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The Effects Of Climate Change On Antarctica

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Antarctic, the White world, is home to some of the world’s most extraordinary species, adapted to life in their unique home. Some, such as the enormous whales, migrate far and wide, while others, such as the Weddell seal and the emperor penguin, remain close to the continent. Millions of seabirds skim the Southern Ocean, the world’s most abundant, and species such as far-flung albatrosses and petrels circle these waters. Antarctic wildlife is generally unafraid of humans. Preserved for peace and science, Antarctic world rewards the traveler with inspiration, adventure and perspective. There's nothing quite like seeing ice shimmering in all directions, reflecting sunlight through each season, or the blazing twinkle of a velvet blanket of stars …show more content…

However, since Antarctica is a big place, climate change is not having a uniform impact, with some areas experiencing increases in sea ice extent. Yet in others, sea ice is decreasing, with measurable impacts on wildlife. Local Antarctic effects of climate change are only part of the problem. Antarctica comprises two geologically distinct regions, East Antarctica and West Antarctica, separated by the great Trans-Antarctic Mountains but joined together by the all-encompassing ice sheet. The presence of the high ice sheet and the polar location make Antarctica a powerful heat sink that strongly affects the climate of the whole Earth. Furthermore, the annual sea ice cover around the continent, which seasonally reaches an area greater than that of the continent itself, modulates exchanges of heat, moisture, and gases between the atmosphere and ocean and, through salt rejection when it freezes, forces the formation of cold oceanic bottom waters that spread out under the world’s oceans. Alterations to this system will affect climate all over the planet.

Although the impact of climate change and the Antarctic are discussed often in the media, climate change in the Antarctic is comparatively neglected, or reported ambiguous. The science is clear when says that climate change is already negatively impacting Antarctica, losing

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