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Global warming pushed Earth into an ice age

Nguyen Bui The Bao

The Evolution of the Earth and Solar System


Intructor: Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy
Tuesday, September 29, 2015

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1. The current and future consequences of global change.


1.1 Northeast
1.2 Northwest
1.3 Southeast
1.4 Midwest
1.5 Southwest
2. Background knowledge
2.1 Iceberg.
2.2 Storms.
2.3 Ocean currents.
3. Shutdown of thermohaline circulation.
4. The incoming Ice Age the mass extionction.
5. Conclusion.
6. References.

1. The current and future consequences of global change.

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The potential future effects of global climate change include more frequent wildfires,
longer periods of drought in some regions and an increase in the number, duration
and intensity of tropical storms.

Global climate change has already had observable effects on the environment.
Glaciers have shrunk, ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier, plant and animal
ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner.
Effects that scientists had predicted in the past would result from global climate
change are now occurring: loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise and longer, more
intense heat waves.
Scientists have high confidence that global temperatures will continue to rise
for decades to come, largely due to greenhouse gasses produced by human activities.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which includes more than
1,300 scientists from the United States and other countries, forecasts a temperature
rise of 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next century.
According to the IPCC, the extent of climate change effects on individual
regions will vary over time and with the ability of different societal and environmental
systems to mitigate or adapt to change.
The IPCC predicts that increases in global mean temperature of less than 1.8 to
5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (1 to 3 degrees Celsius) above 1990 levels will produce
beneficial impacts in some regions and harmful ones in others. Net annual costs will
increase over time as global temperatures increase.
Below are some of the impacts that are currently visible throughout the U.S.
and will continue to affect these regions, according to the Third National Climate
Assessment Report, released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program:
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1.1 Northeast: Heat waves, heavy downpours, and sea level rise pose growing
challenges to many aspects of life in the Northeast. Infrastructure, agriculture,
fisheries, and ecosystems will be increasingly compromised. Many states and
cities are beginning to incorporate climate change into their planning.
1.2 Northwest: Changes in the timing of streamflow reduce water supplies for
competing demands. Sea level rise, erosion, inundation, risks to infrastructure,
and increasing ocean acidity pose major threats. Increasing wildfire, insect
outbreaks, and tree diseases are causing widespread tree die-off.
1.3 Southeast: Sea level rise poses widespread and continuing threats to the
regions economy and environment. Extreme heat will affect health, energy,
agriculture, and more. Decreased water availability will have economic and
environmental impacts.
1.4 Midwest: Extreme heat, heavy downpours, and flooding will affect
infrastructure, health, agriculture, forestry, transportation, air and water quality,
and more. Climate change will also exacerbate a range of risks to the Great
Lakes.
1.5 Southwest: Increased heat, drought, and insect outbreaks, all linked to climate
change, have increased wildfires. Declining water supplies, reduced
agricultural yields, health impacts in cities due to heat, and flooding and
erosion in coastal areas are additional concerns.

2. Background knowledge
2.1 Background knowledge Iceberg.
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An iceberg is a large piece of freshwater


ice that has broken off a glacier or an ice
shelf and is floating freely in open water.
[1] It may subsequently become frozen
into pack ice (one form of sea ice). As it
drifts into shallower waters, it may come
into contact with the seabed, a process
referred to as seabed gouging by ice.
Iceberg B-15 is the world's largest
recorded iceberg. It measured around 295
kilometres (183 mi) long and 37
kilometres (23 mi) wide, with a surface
area of 11,000 square kilometres (4,200 sq
mi)larger than the whole island of
Jamaica. Calved from the Ross Ice Shelf
of Antarctica in March 2000, Iceberg B-15
broke up into smaller icebergs, the largest
of which was named Iceberg B-15A. In
An artist's impression of an iceberg
2003, B-15A drifted away from Ross
viewed from the side, with the majority
Island into the Ross Sea and headed north,
underwater

eventually breaking up into several smaller icebergs in October 2005.


