Why You Should Care About Antarctica and Climate Change

Why You Should Really Care About Antarctica and Climate Change
by Laura Thieme

I recently voyaged to Antarctica with Abercrombie & Kent’s Climate Change expedition in December 2007.  There is a lot of debate on climate change and I wanted to get more answers first-hand.  The press can show one side of things in some cases, but seeing massive meltdown in Antarctica up close and personal makes it harder to doubt. 

Antarctica's Climate Change - Glacial Meltdown

The question is why are ice shelves falling into the water, and why is glacial snow melting at a rapid pace?  Also, why should we care?

I’m compiling a list of verifiable facts and articles this week for your review. 

Articles About Ice Shelves & Icebergs Breaking Off in Antarctica

Ross Ice Shelf Portion Breaks Off - Creates the B-15 Iceberg in 2000; measuring 170 miles long by 25 miles wide - See Science Daily article

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080210100441.htm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/01/13/DI2008011301886.html

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/resources/coldscience/2005-01-20-berg-5-12-2002_x.htm

http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/02/pr0246.htm

List of Antarctic Ice Shelves

Larsen Ice Shelf - Wiki info

Ross Ice Shelf - Wiki info

McMurdo Ice Shelf - Wiki

Ice shelves breaking create icebergs, such as the B-15 iceberg shown below, which we passed by and went around, measuring it at 30 miles long in December 2007.  Smaller icebergs can calve from this iceberg as well.


B-15 Iceberg

Will Sea Levels Rise as Result of Ice Shelves Melting or Icebergs Melting?

http://www.teachersdomain.org/resources/ipy07/sci/ess/watcyc/icesimulate/index.html

This is an excerpt that I found to be very helpful in explaining why ice shelves or icebergs’ displacement affects our oceanic sea levels but perhaps more importantly, the salinity in the water or ocean currents.

the melting of floating ice doesn’t significantly affect sea level, there are other consequences. Variations in salinity and temperature drive global ocean circulation because of density differences; fresh water is less dense than salt water and warm water is less dense than cold water. This thermohaline circulation is sometimes referred to as the great ocean “conveyor belt” because it is one of Earth’s main mechanisms for transporting energy. The formation of sea ice, which is primarily made of pure water, leaves behind salt in the water beneath the ice, resulting in saltier and colder water that sinks through the water below it, thereby promoting circulation. When ice melts, it adds fresh water to the ocean, decreasing salinity and affecting the circulation pattern. Any change to ocean circulation could have damaging effects on the water cycle and weather patterns.

In addition, a change in the temperature or salinity of ocean water disrupts habitats and could have harmful effects on marine life forms that are sensitive to such changes. The loss of sea ice in polar regions also threatens the survival of certain species, such as the polar bear, which depend on the ice for hunting and breeding. Furthermore, ice shelves act as buttresses, keeping glacial ice from reaching the ocean. Even if melting ice shelves would not increase sea level directly, the barrier that prevents ice sheets from sliding into the water would be gone, and the melting ice sheets would increase sea level.

Arctic & Antarctic Animals Affected Negatively by Climate Change

Polar bears and their cubs in the Arctic

Arctic animals that feed on the ice - which is receding

whales, polar bears

Arctic fox