Global Warming in Antarctica
GLOBAL WARMING EFFECTS ON ANTARCTICA
The effects of global warming create a growing danger for the ecosystem, by damaging the polar caps, and harming all of Antarctica ecosystem. Global warming started to occur around the late 19th century, and it continues to proceed to increase as time goes on. The main gases to blame for global warming are Carbon dioxide, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide. These gases are trapping the heat inside the atmosphere causing the temperature to rise, this process is also known as the Greenhouse effect. The average increase in temperature around the world is 1.33 degrees farenheight. Since the atmospheric temperatures are rising this is also having an effect on the oceanic temperatures. Antarctica is made up of two ice sheets. The East Antarctica ice sheet covers a large portion of the continent, while the West Antarctica ice sheet is mostly floating in the ocean. These two ice sheets take up 90 percent of the worlds ice. East Antarctica and West Antarctica are separated by the great Trans-Antarctic Mountains but joined together by the main ice sheet. Some of the main concerns that people have with these temperatures rising is that the ecosystem for plant and animal life, the rise of the oceanic level, ………… is going to have a hard time to adapt to these conditions, it is happening more drastically than slowly. By these ice caps melting, there are going to be many drastic changes to the environment in Antarctica, and all around the world. One of the main concerns is the dilution of the oceanic water. Once theses two ice sheets melt all the way, the ocean levels can raise up to 200 feet, which will put hundreds of countries underwater. In the past century, the sea level has rose four to ten inches in the past century. It might not seem like such a big deal, but most places are well established near the coastlines, so this is going to have a major effect on all of the coastlines. For example the state of Washington uses their coastal
The effects of global warming create a growing danger for the ecosystem, by damaging the polar caps, and harming all of Antarctica ecosystem. Global warming started to occur around the late 19th century, and it continues to proceed to increase as time goes on. The main gases to blame for global warming are Carbon dioxide, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide. These gases are trapping the heat inside the atmosphere causing the temperature to rise, this process is also known as the Greenhouse effect. The average increase in temperature around the world is 1.33 degrees farenheight. Since the atmospheric temperatures are rising this is also having an effect on the oceanic temperatures. Antarctica is made up of two ice sheets. The East Antarctica ice sheet covers a large portion of the continent, while the West Antarctica ice sheet is mostly floating in the ocean. These two ice sheets take up 90 percent of the worlds ice. East Antarctica and West Antarctica are separated by the great Trans-Antarctic Mountains but joined together by the main ice sheet. Some of the main concerns that people have with these temperatures rising is that the ecosystem for plant and animal life, the rise of the oceanic level, ………… is going to have a hard time to adapt to these conditions, it is happening more drastically than slowly. By these ice caps melting, there are going to be many drastic changes to the environment in Antarctica, and all around the world. One of the main concerns is the dilution of the oceanic water. Once theses two ice sheets melt all the way, the ocean levels can raise up to 200 feet, which will put hundreds of countries underwater. In the past century, the sea level has rose four to ten inches in the past century. It might not seem like such a big deal, but most places are well established near the coastlines, so this is going to have a major effect on all of the coastlines. For example the state of Washington uses their coastal