Cryosphere Science Outreach using the Ice Sheet System Model and a Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory

Abstract:

Understanding the role of Cryosphere Science within the larger context of Sea Level Rise is both
a technical and educational challenge that needs to be addressed if the public at large is to truly
understand the implications and consequences of Climate Change. Within this context, we propose a
new approach in which scientific tools are used directly inside a mobile/website platform geared
towards Education/Outreach. Here, we apply this approach by using the Ice Sheet System Model, a state
of the art Cryosphere model developed at NASA, and integrated within a Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory,
with the goal is to outreach Cryospherescience to K-12 and College level students. The approach mixes
laboratory experiments, interactive classes/lessons on a website, and a simplified interface to a
full-fledged instance of ISSM to validate the classes/lessons. This novel approach leverages new
insights from the Outreach/Educational community and the interest of new generations in web based
technologies and simulation tools, all of it delivered in a seamlessly integrated web platform.

This work was performed at the California Institute of Technology's Jet Propulsion Laboratory under
a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Cryosphere Science Program.