NOAA Sea Level Trends
Provided by: NOAA|Published on: March 20, 2021
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Data, Graphs, and Maps
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Geography
Authors: NOAA
Region: North America
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This interactive map illustrates sea level trends over time, using arrows to show rising and falling sea level in various places.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This interactive may be a good way to bring multiple disciplines together in an Earth systems approach.
- Students can investigate the role of plate tectonics, sedimentation, and past sea level trends.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students would benefit from having some background in the role that plate tectonics and regional glaciation have in changing the vertical position of land.
- Maps can also be viewed in Google Earth, but students will need to know how to do this and have access to it.
Differentiation
- If the interactive map will not open use this link.
- Science and math students can investigate sea level changes around the U.S. and others worldwide using the interactive map interface with supporting data plots and tables.
- The site provides a detailed explanation of the causes of sea level change, why understanding this is important, and the relationship to climate. Connect this to social studies lessons about how major cities and communities may be impacted by sea level rise.
- To extend this lesson, consider using this article or video about climate migrations to connect the effects of sea level rise with communities and then use this lesson from MIT about sea level rise to complete the lesson with other activities.
This resource is a highly interactive map plotting sea level trends across the globe with data stretching back over a century. Individual monitoring stations can be selected and their specific data examined. Additional tabs and resources provide additional maps, time series, and information. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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