarter, each group will present its findings to the rest of the class, and class members will ask questions about the topics.
• The written papers are due on the first day of exam week. A designated member of your group can place your final report in .pdf or.doc format in the Catalyst Collect-It box.

  Here are some sample topics

  • Global warming and stability of West Antarctic Ice Sheet
  • Why are ice shelves disintegrating in the Antarctic Peninsula?
  • Is East Antarctica growing or shrinking?
  • Will the Ross Ice Shelf break up in the near future?
  • Why are ice shelves disintegrating in the Canadian arctic?
  • Why are tidewater glaciers accelerating and retreating in Greenland?
  • The vanishing late-summer arctic sea ice
  • What's happening to our permafrost?
  • When will Washington State be glacier-free?
  • Risks of glacier outburst floods in Iceland, Africa, Asia in history
  • Glaciers and future water supplies in Asia or Africa
  • In our current interglacial typical of all others in the past 500,000 years?
  • Really fast climate change in the ice age
  • The Ice Age and human migration to the Americas
  • The ice releases its secrets - Kwaday Dan Ts'Inchi
  • Snowball Earth - did Earth freeze over in late Precambrian time?
  • Ice caps on Mars - is there a climate record there?

  If you can find partners who are also in your Lab section, your presentation (Week 10) will be logistically simpler.