Sea ice is melting rapidly, especially in the Arctic. Scientists at the University of
Leeds have determined that global warming contributes to the loss of a tremendous
amount of sea ice -- enough to equal 1.5 million icebergs the size of the Titanic
every year. Melting icebergs and melting ice caps are causing sea levels to rise, in
some areas significantly. Rising sea levels are expected to cause flooding and
erosion in low-lying, coastal cities.[2]

2.2 Background knowledge Storms[3].

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Storm formation.

A storm is any disturbed state of an environment or astronomical body's


atmosphere especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather. It
may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind,
hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), heavy precipitation (snowstorm,
rainstorm), heavy freezing rain (ice storm), strong winds (tropical cyclone,
windstorm), or wind transporting some substance through the atmosphere as in a dust
storm, blizzard, sandstorm, etc.
Storms generally lead to negative impacts on lives and property such as storm
surge, heavy rain or snow (causing flooding or road impassibility), lightning,
wildfires, and vertical wind shear; however, systems with significant rainfall can
alleviate drought in places they move through. Heavy snowfall can allow special
recreational activities to take place which would not be possible otherwise, such as
skiing and snowmobiling.
Storms are created when a center of low pressure develops with a system of
high pressure surrounding it. This combination of opposing forces can create winds
and result in the formation of storm clouds, such as the cumulonimbus. Small
localized areas of low pressure can form from hot air rising off hot ground, resulting
in smaller disturbances such as dust devils and whirlwinds.

2.3 Background knowledge Ocean currents[4].


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The ocean currents.

An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of seawater generated by


forces acting upon this mean flow, such as breaking waves, wind, the Coriolis effect,
cabbeling, and temperature and salinity differences, while tides are caused by the
gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon. Depth contours, shoreline configurations, and
interactions with other currents influence a current's direction and strength.
Ocean currents flow for great distances, and together, create the global
conveyor belt which plays a dominant role in determining the climate of many of the
Earths regions. More specifically, ocean currents influence the temperature of the
regions through which they travel. For example, warm currents traveling along more
temperate coasts increase the temperature of the area by warming the sea breezes that
blow over them. Perhaps the most striking example is the Gulf Stream, which makes
northwest Europe much more temperate than any other region at the same latitude.
Another example is Lima, Peru where the climate is cooler (sub-tropical) than the
tropical latitudes in which the area is located, due to the effect of the Humboldt
Current.

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3. Shutdown of thermohaline circulation.

A shutdown or slowdown of the thermohaline circulation is a hypothesized


effect of global warming. Global warming could, via a shutdown or slowdown of the
thermohaline circulation, trigger localised cooling in the North Atlantic and lead to
cooling, or lesser warming, in that region. This would particularly affect areas such as
the British Isles, France and the Nordic countries, which are warmed by the North
Atlantic drift. The chances of this occurring are unclear; there is some evidence for the
stability of the Gulf Stream but a possible weakening of the North Atlantic drift; and
there is evidence of warming in northern Europe and nearby seas, rather than the
reverse. In coupled Atmosphere-Ocean General Circulation Models the THC tends to
weaken somewhat rather than stop, and the warming effects outweigh the cooling,
even over Europe[5].
Heat is transported from the equator polewards mostly by the atmosphere but
also by ocean currents, with warm water near the surface and cold water at deeper
levels. The best known segment of this circulation is the Gulf Stream, a wind-driven
gyre, which transports warm water from the Caribbean northwards. A northwards
branch of the Gulf Stream, the North Atlantic Drift, is part of the thermohaline
circulation (THC), transporting warmth further north to the North Atlantic, where its
effect in warming the atmosphere contributes to warming Europe. Other factors are
also important, such as atmospheric waves that bring subtropical air further north,
which have been suggested to influence the climate of the British Isles more than the
Gulf Stream[6]. The evaporation of ocean water in the North Atlantic increases the
salinity of the water as well as cooling it, both actions increasing the density of water
at the surface. The formation of sea ice further increases the salinity. This dense water
then sinks and the circulation stream continues in a southerly direction. Global
warming could lead to an increase in freshwater in the northern oceans, by melting
glaciers in Greenland and by increasing precipitation, especially through Siberian
rivers[7]. It is by no means clear that sufficient freshwater could be provided to
interrupt thermohaline circulation.
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4. The imcoming Ice Age The mass extinction.

