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The Effects of Climate Change on the CryosphereSusan Everly, Andrea Melchiorre, Kendra Miller | University of Idaho | Global Climate Change 313

1. Introduction

2. Current Causes of Melt

• Cryoshpere is the Earth surface covered in ice

• Global observations have shown a general decline

in sea ice, glaciers, ice sheets, seasonal snow,

lake and river ice, and frozen ground.

• Vital for conservation of many ecosystems

4. Globally

3. Close to us: Glacier National Park

6. Conclusion

• Glacier melting is caused by higher summer

temperatures due to climate change.

• Glacier recession will increase water temperature

and disrupt temperature-sensitive ecosystems.

• Reduced snowpack will reduce water availability in

late spring and summer for various regions

(Western U.S.)

• These effects are projected to increase by the end

of the century if no actions are taken.

Works Cited• Arctic Sea-Ice Monitor. (2013, September 6). Retrieved November 17, 2014, from http://www.ijis.iarc.uaf.edu/en/home/seaice_extent.htm

• Arendt, A.A., Echelmeyer, K.A., Harrison, W.D., Lingle, C.S., & Valentine, V.B. (2002). Rapid Wastage of Alaska Glaciers and Their Contribution to Rising Sea Level. Science, 297, 382-386

• Barnett, Tim P., Jennifer C. Adam, and Dennis P. Lettenmaier. "Potential impacts of a warming climate on water availability in snow-dominated regions."Nature 438.7066 (2005): 303-309.

• Hall, Myrna HP, and Daniel B. Fagre. "Modeled climate-induced glacier change in Glacier National Park, 1850–2100." BioScience 53.2 (2003): 131-140.

• Karl, T. R., Melillo, J. M., & Peterson, T. C. (Eds.). (2009). Global climate change impacts in the United States. Cambridge University Press.

• Kerr, R. (2006, March 24). A Worrying Trend of Less Ice, Higher Seas. Science Magazine, 1698-1701.

• Kitchen, D. (2014). Global Climate Change: Turning Knowledge into Action. Pearson Prentice Hall.

• Hansen, J., R. Ruedy, M. Sato, and K. Lo, 2010: Global surface temperature change. Rev. Geophys., 48, RG4004, doi:10.1029/2010RG000345.

• Stocker, T. F., Qin, D., Plattner, G. K., Tignor, M., Allen, S. K., Boschung, J., ... & Vasconcellos de Menezes, V. (2013). Climate Change 2013. The Physical Science Basis. Working Group I

Contribution to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-Abstract for decision-makers. Groupe d'experts intergouvernemental sur l'evolution du

climat/Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-IPCC, C/O World Meteorological Organization, 7bis Avenue de la Paix, CP 2300 CH-1211 Geneva 2 (Switzerland).

• Rapid Bottom Melting Widespread near Antarctic Ice Sheet Grounding Lines Eric Rignot and Stanley S. Jacobs Science, New Series, Vol. 296, No. 5575 (Jun. 14, 2002), pp. 2020-2023

• Jacob, T. S. (2012). Recent contributions of glaciers and ice caps to sea level rise. Nature, 482(7386), 514-518.

• Pritchard, H. A. (2009). Extensive dynamic thinning on the margins of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. Nature, 461(7266), 971-975.

• Glaciers are melting for the warming trends that the

park is experiencing. Especially in summer.

• US Historical Climate Network data show

increment of 1°C in the area in the last century.

Boulder Glacier in UP) 1932 and DOWN)

1988. Photo from Hall and Fagre 2003

Map of the Glacier National Park and summer

temperature trend of USHNC stations within 100

miles the park. GIS Data from US Park Service

y = 0.0123x - 7.1186R² = 0.4527

0

5

10

15

20

25

1900 1940 1980 2020

Mea

n s

um

mer

tem

per

atu

re [

°C]

Year

AUGUSTA

CHOTEAU

CUT BANK

FORTINE

KALISPELL

LIBBY

SAINT IGNATIUS

VALIER

Linear (5 years average)

• Sea level rise from melting of land ice with risk of

flooding in low elevation areas.

• Positive feedbacks

• Surface absorbs more heat (lower albedo)

• CO2 is released from thawing of permafrost

• Methane is released from permafrostCryoshere

componensts

have changed.

The red coloring

represents a

decrease in

thickness and

extent (Stocker

et al., 2013)

Declines in Arctic sea ice extent since the

1980’s (Arctic Sea-Ice Monitor, 2013)

UP) glacial melt highly

contributes to sea level

rise (Stocker et al.,

2013).

Methane being released

from melting permafrost.

Photo by Todd Paris, AP.The retreat of the Jakobshavn Glacier

in Greenland has been monitored

since 1913 (Kitchen, 2014).

5. Effects

Global surface air annual temperature averages

and 5-year running means since 1880. Green

vertical bars are error estimates (Hansen et al.,

2010).

• Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (CO2

and CH4) increased air and ocean temperature

• Deforestation changes the Earth’s surface

reflectivity that increase surface temperature

Increase in greenhouse gas (CO2)

concentrations in the atmosphere.

Showing a spike around the time of the

industrial revolution during the 1700’s.

Concentration units indicate the number

of molecules of the greenhouse gas per

million or billion molecules of air (Karl,

Melillo, & Peterson, 2009)

SIDE) Change in

Florida’s coastline if

sea level rose 6 m

(Kerr, 2006)

Melting points and rates of Greenland (left) and Antarctica (right) showing

the thinning of the borders of the ice sheets (Prichard H.A)

• Increased ocean temperatures are leading to ice

sheet melt in Greenland and Antarctica

• A 1°C increase in temperature leads to a 1 meter

increase in sea level.