Global Warming In Antarctica Research Paper

Antarctica global warming has become a burning issue of the present time. Global warming in Antarctica will pose a serious threat to the rise in water level. Hence, Antarctica global warming has become a great concern for the scientists and researchers. As most of this continent is covered by ice, the impact of global warming is more acutely felt here. With the increase in the number of automobiles, air pollution has been on the increase in the last 20 years. This is one of the major causes of global warming. Moreover, the chimneys of the factories all over the world emit various types of gases, which pollute the air to a great extent. If the air continues to get polluted at such a fast rate, it will definitely cause a rise in the general temperature
throughout the world. This rise in temperature is resulting in the gradual melting of the vast thick ice-sheets in Antarctica.

Antarctica holds 90% of the world's ice and 70% of its freshwater.
Its average temperature has increased nearly 5 degrees (F) in the last half century. Floating ice shelves account for about 11% of the area of the continent, and while the loss of these ice shelves does not increase sea level, they effectively act as corks to hold back glaciers. Significant melting of Antarctica's glaciers -- which have been moving more rapidly toward the sea -- could increase sea levels as much as 20 feet worldwide.
The Antarctic Peninsula, which juts toward South America and is one of only two masses of land on the continent outside the Antarctic Circle, has been warming markedly. Vast portions of its Wilkins Ice Shelf disintegrated in 2008 and 2009 after 1,500 years of stability.

Effects of Global
Warming

If all the ice in Antarctica melted, it would raise the level of the world's oceans by over 200 feet (60 meters). The possibility of this happening in the near term is not seriously considered by scientists, for the Antarctic icecap is currently believed to be in equilibrium. However, meteorologists studying the ramifications of global warming and the greenhouse effect expect there to be a decrease in sea levels in the short term -- a matter of decades -- of about 2 millimeters per year. This will be due to an increase in the amount of water vapor in the air as a result of higher air temperatures and will lead to greater snow fall on the continent.
Over the longer term higher global air temperatures are expected to generate higher icecap flow rates and more ice-bergs which are expected to raise sea-level by of 3 feet, or about a meter, in the next century.
While such a rise does not seem a significant one, its effects could be devastating -- displacing more than 100 million people in low-lying coastal areas around the world. Accompanying this rise in sea level would be increased winter temperatures and warmer hot spells, increased rainfall and flooding, and overall unpredictable shifting of temperature and rainfall patterns that could wreak havoc with agriculture, natural ecosystems and other daunting effects.

Some facts listed below will help to understand the serious consequence of the global warming in Antarctica. These are: • Since 1974 seven gigantic ice shelves have got reduced in area by 13,500 square kilometers. • Due to severe global warming in Antarctica, the Larsen B ice shelf has lost 3,250 square kilometers into the ocean. • The global warming has also resulted in increased rainfall in some parts of Antarctica. • The global warming in Antarctica has also resulted in the death of various animals like the
penguins. • The effect of global warming is more deeply felt on western part of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Several species of insect life indigenous to Antarctica are facing extinction due to the increase of temperature caused by the increasing hole in the ozone layer situated over the continent.
Other species of insect life have evolved a unique means of surviving the deadly increase in ultra-violet rays from the sun. They have developed a hormone that acts as a sunscreen lubricant protecting their bodies.
Many varieties of starfish have stopped reproducing and their numbers are exponentially diminishing as they no longer procreate. Their species is expected to face extinction in the coming years due to a two-degree increase in water temperature.
Certain varieties of penguins are exhibiting a disturbing behavior pattern. Groups gather away from their feeding and nesting grounds for a period of time. They then split up and return to their respective areas, except for one. This sole penguin turns and faces the interior on the continent and begins a march that doesn’t end until he dies. There is evidence to suggest that all these catastrophic changes to the wildlife of Antarctica are directly related to the warming temperatures.