GEOLOGY

EARTH SCIENCE

CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Due to the increasing average temperature of the atmosphere, polar ice sheets melt at a greater rate than they form. Which of these will be an effect of the continued melting of polar ice?
A
Coastal areas may see an increase in sea levels.
B
Plant life will increase due to higher sea levels.
C
Water runoff will cause an increase in ocean salinity.
D
Ocean temperature will decrease with the addition of cold water.
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Melting glaciers add to rising sea levels, which in turn increases coastal erosion and elevates storm surge as warming air and ocean temperatures create more frequent and intense coastal storms like hurricanes and typhoons.

Detailed explanation-2: -There is still some uncertainty about the full volume of glaciers and ice caps on Earth, but if all of them were to melt, global sea level would rise approximately 70 meters (approximately 230 feet), flooding every coastal city on the planet.

Detailed explanation-3: -When warming temperatures gradually melt sea ice over time, fewer bright surfaces are available to reflect sunlight back into the atmosphere. More solar energy is absorbed at the surface and ocean temperatures rise.

Detailed explanation-4: -Less ice means less reflected heat, meaning more intense heatwaves worldwide. But it also means more extreme winters: as the polar jet stream-a high-pressure wind that circles the Arctic region-is destabilized by warmer air, it can dip south, bringing bitter cold with it.

There is 1 question to complete.