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Global Warming Effects Name: Period: As the average global temperature continues to rise, the glaciers and ice caps will continue to melt, increasing the albedo in the arctic and from high (white) to low (black- open ocean). In addition, the melting of the ice caps that sit over land masses, such as Greenland and Antarctica, along with all the alpine glaciers melting is causing sea level to rise. Since 1880 the mean (average) sea level has risen 20 cm (NASA, 2009) Sea level rise is expected to continue as the earth warms. By 2100 sea level is expected to increase as much as 2-5 feet. Florida is a huge plateau, much of it barely above sea level. The highest point in the state is believed to be a hilltop in the panhandle, 345 ft (105 m) above sea level, near the city of Lakewood, in Walton County. No point in the state is more than 70 mi (113 km) from saltwater. I. Results of Melting: On the map of Florida below color in all the areas that are only 5 feet above sea level. The main ice covered landmass is Antarctica at the South Pole, with about 90 percent of the world's ice (and 70 percent of its fresh water). Antarctica is covered with ice an average of 2,133 meters (7,000 feet) thick. If all of the Antarctic ice melted, sea levels around the world would rise about 61 meters (200 feet). There is a significant amount

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Page 1: Effects of Global Warming WorksheetGlobal Warming Effects Name: Period: As the average global temperature continues to rise, the glaciers and ice caps will continue to melt, increasing

Global Warming Effects Name:

Period:

As the average global temperature continues to rise, the glaciers and ice caps will continue to melt, increasing the albedo in the arctic and from high (white) to low (black-open ocean). In addition, the melting of the ice caps that sit over land masses, such as Greenland and Antarctica, along with all the alpine glaciers melting is causing sea level to rise. Since 1880 the mean (average) sea level has risen 20 cm (NASA, 2009)

Sea level rise is expected to continue as the earth warms. By 2100 sea level is expected to increase as much as 2-5 feet. Florida is a huge plateau, much of it barely above sea level. The highest point in the state is

believed to be a hilltop in the panhandle, 345 ft (105 m) above sea level, near the city of Lakewood, in Walton County. No point in the state is more than 70 mi (113 km) from saltwater.

I. Results of Melting: On the map of Florida below color in all the areas that are only 5 feet above sea level.

The main ice covered landmass is Antarctica at the South Pole, with about 90 percent of the world's ice (and 70 percent of its fresh water). Antarctica is covered with ice an average of 2,133 meters (7,000 feet) thick. If all of the Antarctic ice melted, sea levels around the world would rise about 61 meters (200 feet). There is a significant amount

Page 2: Effects of Global Warming WorksheetGlobal Warming Effects Name: Period: As the average global temperature continues to rise, the glaciers and ice caps will continue to melt, increasing

of ice covering Greenland, which would add another 7 meters (20 feet) to the oceans if it melted. Because Greenland is closer to the equator than Antarctica, the temperatures there are higher, so the ice is more likely to melt. In addition, water is most dense at 4 degrees Celsius. Above and below this temperature, the density of water decreases (the same weight of water occupies a bigger space). So as the overall temperature of the water increases it naturally expands a little bit making the oceans rise.

II. Sea Level Rise: Go to the map and outline the edge of what the continents would look like after a 100 meter (~300 feet) sea level rise. Then answer the following questions.

1. Which states will be most effected by sea level rise?

2. Look at a population density map and compare the area that will be inundated by sea level rise. How much of the U.S. population will be affected by this rise?

3. Now compare the global map to the global population density map. What conclusions can you make?

Page 3: Effects of Global Warming WorksheetGlobal Warming Effects Name: Period: As the average global temperature continues to rise, the glaciers and ice caps will continue to melt, increasing

III. Malaria and Emerging Diseases: Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. People with malaria often experience fever, chills, and flu-like illness. Left untreated, they may develop severe complications and die. Each year 350-500 million

cases of malaria occur worldwide, and over one million people die, most of them young children in Africa south of the Sahara. As the global temperatures increase, the species of mosquito that carries malaria is able to move into areas that were once to cool to allow survival. Above is a map that shows the current distribution of malaria and the expected extended distributions by 2050. (Center for Disease Control, 2009)

4. Which parts of the U.S. Are likely to have malaria carrying mosquitos by 2050?

VI. According to researchers at Purdue University, by the end of this century the number of days that favor severe storms could more than double in locations such as Atlanta and New York. The study also found that the increase in storm conditions occurs during the typical storm seasons for these locations and not during dry seasons when such storms could be beneficial. In addition, the severity of droughts and heat - waves are expected to increase.

Page 4: Effects of Global Warming WorksheetGlobal Warming Effects Name: Period: As the average global temperature continues to rise, the glaciers and ice caps will continue to melt, increasing

5. Draw a best fit line across the U.S. Tornadoes graph and describe the general trend in severe weather in the U.S.

6. Examine the graph on the right. The dark line describes the droughts in the U.S. Over the last 100 years and the light line describes the sunspots. Is there a relationship between sunspot events and drought? 7. A) What is the general trend in droughts over the past 100 years?

B) How does this compare to the trend in temperature?

8. Wildfires: Examine the graphs which show number of wildfires in the U.S. And in the Rockies over time. Describe the trend.

V. Opinion: In your view, are these reason’s compelling enough to take steps to reduce our carbon dioxide, methane and other climate changing gasses?