Los Angeles Valley College Oceanography Scientific Inquiry

INTRODUCTION

Look at the map (pictured above) and follow the path of the research ship from the tip of South America to the Ross Ice Shelf.

Notice that one part of the trip will be over open ocean that rarely sees ice cover (between points 1 and 2), a second part will be over water which experiences seasonal ice cover (between 2 and 3), and a third part will be near ice shelves that cover the ocean for long time periods (area 4). The imaginary team will take a sediment core at each place.

This scientific inquiry will take place in three stages:

First Stage – DUE FRI. JAN. 21 for 10 pts – Initial Individual Analysis:

Each researcher in your group should choose ONE of the locations described in the thread below that has not yet been responded to by another team member.

Reply to that thread with the title (#) and picture of the sediment card Download sediment cardthat you think best represents the types of sediment likely found in a core sample taken from that location.

In your response, describe your reasoning and list any evidence that you observed to make this determination.

Second Stage – DUE SUN. JAN. 23 for 7.5 pts (2.5 pts for each response):

• Peer Review (3 posts): Each researcher will read through each of their teammates analyses and respond with a critical analysis that questions and/or expands on the analysis presented. Your response should be substantive. In other words if you want to say that you agree with a fellow researcher’s analysis give specific reason(s) for your accordance. Your response should also attempt to explain the conditions that might account for the sedimentation rate indicated on the card that matches each site.

Third Stage – DUE MON. JAN. 24 for 2.5 points

• Respond to peer review (1 post): After group members have responded to your initial post, circle back to read your peers’ feedback on their original post and compose a composite response to address the questions raised in that thread. In other words, you will respond to your fellow researcher’s responses to your drill site analysis