# data[].attributes.body
Climate change refers to the long-term changes in the climate that occur over decades, centuries or longer. It is increasing rapidly and we can see their effect globally.

# data[].attributes.body
Climate change not only does harm in an indirect way, but it has a direct link with our day to day chores. So some of them are:

Damage to your home.

More expensive home insurance.

Outdoor work could become unbearable.

Higher electric bills and more blackouts.

Rising taxes.

More allergies and other health risks.

Water quality will be poor

# data[].attributes.body
So let's look onto the effects (the things that are changing due to this) that are happening globally

# data[].attributes.headline
How tectonic plates collide, due to which we experience Earthquakes

# data[].attributes.subject
How tectonic plates collide, due to which we experience Earthquakes

# data[].attributes.body
As the sea water is rising, there is triggering between the plates and they collide, due to which we experience shakes.

# data[].attributes.headline
"We are getting prone to EARTHQUAKES due to rising sea levels"

# data[].attributes.subject
"We are getting prone to EARTHQUAKES due to rising sea levels"

# data[].attributes.body
According to a research by the scientist Kar he said that the continuous warming is increasing the volume of sea water, which in turn is disturbing the balance among the surface of tectonic plates, due to which we are experiencing more earthquakes than any other time.

# data[].attributes.body
There are at least 500,000 earthquakes per year.

An earthquake can affect the length of a day.

San Francisco is moving towards Los Angeles due to earthquake

An earthquake caused Mt. Everest to shrink by one inch and other Himalayan mountains were also affected

# data[].attributes.body
Continual melt from glaciers contributes water to the ecosystem throughout dry months. We rely on glaciers as a form of natural water storage infrastructure. They take on water in winter and release it evenly during warm months. If most glaciers disappear, stream flows, the timing of peak stream flows, stream temperatures, and runoff volume will all change.
The actual thing is that if precipitation remains the same, does it really make a difference? So unfortunately the answer is,
Yes. Glacial ice sequesters water in a way that prevents it from evaporating readily. Without glaciers, even if precipitation remains constant in high mountainous areas, that water will remain in liquid form, subject to quick evaporation and runoff.

# data[].attributes.headline
Some shocking Facts on 'Melting Glaciers'

# data[].attributes.subject
Some shocking Facts on 'Melting Glaciers'

# data[].attributes.body
Switzerland, which has more glaciers than any other Alpine country, is quickly losing them. This could have important repercussions since the Swiss rely on them for power generation

One project, conceived by engineer Sonam Wangchuk, has created artificial glaciers in Ladakh, on the edge of the Himalayas in India’s Kashmir. These slowly and steadily release water throughout the summer, water that would have rushed unused down streams and rivers to the sea

Approximately 10 percent of the Earth is covered by glaciers; during the last Ice Age, they covered one-third of the Earth’s surface so their melting can cause floods.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/why-are-glaciers-and-sea-ice-melting#:~:text=Melting%20glaciers%20add%20to%20rising,storms%20like%20hurricanes%20and%20typhoons.&text=Alarmingly%2C%20if%20all%20the%20ice,sea%20levels%20by%2020%20feet.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Strong action on climate change means preparing communities for impacts that are happening now. But it also means looking to the future, focused on reducing the heat-trapping gases in our atmosphere that will bring damaging consequences as our planet warms.
The good news is that individuals can play a big part on both fronts with just a few simple changes.
First, reach out to your local elected officials to find out if your city has a disaster response plan for right now. Keeping communities' safe starts by having a strong plan in place that leverages some of the best, but underutilized tools we have to protect or communities: nature.

And when it comes to reducing emissions, you can make a few simple changes to your daily routine to lower your carbon footprint.

What are the effects of melting glaciers on sea level rise?

Melting glaciers add to rising sea levels, which in turn increases coastal erosion and elevates storm surge as warming air and ocean temperatures create more frequent and intense coastal storms like hurricanes and typhoons. Specifically, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are the largest contributors of global sea level rise. Right now, the Greenland ice sheet is disappearing four times faster than in 2003 and already contributes 20% of current sea level rise.

How much and how quickly these Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets melt in the future will largely determine how much ocean levels rise in the future. If emissions continue to rise, the current rate of melting on the Greenland ice sheet is expected to double by the end of the century. Alarmingly, if all the ice on Greenland melted, it would raise global sea levels by 20 feet.

How do melting sea ice and glaciers affect weather patterns?

Today, the Arctic is warming twice as fast as anywhere on earth, and the sea ice there is declining by more than 10% every 10 years. As this ice melts, darker patches of ocean start to emerge, eliminating the effect that previously cooled the poles, creating warmer air temperatures and in turn disrupting normal patterns of ocean circulation. Research shows the polar vortex is appearing outside of the Arctic more frequently because of changes to the jet stream, caused by a combination of warming air and ocean temperatures in the Arctic and the tropics.

