Video 2: Fire and Ice

On geological time scales gradual change is hard to gauge, but innovative technology and old-fashioned field work can help us understand how Antarctica and Earth have changed over time. In addition to volcanoes, ice caves, and ice streams, this video provides an intriguing case study in the scientific method.

  •  "Ice in Motion" follows geologist Sridhar Anandakrishnan and his team as they use explosive charges to document the movement of fast-flowing streams of ice by imaging the mile-deep rock-ice boundary.

  •  "Fire Down Below" uses the 13,000 foot volcano, Mt. Erebus, to illustrate that one possible reason for the rapid motion of the ice streams may be Earth's geothermal heat.

  •  "Reading the Rocks" shows two geologists attempting to document Antarctica's past climate, in part to provide a baseline upon which to understand what might happen in the future.

    • Through the video and related activities your students will:

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