Question

What is the cryosphere and how has this been affected by climate change? Why do scientists describe the changes in the cryosphere as positive feedback in the environment? How has this contributed to the rapid warming/polar amplification in the Arctic?

Answer 1

Ans.

The term cryosphere comes from a Greek work 'Krio' meaning cold and it includes the frozen part of the earth i.e. that part which is permanently frozen on the earth surface. It includes the parts of Antarctica, Arctic ocean, Alaska, Siberia, high mountains etc.

Recently, IPCC released a report showing impact of climate change on cryosphere. It says that the south region will be the most impacted in this case. It says that the water in ocean will absorb the heat increasing the temperature of ocean by 60%. This rapid changes in cryosphere and ocean will be a great threat for human and sustainable development. Around 30% people in the world live around these coasts and that will be the most affected ones.

Most of the glaciers are shrinking and losing mass which will cause upliftment of the land (Isostacy) and thus the methane stored under these ice will also come up that will cause further heating of earth and will release more greenhouse gases in the earth atmosphere and thus scientists called it positive feedback.

It is because of this, we see a continuous decrease in ice in Antarctica and Arctic. Scientists say that if the current rate of heating is continued, by 2100, 60% of the ice in both the poles will be gone. If whole ice of Antarctica and Arctic melts down, it will raise the ocean level by 300 metre drawning the most important cities of the world either. Hence it is a big threat. Also in Antarctica, there is increase in Algae due to high temperature which is red in color and thus causing blood cover in Antarctica. There are also lots of volcanoes below Antarctica which are buried under the pressure of ice. If this ice melts down, all the violent volcanoes will erupt causing increase in the temperature further.

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