Researchers have a number of questions that they hope to answer by investigating Antarctica. The Earth’s southernmost continent is composed of land that is completely encircled by ocean and in most places, is covered by ½ mile of glacial ice. Sometimes called a polar desert, Antarctica is the most arid of all the continents, with very little snow falling each year. Scientists wonder what type of land forms can be identified beneath the ice, how glaciers work, and if movement of under-ice rivers and lakes causes the ice sheets to move forward more quickly. They seek to discover what life forms are able to live there, and what special adaptations diverse species may have developed in order to survive. They need hard evidence regarding what changes are being triggered by global warming and what the possible dangers are to wildlife and to humans.
In 2007 the International Polar Year began, when researchers from more than 60 countries conducted more than 200 investigative projects in Antarctica and the Arctic. These experts included glaciologists, climatologists, mathematical ecologists, oceanographers, zoologists, and marine biologists, who used a variety of techniques in their research. They utilized a satellite called ICESat, which was able to make remote measurements of Antarctica as it orbited the Earth. These calculations indicated that the ice sheets move approximately 4 feet per day, and they may rise and fall about 10 to 15 feet. A sophisticated Global Positioning System (GPS) device has also been used, which is able to continuously and simultaneously track the horizontal movement and the vertical movement of the ice to within ½ inch.
Researchers have also made detailed comparisons of meteorological records from...
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... also changes the ocean environment. Many cold-climate animals, such as the king penguin, depend on ice for survival.
Research has shown that our modern lifestyles affect faraway places like Antarctica, whose mysteries have barely been ascertained. Instead of depending on cars and scooters that burn fossil fuels, we can take a healthy walk, ride a bicycle, or use public transportation. We can be more conscientious about using power, since power plants contribute heavily to pollution and global warming, by choosing efficient fluorescent light bulbs, and turning lights off when they aren’t in use. Factories are another source of global warming, so we need to recycle and reuse instead of always buying new goods. We can urge others, especially our politicians, to be globally responsible, and to support continual research that helps us learn how to protect our world.
Swimming to Antarctica, by Lynne Cox, is about Lynne’s adventure to become a great long distance swimmer. Lynne started as a slow swimmer. During practice, she never rested for each instruction the coach gives. She later found out that she wanted to be a long distance swimmer. Her coach told her to join a race on a lake. She went and she loved to swim in the open waters. She then went to a different program that trained her to swim in the open waters.
It is an unquestioned fact that the climate is changing. There is abundant evidence that the world is becoming warmer and warmer. The temperature of the global land average temperature has increased by about 8.5 degrees centigrade from 1880 to 2012 (Karr, et al 406). The one or two degrees increase in temperature can cause dramatic and serious consequences to the earth as well as humans. More extreme weather occurs, such as heat waves and droughts. The Arctic Region is especially sensitive to global climate change. According to the data in recent decades, the temperature in the Arctic has increased by more than 2 degrees centigrade in the recent half century (Przybylak 316). Climate change has led to a series of environmental and ecological negative
The planet we live in, the earth is a tiny composition in this huge universe. It has diversities ranging from highly variant temperature and pressure belts as well as various ecosystem types. One such remarkable feature of the earth is the polar ice caps. There are three major prominent features, the Antarctic ice on the South Pole, the Arctic ice on the North Pole and Greenland on the north between North America and Europe. Antarctica consist about 90 percent of the world's ice (and 70 percent of its fresh water). It is covered with ice an average of 2,133 meters (7,000 feet) thick. If all of the Antarctic ice melted, sea levels around the world would rise about 61 meters (200 feet). The Arctic ice is not so thick in comparison and it mostly floats in the Arctic Ocean. Greenland, on the other hand would add another 7 meters (20 feet) to the oceans if it melted because Greenland is closer to the equator than Antarctica, the temperatures there are higher, so the ice is more likely to melt. Scientists from the Universities of London and Edinburgh say that ice loss in Antarctica and Greenland together contribute approximately 12 percent of the rise in sea levels. The melting of these enormous ice bodies can significantly impact the global changes in climate and reversely, this climate changes also impact the melting of the ice bodies. It is a two way process and the causes are mostly anthropogenic.
The consequences as the result of the earth warming up cannot be ignored any longer. We need to stop wasting our time debating if climate change is man-made or a natural phenomenon. It is clear to me, and many scientists, that we are slowly killing our planet and all its inhabitants (human and non-human animals). We need to stand united and stand tall in this fight to save the ecosystems. We have become an over populated consumerist society, consuming far more natural resources and energy than the generations before the Industrial Revolution. Thus giving off substantial amounts of greenhouse gases that dramatically change the temperature of our planet. It is well documented in various reports how much the Earth’s temperature is rising and is predicted to rise at a rate of 2°C in the next two to three decades. With two-thirds of the world’s population living within two hundred miles of seacoast, and with most of the world’s economy concentrated in coastal cities, rising sea levels would cause immense devastation. Climate change is happening before our eyes with unpredictable storms and weather patterns, severe droughts, and melting polar caps. It is up to each of us to change our behavior to a more sustainable one, by utilizing renewable energy sources--humankind and the Earth are depending on it (Lovelock
Amos, Jonathan. “Deep Ice tells Long Climate Story.” BBC News. BBC News. 9/4/2006. Web. 4 Apr. 2014.
