photo credit: Marcin Wichary
There are a number of concerns regarding global warming and its impacts on the environment but the levels of the seas rising about 3 mm a year, is rapidly becoming the main one. The rise is caused by the thermal expansion of the oceans while the melting water from the glaciers is becoming scarcer. Scientists are increasingly concerned about receding glaciers, in particular Greenland and the Antarctic Peninsula, where some disturbing collapses have been occurring for the last few years. In addition, Greenland is in danger of the so-called ‘plumbing’ effect, where large amounts of meltwater get to the bottom of the bedrock through the cracks in the ice sheet accelerating the melting process.
The experts predict that the sea levels will keep rising in a relatively moderate pace, which should result in a rise of 20cm-50cm by the year 2100. That is, of course, if the global warming can be curbed. This really isn’t a good news but at least it’s manageable. However, there are no guarantees at this point and the fact whether the sea levels will rise at this rate or will it happen more rapidly, depends entirely on how much we do to at least slow down global warming.
For millions of people living in tropical and subtropical climates another major concern is the increase in the storm quantity and intensity. Warmer oceans are likely to generate more storms because of the increased amount of energy and moisture in the air. Unfortunately, most experts agree that the frequency and severity will increase in the coming years as a result of global warming, e.g. from 2001 to 2006 the US was hit with seven major hurricanes and in the previous 40 years the average number of hurricanes was five per decade!
Rising waters are a serious problem for marine organisms and animals as well as the chemical composition of the water changes and the higher temperatures cause oxygen to dissolve slower. Moreover, increased amounts of carbon dioxide acidify the sea water, which prevents various organisms, like coral, from developing their skeletons from calcium carbonate, since it dissolves in acid.
One of the biggest threats connected to global warming is the fact that it will significantly reduce the growth of phytoplankton, the scientists agree. These are microorganisms that form a basis of marine food chain and bear half of the Earth’s photosynthesis. Thus, it’s vitally important to decelerate global warming as the time is running out for both humans as well as a number of species worldwide.
