In this activity, students will predict, observe, and compare melt rates of ice under different temperature conditions and in different solutions.

Ice cubes (4-6 per group, uniform size and shape)

Colander, mesh strainer, or other similar device

(Optional) pitchers for pouring water

(Optional) basin for catching poured water

The Greenland ice sheet is the second largest body of ice in the world right behind the Antarctic ice sheet. As the ice sheet melts, the water flows into the ocean, contributing to global sea level rise.

As glacier ice melts, some of the water can reach the ground below the ice, forming a river that channels glacier water into the ocean. As it flows into the ocean, this cold, fresh meltwater will rise above the warmer, salty ocean water because freshwater is less dense than salt water.

The rising cold water then draws in the warmer ocean water, melting the face of the glacier from the bottom up. This creates an overhang of ice, the edges of which will eventually break off in a process called calving, which quickly adds more ice to the ocean. As ocean waters warm, this calving process speeds up.

This narrated animation shows warm ocean water is melting glaciers from below, causing their edges to break off in a process called calving. Credit: NASA | Watch on YouTube

Understanding these different factors that contribute to Greenland's melting ice sheet is an important part of improving estimates of sea level rise. The Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) mission was designed to help scientists do just that using a combination of water temperature probes, precise glacier elevation measurements, airborne marine gravity, and ship-based observations of the sea floor geometry. The mission, which ran from 2016 to 2022, provided a data set that scientists can now use to model ocean/ice interactions and improve estimates of global sea level rise.

Fill one container with room-temperature water and a second container with hot water. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

Place an ice cube in each container of water and time how long it takes the ice to melt. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

The cup on the left (with blue food coloring) contained ice melted in a saltwater solution while the one on the right (with the red food coloring) contained ice melted in a freshwater solution. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech | + Expand image

Students learn the difference between land ice and sea ice and make a model to see how the melting of each impacts global sea level.

Learn all about glaciers in this slideshow from NASA's Climate Kids website

What is sea-level rise and how does it affect us? This "Teachable Moment" looks at the science behind sea-level rise and offers lessons and tools for teaching students about this important climate topic.

Explore a collection of standards-aligned STEM lessons for students that get them investigating climate change along with NASA.

Learn the difference between land ice and sea ice, then do an experiment to see how the melting of each contributes to global sea level rise.

Learn about climate change and its impacts with these projects, videos, and slideshows for students.

Explore how the OMG mission discovered what's behind one of the largest contributors to global sea level rise. Plus, learn what it means for communities around the world and how to get students engaged.

To learn how ocean water is melting glaciers, NASA’s Oceans Melting Greenland mission extensively surveyed the coastline of the world’s largest island.

Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot

Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen

Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed

Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics)