GEOLOGY

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: -Very briefly, these include: Melting sea ice and the exposure of ocean water at the poles (the albedo effect). Rapid environmental change due to ice melt (“Arctic amplification”). Thawing permafrost and the release of greenhouse gases.

Detailed explanation-3: -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. Learn more: USGS Water Science School: Glaciers and Icecaps.

Detailed explanation-4: -Key Takeaway: Antarctica is losing ice mass (melting) at an average rate of about 150 billion tons per year, and Greenland is losing about 270 billion tons per year, adding to sea level rise.

Detailed explanation-5: -A warming planet is melting glaciers more quickly, draining additional water into nearby lakes and causing a bigger flooding event when a breach may occur. The number and total area of glacial lakes worldwide have increased by about 50 percent since 1990, previous research shows.