The global The global threat of threat of Polar ice Polar ice meltingmelting

What’s the worry?What’s the worry?Due to Due to GLOBAL GLOBAL

WARMINGWARMING massive massive amounts of amounts of ArcticArctic and and

AntarcticAntarctic ice are ice are beginning to melt. beginning to melt.

World temperatures may World temperatures may rise by a couple of rise by a couple of

degrees this century degrees this century because of because of greenhouse greenhouse

gasgas emissions emissions

This photograph shows This photograph shows melted glacier icemelted glacier ice that that

has collected in a valleyhas collected in a valley

© Trevor Cole

Scientists think Scientists think so. And in places, so. And in places, the ice is the ice is 5 km5 km deep! deep!

If all the ice If all the ice stored on stored on Antarctica Antarctica melted, world sea melted, world sea level would rise level would rise by by 60 metres60 metres! ! However this However this would take would take centuries to centuries to occur.occur.

Is Antarctic ice Is Antarctic ice melting?melting?

To compare, look at the size of the UK. To compare, look at the size of the UK. There’s a There’s a lot of icelot of ice stored on stored on

Antarctica!Antarctica!

What’s happening What’s happening at the North Pole?at the North Pole?

Unlike southern Unlike southern Antarctica, the Antarctica, the northern Arcticnorthern Arctic

region is mostly region is mostly an an oceanocean covered covered

with frozen ice. with frozen ice.

If this ice melts, it If this ice melts, it will will notnot cause sea cause sea

levels to rise levels to rise (when ice cubes (when ice cubes melt in a drink, melt in a drink,

the level stays the the level stays the same)same)

However, the big Arctic island of However, the big Arctic island of GreenlandGreenland is covered with land ice. is covered with land ice.

If all of If all of Greenland’Greenland’s land ice s land ice melted, melted, world sea world sea levels levels would rise would rise by an by an additional additional 7 metres 7 metres !!

Key milestones for a possible future sea-Key milestones for a possible future sea-level rise timelinelevel rise timeline

World sea-level is expected to rise 60-World sea-level is expected to rise 60-70cm by 2100; but this is mostly due to 70cm by 2100; but this is mostly due to thermal expansionthermal expansion (as the sea gets (as the sea gets warmer, it expands!)warmer, it expands!)

Significant Significant glacier meltingglacier melting in Artic, in Artic, Antarctic, Himalayan and Alpine regions Antarctic, Himalayan and Alpine regions could produce another metre of sea-level could produce another metre of sea-level rise by around 2200.rise by around 2200.

If greenhouse gas emissions keep rising, If greenhouse gas emissions keep rising, then then GreenlandGreenland and and AntarcticaAntarctica ice sheets ice sheets could one day melt completely, bringing could one day melt completely, bringing 7m and 60m rises respectively. However, 7m and 60m rises respectively. However, this might take hundreds of years. this might take hundreds of years.

What happens next?What happens next?