Ice Caps facts
While investigating facts about Ice Caps Melting and Ice Caps Growing, I found out little known, but curios details like:
There are thousand year old bacteria and viruses hiding in the ice caps that if melted and released could cause a new wave of deadly diseases that we haven't experienced before.
how ice caps are formed?
Most of Florida will disappear should ice caps melt
What happens if the ice caps melt?
In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across answering what would happen if the ice caps melted. Here are 50 of the best facts about Ice Caps Weed and Ice Caps Melting Facts I managed to collect.
what ice caps are melting?
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There is a remaining glacier within Africa; the remnant of an ice cap on Kilimanjaro
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Greeks and Romans polluted the air so much, traces of their lead pollution can be seen in ice caps as far away as Greenland
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Author HG Wells pretty much created the template for the modern day disaster movie with his 1897 short story "The Star". It tells of the Earths near miss with a meteor who's gravitational pull causes earthquakes, tidal waves, and the melting of the ice caps. Millions are killed.
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The temperature of the earth has increased by one half of a degree Celsius in the last 100 years, which might seem small but it can have drastic effects on the earth as a whole. This temperature change can melt ice caps and cause water levels to rise globally.
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The ice cap at Antarctica covers about the same amount of space as Mexico and the United States combined. It is roughly 5.4 million square miles in size.
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If the ice caps begin to melt enough to raise the sea levels by more than six feet most major cities will be flooded. Most major cities have been built along low-lying coastal regions or along other waterways to allow for shipping ports in their early development.
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It is believed that Drake Passage was closed until roughly 41 million years ago. Prior to the passage opening the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans were completely blocked. Once the passage opened Antarctica cooled and its ice cap was able to form.
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NASA has estimated that the polar ice caps are melting 9% every ten years, which is an extremely alarming rate.
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If the ice at Antarctica melted the sea levels would rise by 200 feet.
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Because of the increase in temperature, ice caps have begun melting causing the sea level to rise.
Why ice caps are important?
You can easily fact check why are the polar ice caps melting by examining the linked well-known sources.
The surface of the inner planets is characterized by volcanoes, canyons, craters, and mountains, and earth is the only one known to have water on its surface. Earth and Mars both have polar ice caps that are permanent (unless global warming continues).
Portions of ice caps melt and refreeze as the seasons change.
Weather satellites can record a variety of weather and other phenomena including clouds, cloud systems, fire, pollution effects, dust storms, sand storms, snow, ice caps, ocean currents, volcanic ash in the air, smoke and much more.
Although the Arctic Ocean is covered by an ice cap, the ice cap is decreasing in size due to global warming and pollution. If it continues to melt it is possible that eventually there will be no more ice in the Arctic Ocean. This may happen by the year 2040.
It is estimated that in only the last 100 years sea levels have risen by as much as 8 inches. This can only be due to melting ice.
When ice caps melt?
The Arctic ice cap has decreased since the 1960s by as much as 40%.
How ice caps melt?
The Arctic ice is protective for the planet as it reflects some of the harsh sun's rays back into space, which in turn helps to regulate the temperature of the earth. Global warming and melting of the ice cap threatens the earth because of this.
During the Cold War, on the top of the world, under the surface of a giant ice cap, the US army buried a city called "Camp Century"
Global warming can cause hot temperatures where it used to be cold and cold temperatures where it used to be warm. This disrupts the life cycle in many regions and could result in increased water levels and flooding around the world due to melting ice caps. Only 1 yard rise in sea level would result in more than 100 million people losing their homes and communities.
British explorer Ranulph Fiennes ran 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents just four months after a double bypass surgery. He's also the only person to have climbed Everest and crossed both polar ice caps, and once had to saw his own fingers off after they became frostbitten.
Approximately 90% of the world's ice is located at the South Pole at Antarctica. This ice is about 7,000 feet thick.