An Introduction to Isotope Analysis in Climate Science
Provided by: Paleontological Research Institution|Published on: April 27, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Chemistry, Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Paleontological Research Institution, Ingrid Zabel
Location: Earth
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 video from the Paleontological Research Institution describes how scientists can determine ancient climates using isotopes of oxygen in ancient ocean sediments.
- Students will learn how scientists do chemical analyses of fossilized shells in sediment cores to determine historical temperatures.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students will learn how to use different resources to research paleontological climate data.
- The diagrams used are simple and do a great job of explaining the processes being described.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should have a basic understanding of the hydrologic cycle.
- Students should be familiar with atomic structure.
- The Museum of Earth website link in the description is broken.
Differentiation
- Students can research climates from 100, 1,000, 10,000, 100,000, and 1,000,000 years ago and analyze the processes scientists used to determine each.
- Students can explore the additional resources listed in the description.
- Biology and chemistry classes could use this video for lessons about atomic structure, subatomic particles, the uses of stable isotopes in medicine, ecology, biology, and Earth sciences.
- Students can also explore this lesson about isotopes and getting past temperatures from ice cores.
- For more information about isotopes, students can explore this lesson about different types of isotopes and how they can be used to make scientific discoveries.
This 5-minute video discusses how we know what the Earth's climate was like tens and hundreds of thousands of years ago via climate proxies such as carbon isotopes found in microscopic shells and other sources. 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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