Royal Mail Climate Change Challenge Pack: UNIT 1 STATION 2

Station Information Sheets

Station 2: Effects on ice caps
The amount of water in the world is finite. It is either
stored in the seas, in the rocks beneath us, in rivers
and lakes or in ice caps. Unlike the oceans, ice caps
hold a vast amount of fresh water in the form of ice,
around 70% of all the fresh water on the planet.
Global warming is responsible for a remarkable and
frightening shrinkage of the ice caps (see fig 1).

FIG 1 Changes in average glacier thickness 1955–2005

Data Dyurgerov and Meier © 2005 Image Global Warming Art

Areas that were covered in ice throughout the year

are now exposed. This not only means that more
water is being released into the oceans, but without
the cooling effect of the ice the oceans are getting
warmer. Both of these factors mean that the oceans
are expanding. The most obvious effect of this is
sea level rise.
Royal Mail Climate Change Challenge Pack:
Another important effect in shrinking ice cover is the
impact it has on temperature. The earth receives
solar radiation, some of which is absorbed, increasing
the temperature of the earth, and some of which
is reflected. Heat lost in this way helps keep the
atmosphere relatively cool. Lighter surfaces reflect
FIG 2 Glaciers are retreating all around the world
Steigletscher glacier, Switzerland, 1994
Steigletscher glacier, Switzerland, 2006
On land glaciers are thinning at an alarming rate.
Between 1980 and 2001, 30 major glaciers across
the world had thinned by an average of 6m.
Much land around the ice caps is permafrost (ground
that is permanently frozen). In Siberia land that
has been frozen for 45,000 years is now thawing.
UNIT 1 STATION 2
heat best. Snow and ice cover helps to reflect
energy in the form of solar radiation. If it diminishes
the earth will absorb more solar radiation and
temperature may rise as a result.
The Arctic has lost 1.7 million km2 of ice since 1980,
shrinking to 6.1 million km2 in 2005 (see fig 2).
© DR JUERG ALEAN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
© DR JUERG ALEAN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
This is releasing a lot of methane and methane
hydrates into the atmosphere. These are greenhouse
gases which will add to the atmospheric mix and
generate further warming.