Question

part e: the data table shows the average date of the first breakup of ice on the tanana river in alaska.

data table

decade	average date of first ice breakup
1970–1979	may 5
1980–1989	may 4
1990–1999	april 29

1. what trend in climate change is demonstrated by this data? ______________________
2. would a line graph or a bar graph be a better choice to represent this data? ______

Explanation:

Question 1

To determine the climate change trend, we analyze the average date of first ice breakup over decades. From 1960 - 1969 (May 7) to 1970 - 1979 (May 5), 1980 - 1989 (May 4), and 1990 - 1999 (April 29), the date of ice breakup is getting earlier. An earlier ice breakup suggests the climate is warming (since ice melts earlier with warmer temperatures).

A line graph is better for showing trends over time (decades here) as it connects data points to visualize how the average date of ice breakup changes continuously across successive decades. A bar graph is more for comparing discrete categories, while a line graph emphasizes the trend (change over time) in the data.

Answer:

The trend shows that the average date of the first ice breakup is getting earlier over time, indicating a warming climate (the river is freezing later or thawing earlier, consistent with global warming trends).

Question 2