The glacial melt we are witnessing today in Antarctic and Greenland is changing the circulation of the Atlantic Ocean and has been linked to collapse of fisheries in the Gulf of Maine and more destructive storms and hurricanes around the planet.

What are the effects of melting glaciers and sea ice loss on humans and wildlife?

What happens in these places has consequences across the entire globe. As sea ice and glaciers melt and oceans warm, ocean currents will continue to disrupt weather patterns worldwide. Industries that thrive on vibrant fisheries will be affected as warmer waters change where and when fish spawn. Coastal communities will continue to face billion-dollar disaster recovery bills as flooding becomes more frequent and storms become more intense. People are not the only ones impacted. In the Arctic, as sea ice melts, wildlife like walrus are losing their home and polar bears are spending more time on land, causing higher rates of conflict between people and bears.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Strong action on climate change means preparing communities for impacts that are happening now . But it also means looking to the future, focused on reducing the heat-trapping gases in our atmosphere that will bring damaging consequences as our planet warms. The good news is that individuals can play a big part on both fronts with just a few simple changes.

# data[].attributes.body
A detailed explaination of how it happens.!

# data[].attributes.body
The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface. When the Sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to space and the rest is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases.

Greenhouse gases include water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and some artificial chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

The absorbed energy warms the atmosphere and the surface of the Earth. This process maintains the Earth’s temperature at around 33 degrees Celsius warmer than it would otherwise be, allowing life on Earth to exist.

# data[].attributes.body
Earth’s lower atmosphere is becoming warmer and moister as a result of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. This gives the potential for more energy for storms and certain extreme weather events. Consistent with theoretical expectations, the types of events most closely related to temperature, such as heatwaves and extremely hot days, are becoming more likely.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/drought/#:~:text=A%20drought%20is%20a%20period,and%20a%20general%20water%20shortage.&text=A%20drought%20may%20last%20for%20weeks%2C%20months%2C%20or%20even%20years.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Image

National Geographic Emerging Explorer Alexandra Cousteau started the nonprofit Blue Legacy to raise awareness about water issues around the world. She believes water problems such as drought, storms, floods, and degraded water quality will be a crucial issue in this century.

Photograph by Keenpress

Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary

A drought is a period of time when an area or region experiences below-normal precipitation. The lack of adequate precipitation, either rain or snow, can cause reduced soil moisture or groundwater, diminished stream flow, crop damage, and a general water shortage. Droughts are the second-most costly weather events after hurricanes.

Unlike with sudden weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorms, it is often difficult to pinpoint when a drought has started or when it has ended. The initial effects of a drought may be difficult to identify right away, so it may take weeks or months to determine that a drought has started. The end of a drought is hard to identify for the same reason. A drought may last for weeks, months, or even years. Sometimes, drought conditions can exist for a decade or more in a region. The longer a drought lasts, the greater the harmful effects it has on people.

Droughts affect people in a several ways. Access to clean drinking water is essential for all life, and sources of water may dwindle during a drought. Without the presence of water, people must bring in enough water from elsewhere to survive. Water is also needed for crops to grow. When not enough precipitation falls to naturally water crops, they must be watered by irrigation. Irrigation is possible only when there is enough water in nearby rivers, lakes, or streams, or from groundwater. During a drought, these water sources are diminished and may even dry up, preventing crops from being irrigated and causing them to die off.

One person studying these problems is Alexandra Cousteau, a National Geographic Emerging Explorer whose latest initiative is Blue Legacy. She started Blue Legacy to raise awareness that we live on a water planet and must take care of it. Cousteau, the granddaughter of the famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, believes that water will be a crucial issue in this century. She predicts that water problems such as drought, storms, floods, and degraded water quality will create "water refugees:" people migrating in search of water. Cousteau stresses that we must do all we can to protect Earth's valuable freshwater resources.

to move from one place or activity to another.

Credits

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Director

Tyson Brown, National Geographic Society

Author

National Geographic Society

Production Managers

Gina Borgia, National Geographic Society
Jeanna Sullivan, National Geographic Society

Program Specialists

Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society
Margot Willis, National Geographic Society

Producer

Clint Parks

Last Updated

Jan. 21, 2020

User Permissions

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

Media

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

Director

Tyson Brown, National Geographic Society

Author

National Geographic Society

Production Managers

Gina Borgia, National Geographic Society
Jeanna Sullivan, National Geographic Society

Program Specialists

Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society
Margot Willis, National Geographic Society

Producer

Clint Parks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Image National Geographic Emerging Explorer Alexandra Cousteau started the nonprofit Blue Legacy to raise awareness about water issues around the world. She believes water problems such as drought, storms, floods, and degraded water quality will be a crucial issue in this century.