EARTH SCIENCE
CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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The ice is melting because of the tilt of the Earth.
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The ice in the hydrosphere/cryosphere is melting because the temperature of the atmosphere is increasing.
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The ice is melting because of all the boats in the ocean.
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The ice is NOT melting!
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Detailed explanation-1: -Human activities are at the root of this phenomenon. Specifically, since the industrial revolution, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions have raised temperatures, even higher in the poles, and as a result, glaciers are rapidly melting, calving off into the sea and retreating on land.
Detailed explanation-2: -The Arctic and Antarctic are the world’s refrigerator. Since they are covered in white snow and ice that reflect heat back into space, they balance out other parts of the world that absorb heat. Less ice means less reflected heat, meaning more intense heatwaves worldwide.
Detailed explanation-3: -Due to cryosphere melts, a large amount of cold fresh water empties into the sea. It will change the salinity and temperature of the ocean, and affect the global thermohaline circulation and climate change.
Detailed explanation-4: -Ice locks water out of the cycle for long periods of time – with large-scale melting, a vast amount of water can be released back into the water cycle in a relatively short amount of time. Unsurprisingly, water from the current cryosphere melt is contributing to global sea level rise.
Detailed explanation-5: -Sea ice is formed when ocean water is cooled below its freezing temperature of approximately-2°C or 29°F. Such ice extends on a seasonal basis over great areas of the ocean.