Warming oceans, rising seas and melting ice
Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me
Circle the best answer.
A classmate says melting floating sea ice is the main cause of sea-level rise. Which reply fits NOAA and NSIDC, by Esme's reading?
- No; sea level has held steady since 1880
- No; rise comes mostly from land-ice melt and warming water expanding
- Correct; floating sea ice holds most of the ocean's new water
- Correct; seawater shrinks as it warms, so melting sea ice must be the cause
A climate chart with ocean heat content and sea level both rising. A student says the air has taken up most of the extra heat. Which reply fits NOAA, by Jun's reading?
- No; the ocean stores about 91% of the excess heat
- Correct; the air stores about 91% of the excess heat
- No; ice sheets store about 91% of it
- Correct; heat stays near the ground and skips the ocean
Read this first
Projected sea-level rise by 2100 vs 1995–2014 (IPCC AR6)
Scenario Likely range SSP1-1.9 (very low emissions) 0.28 to 0.55 m SSP1-2.6 (low) 0.32 to 0.62 m SSP2-4.5 (intermediate) 0.44 to 0.76 m SSP5-8.5 (very high) 0.63 to 1.01 m Note: Projections, not measurements.
A student says IPCC predicts exactly 1 m of sea-level rise by 2100. Which reply fits AR6, by Kira's reading?
- No; likely ranges run from 0.28–0.55 m (SSP1-1.9) to 0.63–1.01 m (SSP5-8.5)
- Correct; a 1 m rise was already measured during the 20th century
- Correct; each of the scenarios gives the very same 1 m of rise by the year 2100
- No; IPCC projects that sea level will fall by 2100 in each scenario
Using the projection table, how much wider is the SSP5-8.5 likely range than the SSP1-1.9 range, by Milo's math?
- About 0.46 m wider
- No wider; each scenario gives one exact number
- About 0.11 m wider
- About 0.38 m wider
Use this
A climate chart with ocean heat content and sea level both rising.
NASA: satellites show about 115 mm of rise since 1993. Over about 32 years, what is the average rate, by Noah's math?
- About 147 mm a year
- About 3.6 mm a year
- About 36 mm a year
- About 0.28 mm a year
Which evidence best shows that the ocean is gaining heat, by Pia's reading (NOAA)?
- A measured full-depth heat gain of 0.66 to 0.74 W/m² for 1993–2024
- Arctic sea ice grew each September
- The air took up about 91% of the extra heat
- Sea level fell as the water cooled
Note: Total 1901–2018, about 0.20 m. Which evidence best supports that sea-level rise is speeding up, by Ren's reading (IPCC AR6)?
- Sea level stayed flat from 1901 to 1971, then jumped
- Rates rose from 1.3 to 1.9 to 3.7 mm a year across 1901–2018
- Sea level rose about 0.20 m in 2018 alone
- The rate fell from 3.7 to 1.9 to 1.3 mm a year across 1901–2018
A pH scale with a small step down from about 8.2 to about 8.1. Which observation best supports that ocean water is becoming more acidic, by Tala's reading (NOAA)?
- Seawater has turned into a strong acid
- Ocean salt levels doubled since 1850
- Surface pH fell about 0.1, as the ocean took in more CO₂
- Surface pH rose about 0.1, as CO₂ left the ocean
Which summary of sea ice fits NSIDC and IPCC AR6, by Ari's reading?
- Ice from land glaciers; Arctic September ice grew about 40% by 2010–2019
- Frozen river water; Arctic sea ice has held steady since 1979
- Frozen ocean water; Arctic September ice shrank about 40% by 2010–2019
- Frozen ocean water that adds new water to the sea as it melts
A pH scale with a small step down from about 8.2 to about 8.1. Which summary of ocean chemistry fits NOAA, by Bo's reading?
- Absorbed CO₂ raised pH about 0.1, so shells grow faster than before
- Absorbed CO₂ made the ocean an acid, with its pH now below 7
- Warming made seawater saltier, so shells dissolve in it faster
- Absorbed CO₂ lowered pH about 0.1, about 30% more acidic, so shells are harder to build