climate change - cryosphere
- Created by: jadeedaj
- Created on: 15-05-20 11:11
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- Consequences of climate change on the cryosphere
- Less snow cover reduces the albedo of the Earth's surface, which causes further heating as more sunlight is absorbed= positive feedback
- higher temperatures reduce the time snow spends on the ground before it melts.
- Glaciers - Due to global warming the speed of movement of the glacier can be affected. Glaciers moves gradually down the hill towards the sea and climate change means the ice melts and adds to the river flow causing sea levels to rise.
- Melt water from the surface of the glacier flows down the cracks to the bottom of the ice. It then lubricates the ice causing the glacier to move quicker. Retreating and extending glaciers are evidence of global warming.
- Ice shelves - As sea levels rise the land ice does not need to move as far to move as far before it floats off into the sea and become ice bergs.
- Ice shelves which break up do not directly cause sea levels to rises they are floating and have already displaced the sea water. However, ice sheets grounded on the sea bed block the forward movement of ice on land. So when the glaciers or ice sheet behind may flow more rapidly towards the sea.
- ice lakes-if the front wall of the lake melts then the water may be released down the valley and cause flooding.
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