Climate change in Antarctica

Global WarmingStudy of ice cores show temperatures here have risen by about 2.5degrees since 1940. This has caused the melting of several ice shelves. 70% of the worlds fresh water is held as ice in Antarctica – if it all melted sea levels would rise by over 50 meters.

Global Warming

Causes: Burning fossil fuels

Deforestation

Methane from cows and rice fields

Greenhouse gases

Effects of global warming

• Sea level rise

• Extreme weather events may increase

• Global circulation patterns may alter.

The Ozone HoleHole in the Ozone layer above Antartica discovered in the 1980s. Caused by the release of CFCs. Ozone in the upper atmosphere protects us from the harmful effects of radiation.

Reflecting the suns rays

• The white continent reflects up to 90% of the suns rays.

• If the ice melts the darker seas and land will absorb much more of the runs rays and speed up the global warming process.

• Global circulation patterns cold be affected

Threat from too much tourism?