DISCUSSIONS
Topics for discussion sessions and links to information on these topics
RESOURCES
Access to class materials and reference to relevant text chapters for each topic
ASSIGN.
Details of position paper
A summary of course themes and learning objectives
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Questions Concerning the Snowball Earth
- How would you describe the snowball Earth hypothesis?
- What are its central principles?
- What new processes developed, or characteristics of Earth
were
changed?
- When do it occur and how long did it last?
- What arguments substantiate or refute the principles of the snowball Earth?
- What theoretical evidence confirms them?
- What observations or measurements provide support for the concept?
- What are the major weaknesses of the hypothesis?
- How has the validity of this hypothesis been tested?
- What data sets contribute to this discussion?
- How do isotopic measurements contribute to this view?
- Has the hypotheis proven its utility through predictions?
- What aspects of the hypothesis are most controversial?
- How does the snowball Earth hypothesis influence our view of Earth's climate history?
- What effect did it have on life on Earth?
- Could it occur again?
Websites with Resources and Information on Snowball Earth
- Primary Resource: Scientific American Site;
- Secondary Resource: Additional information from Hoffman
- Alternatives and Refutations
- Causes of the Snowball
- Variation: Slushball Earth: scroll down to Oct 2002
- Discussions of hypothesis
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