INSTRUCTIONS: You browser window should be split into two frames. The top frame contains these instructions and questions for you to answer. The bottom frame contains a document on Ice Ages from the Illinois State Museum. There are 3 links at the bottom of the Ice Ages page that you must read: 1-What are ice ages (1 page); 2-When did ice ages occur (1 page); 3- Why do ice ages occur (2 links that you must read).

The objective of this lesson is to learn about some of the factors that affect global climate change. By the end of this lesson you should know:

  • what an ice age is;
  • when ice ages occurred during the earth's history;
  • what some of the factors are that may affect earth's climate;

Type your answers into the text fields (boxes) below. When you are finished, click on the "submit" button to send your answers to your instructor.

Instructor's Name

Instructor's Full Email Address (example:klemke@uwsp.edu):

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  1. What are ice ages?


  2. When did ice ages occur?


  3. With respect to plate tectonics, what appears to be a prerequisite for the development of continental glaciers?


  4. How can the uplift of continental blocks lead to ice ages?


  5. What are carbon dioxide concentrations like during ice ages?


  6. What three changes in the earth's orbit may affect global climatic conditions?


  7. What does eccentricity of the earth's orbit refer to?


  8. The tilt of the earth's axis varies from a minimum of to a maximum of .

  9. Why is the changing of aphelion and perihelion important for climate?

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© Karen A. Lemke: klemke@uwsp.edu
Last revised January 15, 2003