As the world becomes continually warmer, the effect of climate change in the arctic regions becomes more intense. Within the past 50 years, arctic regions in Canada have experienced warming of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius (Fergal & Prowse, 2007). One of the most important areas in the Canadian arctic is the Cryosphere (Appendix A), which is the area consisting of season snow cover, permafrost glaciers, and sea ice (Fergal & Prowse, 2007). This area is significant because it has provided a stabilized surface for building pipelines, as well as provides access to northern communities (Fergal & Prowse, 2007).
Climate change, or global warming, is a major issue affecting many species around the globe. Climate change can be caused by burning fossil fuels, breeding cattle that create methane, cutting down forests which absorb carbon dioxide, and the extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere trapping the sunlight. These factors warm up the earth, and in the past century the earth has warmed by an average of about 1°. This doesn’t sound like much however on a global scale it’s huge and scientists predict a rise of up to 6°C in this century if greenhouse gasses are not cut drastically. Climate change is not just about the arctic sea ice melting, there are many other implications such as, severe storms, floods, and droughts; the sea becoming more acidic; rainforests dying, and drastic rise in sea levels. There are current strategies in place which are tackling climate change in general such as renewable energy and low carbon transport however there are also management strategies that are specific to species directly affected by climate change. When considering the species affected, many will think of the obvious species such as the polar bear and species living in cold habitats with snow and ice. This essay will address the impacts of climate change on an obvious species, the snow leopard, and a not so obvious species, sea turtles, and evaluate whether the current management of these species will be adequate to protect them in the future. It will also discuss alternative or additional management options that might help these species persist under a changing climate.
Climate change occurs when there is a significant variance in the climate which last for several decades or longer and not for a short period of time. Climate change includes changes in elements such as temperature, precipitation and wind patterns.
According to the IPCC, climate change is defined as variations of climate conditions and its fluctuations existing on a long term particularly decades or longer (IPCC's Glossary, 2006).The alteration varies from changes in temperature, humidity, precipitation to the rise and fall sea level, or severe changes in landscape. Since the 1800s, the earth has had variant changes in global hemispheric temperature which mostly depicts the decrease of temperature. However, at the start of 1970s, temperature begins to rise up simultaneously in all regions for over roughly a century, an event that was unseen before (Figure 1.1) (Jones, 2011). Furthermore, as earth’s temperature is getting warmer, the ice in the Arctic Ocean began to melt in the warming temperature. The liquidation of the Arctic Ice has been occurring since the 1970s, however in Septem...
As the following report demonstrates, some species are adapting to climate changes while many others are not. In some cases, laboratory experiments have lead to the conclusion that certain species can or cannot adapt and evolve. This research is not sufficient to make definitive statements regarding what will happen to species if temperatures and sea levels continue to rise.
Climate Change is any substantial change in climate that lasts for an extended period of time. One contributor to current climate change is global warming, which is an increase in Earth’s average temperature. Plants and animal species throughout the world are being affected by rising temperatures. Many plants are flowering earlier now than they once did; animals, such as the yellowbellied marmot, are emerging from hibernation earlier; and many bird and butterfly species are migrating north and breeding earlier in the spring than they did a few decades ago, all because of slight changes in temperature cues. (Shuster)
The polar regions are most affected and vulnerable to the warming temperatures because the poles are covered in ice. The world’s ice sheets are melting faster than ever and temperatures in the Arctic region are rising twice as fast as anywhere else on Earth according to the NRDC. This will have a serious impact on people, wildlife and plants in that region. The National Climate Assessment has said that “By the year 2100, it 's estimated our oceans will be one to four feet higher, threatening coastal systems and low-lying areas, including entire island nations and the world 's largest cities, including New York, Los Angeles, and Miami as well as Mumbai, Sydney, and Rio de Janeiro”. Polar bears are in great threat as the ice sheets melt because they use the ice to travel across the land and hunt. As the sea-ice platforms move further apart, the swimming conditions become more dangerous. The U.S Geological Survey done by the National Wildlife Federation predicts that by the year 2050, two thirds of all polar bears will disappear. Researcher Bill Fraser has tracked the Adelie penguins in Antarctica and reported the numbers have fallen from 32,000 to only 11,000 over the last 30
One of the most substantial problems in the world today is global warming. This gradual warming of the earth is in occurrence at an extremely slow rate but it is happening. Many scientists believe that as human’s work and release greenhouse gases into the earth’s atmosphere, it can become dangerous for the long lasting life of humans and our environment. “Unless we take immediate action, the impacts of global warming will continue to intensify, grow ever more costly and damaging, and increasingly affect the entire planet - including you, your community, and your family” (“Global Warming Impacts”). Everyone should be knowledgeable about global warming and the dangers that it brings to our planet. This essay will examine
... of extreme weather and melting ice caps are indicators of global warming. Because these things will affect society, there are important decisions that have to be made in the present as well as in the future to secure people’s lives and lifestyles. The world community is aware of this serious issue and do already prepare for projects to slow down global warming, but they still have to improve. If the world leaders stop worrying about this issue, the future generations could be in danger. The future lifestyles will be affected by the decisions made in the present day. Society has much to improve to save energy and to lower greenhouse gas emissions. There are also small things people can do to help. Individuals can live a life without wasting energy or polluting the environment. Without effort, global warming endangers the quality of life for the future generations.