The red end of the spectrum indicates slowing in this presentation of the trend of
velocities derived from NASA Pathfinder altimeter data from May 1992 to June 2002.
Source: NASA.

The concentration of these natural greenhouse gases in the ice cores indicates
that run away warming pushed Earth into an ice age. it is a paradox, but global
warming can trigger a cooling trend. The reason is The Northern Hemisphere owes its
climate to the North Atlantic Current. Heat from the sun arrives at the equator and is
carried north by the ocean. But global warming is melting the polar ice caps and
disrupting this flow. Eventually it will shut down. And when that occurs there goes our
warm climate. The imbalance will create storms. The storm's rotation is pulling supercooled air all the way down from the upper troposphere. The air's descending too
rapidly. It doesnt take enough time to warm up before it reaches ground level. You
could freeze to death in seconds. The basic rule of storms is they continue until the
imbalance that created them is corrected. In this case, we're talking about a global
realignment. When it's over, ice and snow will cover the entire Northern Hemisphere.
The ice and snow will reflect sunlight. The Earth's atmosphere will restabilize with an
average temperature close to that of the last Ice Age.
A study of circulation in the North Atlantic has discovered that there already
has been a 30 percent reduction in currents flowing north from the Gulf Stream. A
slowed Gulf Stream could potentially lead to dramatic cooling in Europe.
Mass extinctions are characterized by the loss of at least 75% of species within
a geologically short period of time. The earth suddenly goin to an ice age, more than
95% species will be earse from Northern Hemisphere. The habitat is restricted that
cause the loss of so many of those large species, or megafauna. The super cold wether
avoid the growth of the plants.
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5. Conclusion.
The question of whether reversing global warming might lead to an ice age
could be irrelevant if it never happens. According to a study by the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the changes in ocean surface temperature,
rainfall, and sea level that have already occurred are irreversible for a thousand years
after carbon dioxide emissions are completely stopped. That means no matter how
much we curb our emissions today, we may not be able to undo the damage that has
already been done anytime soon.
Can we do anything to stop global warming?
Yes. When we burn fossil fuels -- oil, coal and gas -- to generate electricity and
power our vehicles, we produce the heat-trapping gases that cause global warming.
The more we burn, the faster churns the engine of global climate change. Thus the
most important thing we can do is save energy.
And we can do it. Technologies exist today to make cars that run cleaner and
burn less gas, generate electricity from wind and sun, modernize power plants, and
build refrigerators, air conditioners and whole buildings that use less power. As
individuals, each of us can take steps to save energy and fight global warming.

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6. References.
12345-

"Definitions of the word "Iceberg"". Google. Retrieved 2006-12-20.


National Snow and Ice Data Center: Quick Facts on Icebergs
Storm wikipedia the free encolopedia.
Ocean current wikipedia the free encolopedia.
IPCC TAR WG1 (2001). "9.3.4.3 Thermohaline circulation changes". In
Houghton, J.T.; Ding, Y.; Griggs, D.J.; Noguer, M.; van der Linden, P.J.;
Dai, X.; Maskell, K.; and Johnson, C.A. Climate Change 2001: The
Scientific Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Third Assessment
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge
University Press. ISBN 0-521-80767-0 (pb: 0-521-01495-6)
6- Seager R (JulyAugust 2006). "The Source of Europe's Mild Climate".
American Scientist. The notion that the Gulf Stream is responsible for
keeping Europe anomalously warm turns out to be a myth.
7- Turrell, B. The Big Chill Transcript of discussion on BBC 2, 13 November
2003.
8- Lund DC, Lynch-Stieglitz J, Curry WB; Lynch-Stieglitz; Curry (November
2006). "Gulf Stream density structure and transport during the past
millennium".

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