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Marcus Goss
November 21, 2014
Geology 2001
Research Paper: Melting of the Polar Ice Caps
Introduction
Before the 1940s, temperatures were much cooler compared to the present. Until about
the 1940s, glaciers around the world retreated because of the warming of temperatures (National
Resources Defense Council). Since the 1980s, global warming has caused glaciers to retreat
dramatically even to the extent that some have disappeared altogether (National Resources
Defense Council). There recent depletion of the glaciers and polar caps has resulted in the
increase rising of sea level in several areas of the world, which will led to a detrimental effect on
coastal regions worldwide. Since 1995, the ice shelves have shrunken by an astounding 40
percent. After existing for millions of years, a large chunk of the Larsen B ice shelf in Antarctica
collapsed in 2002 (National Resources Defense Council). According to NASA, the polar ice
caps are now melting at the alarming rate of nine percent per decade; the arctic ice thickness has
disintegrated by 40 percent since the 1960s (National Resources Defense Council). The current
rates of sea level rising is subject to increase from the result of thermal expansion of the oceans
and the melting of glaciers; the connection that this have to our lives result in the consequences
of a loss of coastal wetlands and barrier islands, and a greater risk of flooding in coastal
communities. Low lying areas, such as the coastal region along the Gulf of Mexico and estuaries
like the Chesapeake Bay become increasingly vulnerable (National Resources Defense Council).
The loss of these valuable wetlands threatens not only our nations sustainable fisheries and

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protected species, but our supply of clean water and the stability of shorelines in the face of
climate change (National Marine Fisheries Service). With almost half of the U.S. population now
living in coastal counties, the progressive loss of coastal wetlands means declined protection for
those communities from strong storms, such as storms like hurricane Sandy (National Marine
Fisheries Service). With the increasing temperatures, the climate change threatens the availability
of water and access to it. I state this question: How do we stop global warming from melting the
ice caps? What preventive measures can we take to make sure they we have enough water
supply, sea level from rising, and other factors that affect the nation as a whole? In this research
paper, I will discuss the problems causing the polar ice caps to melt and how this effects the
nation as a whole. I will also proposed ways to counteract this problem, so that the rate of
declining polar caps can decrease.

Figure 1 shows the polar ice caps melting (Peters, 2011).

Analysis and Discussion


Why are the polar caps melting?

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The mostly likely reason attributed to why the polar caps are melting is in increase in
temperatures resulting from global warming. Global warming can be defined as a gradual
increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the
greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other
pollutants. One of the first things scientists learned is that there are several greenhouse gases
responsible for warming, and humans emit them in several ways. Most emission from global
warming comes from the combustion of fossil fuels in cars, factories and electricity production
(National Geographic: Causes of Global Warming). The gas that is responsible for the most of
global warming is carbon dioxide, also referred to as CO2. Other contributors to global warming
include methane released from landfills and agriculture, nitrous oxide from fertilizers, gases used
for refrigeration and industrial processes, and the loss of forests that would otherwise store CO2 (
National Geographic: Causes of Global Warming). Stated earlier, according to NASA, the polar
ice cap is now melting at an increasing rate of nine percent per decade; the arctic ice thickness
has disintegrated by 40 percent since the 1960s (National Resources Defense Council) resulting
from the increased in temperatures.

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Figure 2 shows the trends in major greenhouse gases up to 2004, showing that carbon dioxide,
methane, and nitrous oxide has considerably increased since the 1970s (2009).

Ice caps melting affecting Drinking Water Supply


The rising temperature causes the polar ice caps to melt. The effects that come from the
polar ice caps can be very detrimental to the society. One huge effect coming from the depletion
of glaciers is the availability of water supply for millions of people. Glaciers act as natural
reservoirs that store water in the winter and releasing that water out in the summer as the ice
melts (Lovett, 2010). "If most of it disappears, there will be extreme consequences for most of
these regions," Clarke said (Lovett, 2010). "The stream flow will change, the timing of peak
stream flow will change, and the temperature of streams will change (Lovett, 2010). Even if
precipitation remains the same in the mountains, more of the water supply will completely be in
a liquid state, which tends to evaporate more quickly (Lovett, 2010). Peru is already on the verge

