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Grade 9 · Science · Earth and Space Science

9th grade Warming oceans, rising seas and melting ice worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

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Warming oceans, rising seas and melting ice

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    Use this

    A climate chart with ocean heat content and sea level both rising.

  2. About what share of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases does the ocean store, by Ari's reading (NOAA)?

    • About 1%
    • About 91%
    • About 9%
    • About 50%
  3. How can satellites help track ocean heat across the globe, by Bo's reading (NOAA)?

    • They count icebergs, since each one stores ocean heat
    • They measure sea-surface height, since warmer water expands
    • They see heat glowing from the deep sea floor
    • They track air heat, since the air stores most of it
  4. Note: Total 1901–2018, about 0.20 m. Using the table, what was the average rate of sea-level rise from 2006 to 2018, by Jun's reading (IPCC AR6)?

    • 1.3 mm a year
    • 1.9 mm a year
    • 0.20 m a year
    • 3.7 mm a year
  5. A climate chart with ocean heat content and sea level both rising. Which two things mostly cause today's sea-level rise, by Milo's reading (NOAA)?

    • More rivers flowing, and bigger waves at sea
    • Melt water from land ice, and warm seawater expanding
    • Seawater shrinking as it warms, and new icebergs
    • Melting floating sea ice, and more rain over the ocean
  6. What is sea ice, by Noah's reading (NSIDC)?

    • Glacier ice that slid off the land into the sea
    • Frozen ocean water that forms and melts in the ocean
    • Frozen river water carried out to the sea
    • Snow piled up on land along the coast
  7. Which kinds of ice start on land, by Pia's reading (NSIDC)?

    Use the picture in question 5.

    • Sea ice and the pack ice around it
    • Frozen ocean surface water near the poles
    • Glaciers, ice shelves and icebergs
    • Sea ice, which freezes from seawater
  8. IPCC AR6: how did Arctic sea-ice area in September change from 1979–1988 to 2010–2019, by Ren's reading?

    Use the picture in question 5.

    • It grew by about 40%
    • It shrank by about 40%
    • It held steady
    • It shrank by about 4%
  9. Use this

    A pH scale with a small step down from about 8.2 to about 8.1.

  10. How much has surface ocean pH fallen since the industrial revolution, by Tala's reading (NOAA)?

    • About 1 pH unit
    • About 0.1 pH units
    • About 30 pH units
    • It rose about 0.1 pH units
  11. NOAA: pH fell 0.1, but the pH scale is logarithmic. About how much did acidity rise, by Zee's reading?

    • About 1%
    • About 30%
    • About 0.1%
    • It fell about 30%
  12. What forms when CO₂ dissolves in seawater, by Esme's reading (NOAA)?

    • A strong acid that boils the water
    • Table salt
    • Pure oxygen gas
    • Carbonic acid, a weak acid
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9th grade Warming oceans, rising seas and melting ice worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Explain warming oceans, rising seas and melting ice. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can explain that the ocean stores about 91% of the extra heat and that warming water expands.
  • I can read sea-level rates and totals (about 0.20 m from 1901 to 2018, faster lately), explain the two main causes, and tell sea ice from land ice.
  • I can explain how absorbed CO₂ lowered ocean pH by about 0.1 (about 30% more acidic) and read sea-level projections as scenario ranges.

Standard: HS-ESS3-5, HS-ESS3-6

Words to know

thermal expansion: Water taking up more room as it warms

land ice: Glaciers, ice sheets and ice shelves that started on land

sea ice: Frozen ocean water that forms and melts in the ocean

rate of rise: How fast sea level climbs, in mm per year

pH: A scale of acidity; lower means more acidic

carbonate ion: A dissolved ion that shell builders use to make shells

Common mistakes

Your child misplaced the extra heat. NOAA: the ocean stores about 91% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases; the air holds a small share.

Your child mixed up floating and land ice. NSIDC: sea ice is frozen ocean water; icebergs, glaciers and ice shelves start on land. NOAA: rising seas come from land-ice melt and warming water.

Your child left out or reversed thermal expansion. NOAA: seawater expands as it warms; with melt water from land ice, it raises sea level.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with warming oceans, rising seas and melting ice?

Your child misplaced the extra heat. NOAA: the ocean stores about 91% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases; the air holds a small share.

Are these 9th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More earth and space science

See all Earth and Space Science

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