1. What happens if the polar ice caps melt?
With all of the discussion of global warming, many researchers are looking into the events that would occur if the polar ice caps melted. If the polar ice caps melt there would be a rise in sea level. There would be warmer temperatures because there would be no "protection" so to speak, from the sun. There would be warmer water temperature which would change the flora and the existing sea life. Like a chain these elements would eventually lead to the demise of certain birds, fish, and would decrease food sources for animals that depend on them. There would be more diseases like Malaria and West Nile due to warmer waters and higher more humid land temperatures serving as breeding grounds or mosquitoes. There would be some vary detrimental effects, but these are highly unlikely. Here is a link for more information: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2003/1023esuice.html
2. What other questions do you have about this science inquiry experiment?
What temperatures would be needed in order to melt the 25 million miles of thick polar ice? Also, isn't the temperature very cold in winter and mild in the summer, so much so that this melting not would not take place?
Great questions! That would be a great experiment to figure out how hot it would be to actually melt the polar ice caps, or how long it would take at a certain temperature. I agree that it is highly unlikely that the polar caps would completely melt, but there are little changes taking place that would suggest that glaciers are actually shrinking in volume, whether it be through melting or sublimation.
ReplyDeleteGreat inference with the mosquito population! I did not think about what species would actually flourish in the event that the caps melted. We mostly think about what populations of life would be devastated in world-wide catastrophes and not the other way around.
Thanks for the great insights!