Users download and analyze MODIS imagery from 2001 and 2003 to quantify the shrinking of the Aral Sea. The chapter steps users through downloading, installing, and measuring with ImageJ, a freely available image analysis program. Users employ the software to set the spatial calibration of an image, then select and measure distances directly from the image. Measurement results are reported in real-world ... Full description.

This module provides three activities that explore the potential impact of climate variability and change on Earth's most abundant resource, water. Although each activity is designed to tap specific skills and knowledge to yield scientific results, the broader intent is to stimulate thought about the long-term impacts of a warmer planet. Through participation in these activities, students will observe ... Full description.

Visitors can access a variety of information on global warming, emissions and impacts of greenhouse gases, and what is being done to evaluate and remedy the effects of a changing climate. Interactive calculators are available online for assistance with estimating greenhouse gas emissions of specific activities and evaluating emission reduction opportunities. A searchable database by topic, information ... Full description.

This site presents two lessons that work together to help students understand who and what pollutes our water systems, as well as what may be done to try to clean it up. The activities are interdisciplinary in nature and involve the use of critical thinking and analysis to solve a problem. Full description.

In this lesson, students define and classify the various ways in which numbers are used in forecasting and coping with the effects of a hurricane. This is followed up with an opportunity for research to compare and contrast these numbers as they apply to Hurricane Floyd and other recent hurricanes. There are also directions on how students can graph their findings. Full description.

This module provides background information on El Nino and the mechanisms of the Southern Oscillation. Relationships of El Nino to climate change, weather phenomena and disease carrying organizms are also presented. Full description.

This site has something for everyone, from glaciologists to grade school students. It explores nearly all aspects of glaciers and includes data and science, facts, a gallery, and a glossary. Full description.

This site contains information about snow, glaciers, permafrost, sea ice and cryospheric trends. The cryosphere is the portion of the Earth's surface where water is in a solid form, usually snow or ice. Seasonal snow cover, the largest component of the cryosphere, covers up to 33 percent of the Earth's total land surface. Glaciers and ice sheets cover about 10 percent of the Earth's land area. Nearly ... Full description.

When different kinds of oil enter the sea, many physical, chemical and biological degradation processes start acting on them. This resource describes the factors that decide the physical, chemical and biological degradation of the oil, as well as potential environmental damage, effects on wildlife, and effects on habitats, of the spill. The text is color-coded to reflect the sources of the information, ... Full description.

Access to and control of the Shatt-al-Arab waterway has been an ongoing conflict between the countries of Iran and Iraq. This resource explores the major issues associated with this conflict; history, religion, navigation rights and trade. Full description.