Climatic Control Of Antarctic Sea Ice Essay

The global mean surface temperature is projected to increase by around 0.3 to 4.8 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial values by the end of the 21th century. Therefore, if we continue to not check the anthropogenic emissions, the increase may be around 8 to 10 degrees Celsius, which is incredibly damaging to various ecosystems internationally. It is difficult to determine the possible aftereffects of the ice sheets melting because the equilibrium-response timescales of them is longer than both the atmosphere and ocean. The ice-sheet/ice-shelf model shows that if the atmospheric warming increases 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above the present temperatures, the Antarctic ice shelves will collapse and trigger a centennial scale response –a never-ending

For many years now, scientists have believed that our climate is changing. This climate change has caused water currents up north, near Antarctica to shift leading to warm waters taking the place of the usual cold arctic waters. Warm water melts the glaciers and causes the top of the glaciers to float off into the sea, allowing the warm water to melt even more glaciers. The extra glacier melting into our sea has caused the sea levels to raise and the

The ice never melts; it clings to the bottom of the world, spawning winds, storms, and weather that affects the whole planet. And of all the weather it creates, the weather the Antarctic creates for itself is by far the worst. In the winter, the temperature can sink to 100 degrees below fahrenheit. Cold air masses sliding down the sides of the glaciers speed up until they become winds of close to 200 miles per hour. When winter descends on the southern continent,

Antarctica is essential for science because of its enormous effect on the Earth's climate and ocean systems. The Antarctic is critical our understanding of global climate change. Preserved in its four kilometre-thick ice sheet is a unique record of the

Scientists have stated that global warming is playing a large role in why ice shelfs such as Wilkens ice shelf are breaking of the Antarctic (British Antarctic Survey 2008). The Wilkens was one of the most current ice shelves that has detached from the Antarctic Peninsula in early 2008. In fact, six ice shelves completely collapsed in the last 30 years, due to warming (2008). According to the British Antarctic Survey, “We believe the Wilkins has been in place for at least a few hundred years. But warm air and exposure to ocean waves are causing a break-up” (2008). The Wilkins shelf is gigantic in size “At roughly 70.5 degrees south

After watching the NOVA documentary about Antarctica Secrets, one is amazed at the work done by Scientists, Geologist and Engineers applying innovative drilling technology to study ice sheets and ocean core sediments that can reveal the climate history of Antarctica.

Generally speaking, why should we even be worrying about climate change? Well as we all know the world is getting hotter and hotter every year due to the amount of carbon dioxide and other fossil fuel being released into the atmosphere. Due to the world getting hotter both Antarctica and Greenland are changing rapidly. According to NASA “with global warming, the water under the ice shelves would be warmer and cause them to break up more readily, forming very large icebergs. If the ice shelves of West Antarctica were to break up, this would release more inland ice in an irreversible process, possibly leading to sea level rises of several meters”. With the amount of water increasing, this could lead to many natural disasters such as a flood,

There are possible solutions to climate change and its effects on Antarctica but if not taken there will be grave consequences of inaction. A solution to climate change is reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. A solution to climate change is reducing our dependency on fossil fuels. Another possible solution is to start more green initiatives. Corn

Heat is building up in these regions due to the deterioration of a convection cell in the Weddell sea. The temperature difference between Antarctica and the Tropical ocean regions has caused an raise of winds around antarctica and an expansion of the subtropical belt. This has also intensified the tropical convection. Combined these factors have also worked together to boost the water cycle, intensify high pressure spaces in the subtropic, and strengthen trade winds.

Antarctica, the southernmost continent and site of the South Pole, is a virtually uninhabited, ice-covered land mass. Since first being sighted during a Russian voyage in 1820, Antarctica has remained completely devoid of civilian settlements for over a century due to its unwelcoming and virtually inhospitable climate. At the time of its discovery 98% of the continent was blanketed by dense continental ice sheets. Little has changed as time has passed, and with temperatures recorded as low as negative 130 degrees Fahrenheit, winds up to 200 miles an hour, and an average precipitation of only 6.5 inches annually, Antarctica remains the harshest continent on Earth

Based on observations and predictions conducted by scientists, sea ice extent though fluctuates up and down since 1979, the general trend of sea ice retreat in an approximately synchronized increase in

The ice of Antarctica plays an important part of the global climate, “…the ice cover regulates exchange of heat, moisture, and gases between the surrounding atmosphere and the ocean, which eventually affects the whole Earth” (). The ocean currents created by the Antarctica ice plays a necessary role in the earth’s climate. . “…when the sea ice begins to form, it rejects the brine, which eventually increases the density of the upper ocean water. This water sinks and comes to be known as deep ocean current. These currents carry heat, which affect the climate

The Arctic and Antarctic sea ice is a necessity to the animals currently residing on the ice. It provides necessary nutrients for them to thrive off of, acts as a home for various amounts of species that are suitable to live there, and help keep the water’s heat from adding to the cause of global warming. In conclusion, sea ice is vital to keep the environment

Underneath the Antarctic ice sheets exist subglacial lakes which scientist are discovering play an important role to the ice sheet dynamics above them. The physical processes involved in the creation of these lakes . Scientist’s understanding of the hydrology between subglacial lakes and the surrounding ice sheets is beginning to become more comprehensive with studies being carried out to attempt to link the draining and filling of lakes with the velocity of the surrounding glacier.

Every summer, large ice formations such as glaciers and polar ice caps naturally melt. The following cold season of winter is meant to slow down the melting through snowing. However, in a recent couple of years, it has not been the case (Leary, 34). The persistent rise in temperatures as a result of global warming has led to abnormally higher rates of melting and reduced snowfall due to delayed winters and early springs. This has led to an imbalance in the ratio of ocean evaporation to runoff leading to rising in sea levels.