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of facing water shortages; that is because one of the largest rivers, the Rio Santa, is already
running low on glacial melt (Lovett, 2010). Based on satellite results of ice cover and water flow,
a research team has come to the conclusion that the Rio Santa has already hit its "peak water"
point at which the glacial runoff of plateaus as begin to decrease. This means that instead of
having a prospective ten to thirty years, there is absolutely no future for the Rio Santa river.
These glaciers are crucial to Perus water supply as they slowly release water into rivers which
provide drinking water and water for agriculture, hydroelectricity and industry mining (Lovett,
2010). This would lead to a decline in water supply for areas in the South America. Loss of
mountain snowpack reduces the amount of water available for irrigation downstream; saltwater
intrusion may contaminate the supply from groundwater as well (Union of Concerned Scientist).
Ice Caps Melting affecting wildlife
The melting of the ice is already affecting wildlife; the main source, global warming,
affecting different factors of earth including the melting of the polar ice caps, affect the wildlife
that reside in the artic and other regions just like it. The population of wildlife, such as polar
bears, has depleted, sea ice platforms are moving farther apart making swimming conditions
more dangerous, and there are fewer hunting opportunities and increased scarcity of food
(National Wildlife Federation). As climate change melts the ice caps, the U.S. Geological Survey
estimates that two thirds of polar bears will disappear by 2050 (National Wildlife Federation). In
southern places in the range of the Hudson Bay and Canada, there are no sea ice during the
summer, and the polar bears must live on land until the Bay freezes in the fall. While on land
during the summer, these bears eat little or nothing. In just 20 years, the period of where there is
no ice in Hudson Bay has increased by an average of 20 days, cutting short polar bears' seal
hunting season by almost three weeks; they have a narrower timeframe in which to hunt during

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the critical season when seal pups are born (National Wildlife Federation). As a result, the
average bear weight has dropped by 15 percent, causing reproduction rates to decline steadily;
the Hudson Bay population is down more than 20 percent (National Wildlife Federation). The
melting of ice is already affecting native people as well as its precious wildlife. When the Ward
Hunt Ice Shelf split, the rare freshwater lake it enclosed, along with its unique ecosystem,
drained into the ocean (National Resources Defense Council). Polar bears, whales, walrus and
seals are changing their feeding and migration patterns, making it harder for native people to
hunt them (National Resources Defense Council). Along with the Arctic coastlines, entire
villages will be displaced because they are in danger of being immersed. The native people of the
Arctic view global warming as a threat to their cultural identity and their very survival because
the lack of food supply and resources.
The Sea Level Rising
Core samples, tide gauge readings, and, satellite measurements tell us that over the past
century, the Global Mean Sea Level has risen by 4 to 8 inches. However, the annual rate of rise
over the past 20 years has been 0.13 inches a year, roughly twice the average speed of the
preceding 80 years (National Geographic: Sea Level Rising). Over the past century, the burning
of fossil fuels and other human activities have released enormous amounts of heat trapping gases
into the atmosphere; these emissions have caused the Earth's surface temperature to rise, and the
oceans absorb about 80 percent of this additional heat. The rise in sea levels is linked to three
primary factors, all induced by this ongoing global climate change which include thermal
expansion, melting of glaciers and polar caps, and ice lost from Greenland and West Antarctica.
When water heats up, it increasingly expands. About half of the past century's rise in sea level is
attributed to warmer oceans simply occupying more space (National Geographic: Sea Level

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Rising). Large ice formations, like glaciers and the polar ice caps, naturally melt back each
summer, but in the winter, snows, made primarily from evaporated seawater, are generally
sufficient to balance out the melting (National Geographic: Sea Level Rising). Recently,
consistently higher temperatures caused by global warming have led to a greater than average
summer melting of ice caps as well as diminished snowfall due to later winters and earlier
springs (National Geographic: Sea Level Rising). This imbalance results in a significant gain in
runoff versus evaporation for the ocean, causing the sea levels to increase. As with glaciers and
the ice caps, increased heat is causing huge ice sheets that engulf Greenland and Antarctica to
melt at a faster rate. Scientists also believe meltwater from above and seawater from below is
seeping beneath Greenland's and West Antarctica's ice sheets (National Geographic: Sea Level
Rising). This effectively lubricates ice streams and causing them to move more rapidly into the
sea. Moreover, higher sea temperatures are causing the massive ice shelves that extend out from
Antarctica to melt from below and break off (National Geographic: Sea Level Rising). Sea levels
rising, even at the smallest increase, can have devastating effects on coastal habitats. As seawater
reaches farther inland, it can cause destructive erosion, flooding of wetlands, contamination of
aquifers and agricultural soils, and lost habitat for fish, birds, and plants (National Geographic:
Sea Level Rising). When large storms hit land, higher sea levels mean larger and more powerful
storms that can destroy everything in their path. In addition, hundreds of millions of people live
in areas that will become increasingly vulnerable to flooding because of high sea levels (National
Geographic: Sea Level Rising). Increased sea levels would force residents in that area to leave
their homes and relocate. Low lying islands could be submerged completely.

