Polar Ice And Climate Change

Impacts of Climate Change Relating To Polar Ice Climate changes occur naturally over long periods of time on Earth, and it has been this way throughout Earth’s history. Currently, anthropological influences on earth have triggered a quickening rise in global temperatures and this in turn is causing a rapid change in earth’s climate. One of the major changes currently happening on earth is the melting of the polar ice caps. Major impacts relating to the melting of the polar ice caps include changes in ocean temperature, changes in ocean salinity, sea level rise/ flooding, changes in ocean circulations, loss of biodiversity, and loss of ecosystems as well as their services. All of these impacts could lead to devastating consequences for many
The sea level has been rising globally for the past 10,000 years before anthropologic influence, but due to large amounts of CO2 release the sea level is now rising rapidly. The warming of global temperatures over the past century that continues to grow with time causes this rise in sea level. Because of this growing global temperature, the ice caps are melting rapidly and will continue to melt at a faster rate. “…Even if we could stabilize concentrations of GHGs, we are already committed to significant warming and sea level rise no matter what scenario we follow (Gerald A. Meehl et al).” At this point, it would be impossible to avoid increased sea levels due to this melting. This melting means that many areas of low elevation will experience major flooding. Sea levels could rise by several meters in the next 100 years, leading to major land loss. Flooding can also lead to declines or shifts to local fisheries, leading to possible protein shortages in poorer populations, leading to famine. This could put many lives in jeopardy and could alter many coastal ecosystems, leading to loss of coastal infrastructure, coastal erosion, loss of human life, and the extinction of several species unable to adapt or move to another adequate
The reduction of large-scale mixing of water can cause the thermohaline circulation to shut down throughout the ocean. The thermohaline circulation is important for the ocean's biota as it brings nutrient-rich deep water up to the surface. Without this circulation of the oceans, Global temperatures would be determined almost completely by latitude. Europe would freeze without the warmth from the Gulf Stream. Melting of the polar ice caps could release a large quantity of freshwater into the ocean, which could slow or prevent normal thermohaline mixing and would affect the currents in various places around the world. In earth’s history, worldwide thermohaline circulation has shut down and recovered in the past, but this shut down still causes global climate to switch from warm to cold several times over. If an event like this were to happen in current day, massive crop failures would ensue in many places in the northern hemisphere. The thermohaline circulation is not likely to be disturbed if global warming is limited to 1°C or 2°C, but anything much higher could lead to a shut down of the thermohiline circulation