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what are the impacts of melting glaciers and ice sheets - Coggle Diagram
what are the impacts of melting glaciers and ice sheets
sea level rise
estimated that during the 20th century, sea levels rose about 20 centimeters
predictions from scientists estimate that the sea will rise another 20 to 60 centimeters by the year 2100
much of the rise can be attributed to thermal expansion
rising sea level making many coastal environments vulnerable to storm surges and other impacts
rising sea levels threatening to reduce amounts of land
amount of land that can grow food impacted
People Movement
declining ice cover will also have an impact on peoples who rely on glaciers and ice sheets for their livelihoods and those affected by rising sea levels
change of migration patterns of some species
food supply issues for some indigenous people who rely on animals from ice areas to survive
climate refugees
Agricultural Output
major impact on food supplies and food security for many countries
water resources become unreliable and crop failures increase
UNDP has estimated that crop yields will decline by 30% by 2050
a lot of countries rely on water from glaciers for food
soil salinization and inundation
Freshwater resources
Glaciers store about 75% of the worlds fresh water and act like natural reservoirs, storing water in winter and releasing water in summer
changes in water temperature can cause water to be unreliable
increased melting of glaciers can cause rising water levels
most water that come from melting glaciers will become salt water and is lost as a freshwater source
more Climate refugees who have had to flee due to unreliable sources of water
once glacier is gone, that water source is lost
Plant and Animal Communities
many species and plants that depend on glaciers and ice sheets to survive
loss of ice and changes in temperature can lead to migration pattern change, altitude changes and reproduction changes
scientist are particularly worried about species loss and extinction, and a loss of biodiversity as mountain ecosystems
the warming of the climate and sea level rise are also causing great concern about coastal ecosystems and coral reefs