Permafrost is dirt that remains frozen year-round for more than two years. Permafrost is formed when the summer months are not warm enough to fully thaw soil that freezes during the winter months. The permafrost present today can originate as far back as 20,000 years, but really we talk about permafrost once the soil has been frozen for two consecutive years or more.
Working in pairs, you will experiment to learn more about the properties of permafrost.
The day before: To conduct the experiment, you must first make a sample of permafrost. To do this, place a drinking straw in the center of a Styrofoam cup. One person holds the drinking straw vertically in place while the other adds soil to the cup until it is about half full. Place this cup in a freezer overnight. Repeat this procedure on a second cup, but this cup can remain at room temperature.
1. Begin by labeling your samples with your team name, and then recording the temperature of your soil samples. To do so, place your thermometer in the drinking straw. After 60 seconds, record the temperature. Repeat for each soil sample. Then replace the frozen sample in the freezer.
2. What would happen if the permafrost sample were left out of the refrigerator? Would the soil melt at an even rate or would one portion melt faster than the rest? Explain your answer below.