The melting of the ice caps.
How cans this happen?
Over the past 100 years, it seems our Earth’s temperature has increased about half a degree Celsius. Why? There are many theories such as: One is global warming, in which greenhouse gases (Carbon dioxide, methane, ect…) cover the Earth causing a green house effect which will be later described. Two the warming is a consequence of coming out of a prior cool period, also known as the little ice age. Which is believed to of lasted from 1550-1850, as a result of Medieval Climate Optimum, which is thought to of lasted from the 10th to the 14th century. Three, some say the warming is within the range of natural variation, so it is just a natural cycle. Or four, the warming is primarily a result of variances in solar irradiance, which will also be later explained. There are many things that could cause the ice caps to melt, and with several consequences. I will, in this project, demonstrate what would happen if Greenland, and both the Artic, and Antarctica areas where to melt. (Even if the Artic is not expected to melt, I am looking on the extreme side of ‘what if’.) One reason that the ocean may rise, besides the Polar Regions melting, is the heating of the surface is causing the oceans to naturally expand. This and many other factors is what may cause the next dramatic climate shift, which is what I think would happen of all the events described in this project where to happen, or continue to happen if they are so.
Global warming.
Probably the most popular topic to be in the news today, global warming is the result of greenhouse gases, exerting from naturally and unnaturally occurring sources. Other causes such as solar activity, and volcanic emissions also play a key roll. Adding Carbon Dioxide (CO2), or Methane (CH4) to the Earth’s atmosphere causes a natural warming effect. There are many effects that happen because of global warming, those including impacts on agriculture, and on the rising sea levels. Global warming May also Global extend the range of areas conveying infectious diseases such as malaria. A warming area boosts the reproduction rate of mosquitoes, and also increases the amount of blood intake. This also includes any disease spread by mosquitoes, which causes larger rates of death. Global warming can, over time, be stopped. Problem is, is that many people don’t believe global warming is the cause of these problems and only a natural cycle which cannot be stopped. If global warming were the cause of these problems, it would take most of the entire world’s population to help solve it.
Solar irradiance
Solar irradiance is the radiant energy that comes from the sun, usually electromagnetic. The amount of solar radiation that occurs per unit area is the solar constant. When clouds do not block the direct radiation, it is known as sunrise, a combination of light and heat. The heat on the body is known as air temperature, which is an effect from sunlight. Changes in the Earth’s orbit causes changes in times of seasons. Because of these changes, changes in the amount of solar radiation change which may explain coming and going of recent ice ages. Solar Variation is the theory suggesting that solar irradiance is increasing, which may cause warming on the Earth.
Medieval Climate Optimum, and little ice age
The Medieval Climate Optimum was an era of unusually warm temperatures from the 10th to 14th centuries. Because of this wine grapes were grown as far north as southern Britain. Vikings also took this time to colonize on Greenland. As a result of this warming the cooling known as little ice age happened 1550-1850, because of the cold winters in the northern states and other events to propose this result. Now, global warming as become evident almost right after the little ice age, scholars believe global warming is a result of the little ice age.
How it affects the entire Earth.
There is many delicate processes that is needed to keep the Earth stable, the moon, the magnetic field, the sun, the air, but what is also needed is seasonal temperatures. There are many effects that occur when temperatures fall or rise dramatically. The ice caps melting also can cause problems, not only rising waters but also may disrupt the Atlantic conveyer belt (Which will be more detailed explained later.) Man-made or not, this problem needs to be addressed, as it already obviously had before. I have heard things about ice caps melting, water rising. But the true reality is not well addressed, leaving to many people ignorant of what they really need to do. This is what I will address in this project, and hope that people will take into consideration what is being read here.
Atlantic Conveyer Belt, and other possible threats of the ice caps melting.
Before we go ahead with the next ice age I’ll explain how the Atlantic Conveyer Belt works. What happens is warm water travels from the pacific, going across the area under Asia and Africa as less salty water. Then it goes up toward east of Canada in the Atlantic Ocean where it sinks in the saltier water. It then becomes cold and travels back in currents close to the same path the warm water came. It then goes into the Pacific Ocean and rises in the less salty water and does the same thing over revolving in a cycle. Now one may ask, “How will global warming effect this?” What happens is that thin sheets of ice in the artic areas usually would melt first. Because of this, large glaciers behind these sheets would slowly drift southward and into the Atlantic Ocean. This is where these glaciers would melt, and go into the ocean. The glaciers contain fresh water, and would cause the Atlantic Ocean to become less salty. Because of this the Atlantic Conveyer Belt would fail to circulate and would stop at. Now, the warm water will fail to sink and would rather mix in with the cold water under neither causing the weather to go out of it’s stable periods.
The next ice age?
When the disruption described in Atlantic conveyer belt occurs this may trigger the next ice age. As the conveyer slow down, the seasonal livable temperatures may drop. What happens is the warm air carried up will fail to do so as will the cool air. Because the Conveyer stops the areas up north such as North America, Canada, Europe and such will become cold as they are farthest from the equator. Areas South such as Mexico and Australia will become warmer. Basically without the Conveyer belt, pleases close to the Equator will become extremely warm and places farthest will become extremely cold. Thus causing an ice age similar to those we’ve had in the past. Another way to see it is that the Weather is evening itself out constantly which creates weather systems. What kept this balanced and not so powerful is the Atlantic Conveyer Belt. Without it, the evening out would become unbalanced and would cause weather disruptions. Though it is not certain it would be the next ice age, but some other weather event, it is the most likely scenario.