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Figure 3 Scientific research indicates sea levels worldwide have been rising at a rate of 0.14
inches (National Geographic).
Impacts on Marine Fisheries
The impact on marine fisheries is totally dependent on the rate and geographical area in
which the melting polar caps occur (Belchier). The result in which the fisheries are impacted will
depend on the nature and location of the fishery and its ability to change. Fisheries operating in
industrialized nations may be better placed to respond more rapidly and effectively to threats
from climate change than those in developing nations (Belchier). The impacts on the worlds
fisheries must be considered along with other potential factors of climate change among
ecosystems; factors include acidification in oceans due to carbon uptake, increased turbidity due
to increased precipitation and runoff at mid and low latitudes, and changes in ambient salinity
due to increased/ decreased evaporation and/ or increased runoff (Belchier). Any rise in sea level,
regardless of magnitude, will likely have a detrimental, but variable impact on the marine

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fisheries. Those impacts will likely occur to both the ecosystem to which the fisheries belong to
and the infrastructure supporting it (Belchier).
Ways to prevent Polar Caps from melting
As a nation, how do we prevent the polar caps from melting and causing these
detrimental effects that result from them melting? As people who inhabit this earth, we produce
heat trapping gases the cause global warming. One of the main reasons that the polar caps have
melted is due to the increasing use of burning fossil fuels (Natural Resources Defense Council).
Power plants burn fossil fuels to generate electricity for homes and industries all over the world.
Most electricity is made by the burning of fossil fuels; industries are working day and night,
which means fossil fuels are constantly burning, emitting greenhouse gases, specifically carbon
dioxide gas, into the atmosphere resulting in a climate change, colder winters and hotter
summers (Natural Resources Defense Council). One way to stop global warming and the polar
caps from melting is the change from nonrenewable resources to renewable resources. Instead of
using coal, nuclear energy, fossil fuels, and natural gas, we should use, wind, solar, hydropower,
biomass, and geothermal energy. A renewable resource is any resource, such as wood or solar
energy, that can or will be replenished naturally in the course of time. Switching to renewable
resources result in less greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide put into atmosphere, infinite amount
of resources, save on gas money, less expensive, and more importantly, stops the increase in
temperatures, thus saving the polar caps from melting (Natural Resources Defense Council).
There are also other ways we can prevent the polar caps from melting; we can use less energy by
turning off lights we not needed and also unplugging phone chargers when we are not using them
(Natural Resources Defense Council). With these changes, there might be a chance that we save
the polar caps from melting. Although these changes there are some cons to the changes, it is

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overall a better choice because in the long run, the environment can be more efficient and run
smoothly.
Conclusion
The explanation to why the polar ice caps are melting is due to an increase in climate.
The polar cap melting causes detrimental effects to take place. The effects result in an increase in
sea levels, impacts on marine fisheries, diminished wildlife, and less water supply. Glaciers are
crucial to the water supply as they slowly release water into rivers which provide drinking water
and water for agriculture, hydroelectricity and industry mining; with the glaciers melting, there
will be a decrease in water supply (Lovett). As seawater reaches farther inland, it can cause
destructive erosion, flooding of wetlands, contamination of aquifers and agricultural soils, and
lost habitat for fish, birds, and plants (National Geographic). When large storms hit land, higher
sea levels mean larger and more powerful storms that can destroy everything in their path.
The impacts on the worlds fisheries must be considered along with other potential
factors of climate change among ecosystems; factors include acidification in oceans due to
carbon uptake, increased turbidity due to increased precipitation and runoff at mid and low
latitudes, and changes in ambient salinity due to increased/ decreased evaporation and/ or
increased runoff (Belchier). Any rise in sea level will likely have a detrimental impact on the
marine fisheries. Those impacts will likely occur to both the ecosystem to which the fisheries
belong to and the infrastructure supporting it (Belchier). Making changes in our daily lives can
stop global warming and ultimately stop the polar ice caps from melting. There happen to be
effective changes that can be made to stop the ice caps from melting. Making the change from
nonrenewable to renewable resources result in less greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide put into
atmosphere, infinite amount of resources, save on gas money, less expensive, and more

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importantly, stops global warming so the polar caps will not melt (Natural Resources Defense
Council).

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References
Belchier, M. (n.d.). Melting of Polar Ice Caps - Impact on Marine Fisheries. Retrieved December
1, 2014, from http://www.eolss.net/Sample-Chapters/C07/E5-05-16.pdf
Cause and Effect for Global Warming
http://english.people.com.cn/90002/98666/99044/6830157.html
Global Greenhouse Warming. http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/polar-caps.html
Peters, H. (2011, June 11). Melting ice caps affect distant ocean currents ... PLUS We ignore
climate change at our peril! Retrieved December 1, 2014, from
https://environmentaleducationuk.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/climate-change-alertmelting-ice-caps-have-real-on-ocean-currents-and-distant-lands/
National Geographic: Causes of Global Warming.
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-causes/
National Geographic: Melting Glaciers Mean Double Trouble for Water Supplies.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/12/1112-melting-glaciers-mean-doubletrouble-for-water-supplies/
National Geographic: Sea Level Rising. http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/criticalissues-sea-level-rise/
National Marine Fisheries Service.
http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/highlights/coastalwetlandsreport.html
Natural Resources Defense Council. http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/fcons/fcons4.asp

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National Wildlife Federation. http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/GlobalWarming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Polar-Bears.aspx


Union of Concerned Scientist. http://www.climatehotmap.org/global-warming-effects/watersupply.html

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