CoAuthors

Justus Leben (University of Colorado Boulder, United States); Gabrielian Taylor (Fairview High School Boulder Colorado, United States); Benjamin Hamlington (Old Dominion University, United States); Robert Leben (University of Colorado Boulder, United States)

The motivation for this outreach effort is to establish a learning curriculum in Climate Science for high school students. Several experiments are performed in a sequence, designed to spark interest in scientific method and testing of theories, leading students to some predictable and non-trivial results in Climate Science. Two aspects of scientific theory are tested experimentally: salinity distribution in the ocean and the impact of fresh water influx on local sea levels. The learned concepts are used to understand basics of altimetry, determination of mean sea level and computation of mean dynamic topography. The students are also taught the basics of scientific experimentation, data collection, analysis and reporting. A logical chain of experiments builds knowledge about state of the ocean and use of radar for ocean remote sensing. The learning process emphasizes the role of altimetry in monitoring the state of the Earth’s climate system. This work was supported the NASA Supplemental Education Award for ROSES Investigators Program Grant 10-EDUC210-0003.