SEE: Glaciation: 2A.11C
- Created by: MaggieNaylor
- Created on: 30-03-22 20:43
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- 2A.11C: Global warming. Indirect actions altering natural systems
- Mass balance= the difference between ablation/accumulation, this depends whether the glacier retreats or advances
- Global warming is increasing the melting of glaciers, thus causing negative mass balances
- E.g. There have been 23 consecutive years of negative mass balances in glaciers between 1980-2012
- E.g. 95% of glaciers in the Himalayas are retreating
- Continuously retreating glaciers increase chances of glacial outburst floods
- Impact on the hydrological cycle
- Precipitation in form of snow diminishes, and rainfall patterns change
- Greater flooding in winter, more droughts in summer
- In the short term, river discharge will increase due to increased meltwater
- In the long term, river discharge will decrease (as glacier is no longer a store)
- Sediment yield would increase in water, and water security would be threatened as the water would be undrinkable
- E.g. 500 million people in India face water shortages because of glacial retreat
- E.g. rivers such as Mekong, Yangtze, Ganges are all fed by glacial meltwater
- Feedback cycles- retreat is increasing because of positive feedback cycles
- Permfrost melts, releases ghg, increased concentration of ghg, increased temps and melting
- 4% of Earth's carbon in permafrost
- White polar ice melts, lower albedo so reduced reflection, more atmospheric warming, more melting
- Permfrost melts, releases ghg, increased concentration of ghg, increased temps and melting
- Other impacts
- Estimated rise of 2 degrees a year will cost Switzerland £2 billion because of impacts on winter tourism
- Mass balance= the difference between ablation/accumulation, this depends whether the glacier retreats or advances
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