Activity 1:
The Aral Sea:
Q1. What effect has the construction of dams on the Syr Darya and Amu Darya had on the transport of freshwater to the Aral sea lake basin?
Q2. Why were these dams constructed?
Q3. What is the cause of the health hazards for the people who still live in the vicinity of the Aral sea?
Q4. What are the five environmental consequences that diversity water from the Aral Sea had on the surrounding environment?
Activity 2:
Q1. What specific illness have the people of the surrounding area experienced at increased rates?
Q2. What are some measures the local people are taking to address the negative environment consequences of the lake drying up?
Activity 3:
1) Approximately when did Lake Bouneville reach its greatest water depth and area?
2) What did the Bounville Flood take place?
3) What was the magnitude in the reduction of the lake level resulting from the flood?
4) What caused this rapid draining of Lake Bounville and the associated flood event?
5) Whom was Great Salt lake at its best historic level? How low was the water level?
Activity 4:
Q1. What is the main factor controlling the drop in the Great Salt lake water leven since the mid-1980s?
Q2. What are some of the consequences of this drop in lake level?
Q3. What is the primary way that the Great salt lake hydrolic system differs from that of the Aral sea?
Activity 5:
Q1. Why are mountain ecosystems hydrologically important?
Q2. Why are effects of climate change easier to see in mountain glaciers?
Q3. Give five ecological consequences of the melting of mountain glaciers?
Q4. Over what period of time have these glaciers been retreating?
Activity 6:
Q1. Where is the glacier located in the photograph?
Q2. What are the two types of linear featrures that extend across the glacier?
Q3. Is the laterally extensive apron of snow at the base of the steep cliff face part of a glacier?
Q4. Is there evidence of movement of rock material down this paron? If so, what is it?
Q5. What process is taking place at the top of the glacier?
Activity 7:
Q1. What physical parameters (data layers) were included in construction of this model?
Q2. If no further warning occurs, by when does the model predict that all of the remaining glaciers will disappear?
Q3. Using current trends in warming, by when are the glaciers predicted to be gone?
Q4. What is happening to the different vegetation zones through time as depicted in the model?