Changes in Oceans and in the Cryosphere
Changes in Oceans and in the Cryosphere
Changes in the Oceans
- Thermal expansion is a process where seawater expands as it warms, contributing significantly to global sea-level rise.
- Global warming has resulted in the increase of surface ocean temperatures, affecting marine life and causing severe weather formations like hurricanes.
- Ocean acidification occurs when oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reducing the pH of seawater and impacting marine organisms that build shells and skeletons.
- The circulation patterns of ocean currents, known as thermohaline circulation, are affected by global warming. This could disrupt global climate patterns and affect fish populations and other marine life.
- Coral bleaching is caused by increasing sea temperatures where the corals expel the algae that live in an endosymbiotic relationship with them, leading to the death of corals.
Changes in the Cryosphere
- The cryosphere refers to the frozen parts of the Earth, including glaciers, sea ice, snow cover, permafrost, ice caps and ice sheets.
- Global warming is causing a reduction in the Earth’s ice mass, which contributes to rising sea levels and changes in ocean circulation and ecosystems.
- Rapid changes are visible in the Arctic sea ice, with thickness and extent decreasing over recent decades. This loss of sea ice accelerates global warming through a feedback loop known as the ice-albedo feedback.
- Thawing permafrost has severe implications for global warming, as it releases stored carbon in the form of carbon dioxide and methane, increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
- Reduction of snow cover and melting glaciers affect regional water resources and can have devastating consequences on communities that rely on meltwater for their freshwater supply.
Summary
The Earth’s oceans and cryosphere are significantly impacted by changes in the atmosphere, specifically global warming. These changes can have devastating consequences for ecosystems and humanity, underscoring the importance of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions to slow global warming.