Module IX Response

Essential Question: How are climate, terrestrial ice and Alaskan indigenous cultures all connected?

Terrestrial ice is frozen fresh water that is formed on land. Terrestrial ice shouldn’t be confused with sea ice, which is made of frozen salt water and is typically thinner than terrestrial ice.

According to one of our Teachers' Domain videos on Antarctica, 70% of the Earth’s fresh water is frozen in and around the continent of Antarctica. As the ice melts, it contributes to the Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) that surrounds the continent. AABW, when compared to other water masses in the ocean, is very cold, dense, and fresh. This bottom water moves northward toward the equator and is responsible for circulation of water and nutrients around the planet, much like the Arctic. The process of large-scale ocean circulation driven by differences in densities due to salinity, and temperature is called thermohaline circulation. Thermohaline circulation greatly impacts global climate patterns as they interact with the surrounding atmosphere. In fact, it has been postulated that the Little Ice Age was a result of a slowing of thermohaline circulation due a large amount of fresh water entering the North Atlantic after a period of global warming. There are some that are concerned that the melting of Antarctica and the Arctic could cause another shutdown to thermohaline circulation.

The rest of the world’s terrestrial ice is mostly distributed throughout the world as glaciers. Alaska is well known for its cold climate and beautiful glaciers, but actually makes up very little of the world’s terrestrial ice. However, ice has made a huge impact in shaping the unique indigenous cultures within the state.

A good example of this is the Tlingit people in Southeast Alaska. They tell a migration story of how they came to Southeast. All the Tlingit stories are owned by specific clans. Stories are only told when permission is obtained by the clan. However, this story was published on many websites including Wikipedia, so I am assuming that it is allowed public access and it is alright to refer to it in this blog. Originally they were part of the Athabascan people in the interior of Alaska. A group decided to find lands that were more plentiful with food. During their journey they came to a glacier and were overwhelmed with the thought of crossing it. They noticed a river coming from underneath the glacier and decided to send a small group in a canoe to see if there was a way through to the other side. The Tlingit dance group I belong to still sings a two part series that was supposedly composed at this time of their migration and tell the story in remembrance.

Another example is the Tlingit people in Hoonah, Alaska. My father was adopted into the Chookaneidi clan, which is one of the main clans in the area. They tell of getting pushed out of their original homeland of Glacier Bay by the glaciers about 800 years ago. The story tells of a fast moving glacier that was as fast as a “running dog”. The Chookaneidi still make the noise the glacier made as it pushed them out during certain ceremonies. There is a great YouTube video briefly telling a brief version of the story called, Tlingit Creation Story of Glacier Bay.

Module IX was packed full of resources that allow students to connect climate, terrestrial ice, and Alaskan indigenous culture at a new level. I spent probably twice as much time perusing the links in this module than in any of the others. They were that good. Just to highlight a few that were of particular interest to me were the USGS links of where Earth’s fresh water is located and where Earth’s glaciers are located. These were great for me to really visualize how much fresh water is locked up in Antarctica, and how we in Alaska relate to the rest of the world in terms of terrestrial ice. In addition, USGS laid it out nicely for how much sea level would rise if all the ice melted in particular locations around the world. I also connected to the Extreme Ice Survey website with the time lapse Vimeo of the Mendenhall Glacier. Wow, glaciers really do move like water! I showed my family members the YouTube and Teachers’ Domain videos related to permafrost. I found myself thinking about melting permafrost all week and thinking about the potential harm it will do to our state. These resources prove to be invaluable for not only my education, but for the people around me and my students.