Tag Archives: greenhouse gases

When Ice Sheets Melt

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The Western Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) is part of the continental ice sheet covering West Antarctica on the side of the Trans-antarctic Mountains in the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by the Ronne Ice Shelf on the North, by the Ross Ice Shelf on the Southeast, and outlet glaciers that drain into the Amundsen Sea on the Southwest. A remnant of the ice age, it is larger than Mexico and makes up 10 percent of the estimated 25.4 million cubic kilometers Antarctic ice sheet. Should it break up due to global warming, which is feared could happen sooner than anticipated, the sea level could rise by 12 feet or more.

The Western Antarctic Ice Sheet is just one region. Ice in other regions could melt too and over time the world’s coastlines will be submerged in water along with many great cities old and new. During a climatic period around 125,000 years ago, the sea level had risen to 20 to 30 feet higher compared to today’s sea level.

For half a century, scientists have been monitoring the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and had assumed that the worst effects of climate change would be realized over a span of hundreds, and even thousands of years. But new research suggests that the ice is melting at a lot faster rate than anticipated. According to a study published on March by the journal, Nature, continued high emissions of greenhouse gases would cause the disintegration of the ice sheets within decades. This would in turn cause the sea level to rise up to 3 feet by the end of this century. Beyond 2100, the situation would grow far worse as the sea could rise more than a pace of a foot per decade by the middle of the 22nd century.

While it might be possible that the actual situation could turn out far less catastrophic than anticipated, the fact that this disaster scenario has been brought to light strongly suggests that if proper measures to decelerate climate change are not put into place and strictly observed, then humanity will suffer immeasurable loss and damage. The melting of sea ice and the consequential rise in sea levels is just but one among many disaster scenarios resulting from climate change.

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2016: Temperatures Rising

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The World Meteorological Organization report on March 2016 has confirmed that 2015 was the hottest year on record. The average global temperature was 1.37°F (0.76°C) above the average from 1961-1990. The report is based on data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.K. Met Office, and NASA.

Moreover, NOAA data indicate an unprecedented spike in global carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere with a whopping 3.05 parts per million growth rate. It’s the fourth year in a row that the atmospheric carbon dioxide rose over 2 parts per million.

Another indication of climate change is the depressed sea ice levels. The Artic sea ice has hit a record low winter maximum extent and saw its fourth lowest summer minimum extent. The weather has also reached extremes with some parts of Asia experiencing major heat waves while much of the Pacific had a flurry of storm activity.

But what is perhaps most alarming are further reports that show the startlingly high temperatures has continued well into the first half of 2016 with no signs of a slowdown. Temperatures from April 2015 through June 2016 were record high. NASA’s records show that from January to June 2016 were the warmest respective months in the modern temperature record, which dates to 1880. The worrying data that just keeps getting worse has, in fact, prompted scientists to declare a “climate emergency.” And if the past 14 months is anything to go by, 2016 could well be in the running to beat 2015 as for the hottest year record.

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World leaders and organizations are trying to make progress in addressing the concurrent climate issue and consequential crises like drought, food and water shortages, and deaths. They gathered in record numbers at the United Nations on April 22, 2016, Earth Day, to sign the Paris Agreement, which stipulates that over 195 countries agree to take action, commit to and work together in reducing greenhouse gas emissions to keep global temperature to about 1.5°C and never above 2°C.

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Is Climate Change Really Happening Now?

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Is Climate Change Really Happening Now?

 

Throughout Earth’s history, the planet’s climate has gone through several temperature fluctuations, thereby causing several cycles of glacial advance and retreat. Most of these climate changes are due to subtle variations in the planet’s orbit which varies the amount of solar energy the planet receives. Other factors include biotic processes, fluctuations in the Sun’s energy and plate tectonics.

The eventuality of a climate change is ultimately inevitable, it being a natural process as a result of Earth’s reactions to the goings on within and around it. But is climate change really happening now?

Yes, scientists have been recording compelling evidence that climate change is real and that global warming has already begun. The indicators are:

Rising Global Temperatures. Scientific reports have shown that the current global warming trend began around 1880 with some of the warmest years occurring since 1981. But what’s even more alarming is that 15 out of the top 16 warmest years in NASA’s 134-year record have taken place since the year 2000, which could only mean that the warming has greatly accelerated.

Warming Oceans and Ocean Acidification. Oceans makes up a huge portion of the planet and for good measures. These actually do a darn good job at soaking up excess heat from the atmosphere and distribute it more evenly throughout the planet. With its heat insulating capabilities, it serves as a good indicator for the changing climate and it has been noted that since 1969, up to 2,300 feet of the ocean’s surface have significant elevated temperatures. Also, as the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased, more I being absorbed into the oceans, increasing the acidity of surface ocean waters.

Shrinking Ice Sheets. Among many other things, there is a growing concern in the decreasing Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. NASA’s records reveal that between 2002 and 2005, Antarctica has lost about 152 cubic kilometers of ice, while Greenland has lost between 150 to 250 cubic kilometers of ice every year between 2002 and 2006.

Declining Artic Sea Ice. Another indicator is the rapid decrease of the extent and thickness of the Arctic sea ice during recent decades.

Glacial Retreat and Decreased Snow Cover. Glaciers in various locations including the Alps, the Andes, the Himalayas, the Rockies, Alaska, and Africa are retreating, while the coverage of Spring snow in the Northern Hemisphere decreased during the last five decades.

Rising Sea Levels. With the melting of ice sheets and sea ice, sea levels have noticeably risen. In the last century, global sea level rose to about 17 centimeters. However, in the last decade, it further increased to nearly double that of the last century.

Extreme Events. Burning temperatures, pouring rains, flooding, drought, devastating earthquakes and a myriad of other natural disasters have been recorded the world over and the frequency of these occurrences have been surprisingly and alarmingly high.

These scientific evidence are very hard to ignore. So what can we do to rectify the problem. Will we still have an opportunity to do so?

 

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