chatgpt Flashcards
(33 cards)
What are the serious impacts of climate change on the Cryosphere?
Environmental and socio-economic impacts on sea ice, glaciers, and snow cover.
Impacts include habitat loss for wildlife and threats to coastal communities.
What is happening to Arctic sea ice due to rising global temperatures?
Arctic sea ice is rapidly melting.
Melting sea ice exposes darker ocean surfaces, which absorb more sunlight.
What is a positive feedback loop in the context of Arctic warming?
A process where melting sea ice exposes darker surfaces that accelerate warming.
This leads to further melting and more warming.
What is the environmental impact of Arctic sea ice melting?
Loss of habitat for animals like polar bears and walruses.
Coastal erosion and infrastructure damage also occur due to thawing permafrost.
What social/economic impacts do coastal communities face due to melting Arctic sea ice?
Erosion and infrastructure damage as permafrost thaws.
Opening shipping routes may lead to geopolitical tensions.
How are higher temperatures affecting the ski industry in the Alps?
Higher temperatures mean less snowfall, threatening ski tourism.
Resorts below 1500m are especially at risk.
What is one environmental impact of reduced snowfall in the Alps?
Loss of snow cover affects mountain ecosystems and reduces water supplies from snowmelt.
This can impact local agriculture and water availability.
What is one social/economic impact of reduced snowfall in the Alps?
Resorts face closure or reduced tourist income, hurting local economies.
This can lead to increased unemployment in affected areas.
What is happening to glaciers in the Himalayas?
They are shrinking, which supplies water to around 2 billion people.
Glacial retreat alters river ecosystems and threatens water availability.
What are the environmental impacts of shrinking glaciers in the Himalayas?
Glacial retreat alters river ecosystems.
This can disrupt local wildlife and plant life dependent on stable water flow.
What are the social/economic impacts of shrinking glaciers in the Himalayas?
Risk of dry season water shortages impacting agriculture and drinking water.
15 million people globally are at risk from glacial lake outburst floods.
What is the risk associated with glacial lake outburst floods?
They occur when meltwater lakes burst their natural dams.
This can lead to catastrophic flooding downstream.
What is happening to Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica?
It is melting rapidly, potentially causing sea levels to rise by 0.5 metres.
This poses a significant threat to coastal ecosystems.
What are the environmental impacts of Thwaites Glacier melting?
Coastal ecosystems are at risk from saltwater intrusion and habitat loss.
This threatens both flora and fauna in coastal areas.
What are the social/economic impacts of Thwaites Glacier melting?
Low-lying places like the Maldives are at serious risk of disappearing.
Over 80% of Maldives islands are less than 1m above sea level.
By what year could many islands in the Maldives disappear due to rising sea levels?
By 2100.
This would have severe implications for local populations and economies.
Fill in the blank: The melting of Arctic sea ice leads to a _______ that accelerates warming.
positive feedback loop.
This term describes a cycle where the effect of an initial change causes further changes.
What specific statistic highlights the number of people at risk from glacial lake outburst floods?
15 million people.
This emphasizes the widespread potential impact of glacier melting.
What is one key takeaway regarding climate change’s impact on the Cryosphere?
It affects both the environment and human socio-economics.
Understanding these impacts is crucial for planning and adaptation.
What is the cryosphere?
The frozen parts of the planet, including snow, glaciers, ice caps, permafrost, and sea ice.
How does melting ice create a positive feedback loop?
Melting exposes darker surfaces like ocean or vegetation, which absorb more heat and cause more melting.
What is happening to Arctic sea ice?
It’s rapidly melting due to rising temperatures, leading to Arctic warming.
Environmental impact of Arctic ice loss?
Loss of habitat for species like polar bears; changes to marine ecosystems.
Social/economic impact of Arctic warming?
Coastal erosion, damaged infrastructure from thawing permafrost, new shipping routes.
