The planet is warming from the Northernmost point to the Southernmost point. Since 1906, the global average surface temperature has risen more than 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius)—even in sensitive polar regions. And the effects of rising temperatures aren't waiting for some distant future—the effects of global warming are happening now. Summer is melting glaciers and sea ice, changing rainfall patterns, and setting off animals.
Many people think of global warming and climate change as synonymous, but scientists now prefer to use "climate change" when describing the complex changes affecting our planet's weather and climate system. Climate change encompasses not only an increase in average temperature but also a range of extreme weather events, displacement of wildlife populations and habitats, rising seas and other impacts. Scientists have already documented these effects of climate change:
1)Ice is melting around the world, especially at the Earth's poles. These include mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice. The number of glaciers in Montana's Glacier National Park has dropped from more than 150 in 1910 to less than 30.
2)Much of this melting ice contributes to sea level rise. Global sea level is rising by 0.13 inches (3.2 mm) per year. Growth has been accelerating in recent years and is predicted to accelerate in the coming decades.
3)Rising temperatures are affecting wildlife and their habitats. Disappearing ice has challenged species such as the Adélie penguin in Antarctica, where some populations in the western peninsula have declined by 90 percent or more.
4)As temperatures change, many species are on the move. Some butterflies, foxes and alpine plants have migrated farther north or to higher, colder regions.
5)Precipitation (rain and snow) has increased on average worldwide. Yet some areas are experiencing more severe droughts, increasing the risk of forest fires, crop losses and drinking water shortages.
6)Some species are thriving, including mosquitoes, ticks, jellyfish and crop pests. Growing populations of bark beetles that feed on spruce and pine trees, for example, have destroyed millions of acres of forest in the United States.
Icebergs melt in Antarctic waters. Climate change has accelerated the rate of ice loss across the continent.
Icebergs are melting in Antarctic waters. Climate change has accelerated the rate of ice loss across the continent. Icebergs are melting in Antarctic waters. Climate change has accelerated the rate of ice loss across the continent.
Other impacts may occur later this century, if warming continues. These include: Sea levels are expected to rise 10 to 32 inches (26 to 82 cm) or more by the end of the century. Strong winds and other storms are likely. Floods and droughts will become more common. For example, large parts of the US will face a high risk of a decades-long "mega drought" by 2100. Less fresh water will be available, as glaciers store about three-quarters of the world's fresh water.
Some diseases will spread, such as mosquito-borne malaria (and the 2016 resurgence of the Zika virus). Ecosystems will continue to change: some species will move north or become more successful; Others, such as polar bears, will not be able to adapt and may become extinct.
Very good information about global warming
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