Ice is melting
The cryosphere includes the ice cap over the waters of the Arctic, the ice sheets covering Greenland and Antarctica, the mountain glaciers on most continents, and the permafrost of the northern areas of North America, Europe, and Asia.
Arctic sea ice has lost three-quarters of its volume and half of its area in the past 30 years. The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are losing a total over 400 billion tons of ice per year. Glacier melting and movement in Greenland and Antarctica is accelerating. The rate of Antarctic ice loss has tripled in the last decade.
In the late 1880s, Glacier National Park had 150 glaciers. Now about 25 smaller glaciers are left, and may disappear by 2030. Mountain glaciers are similarly retreating around the world. The permafrost is also thawing in some areas, leading to “drunken forests” and the damage of infrastructure built on the changing soils.
Sea levels are rising
Since 1880, sea levels have risen an average of 8 inches. Sea levels are currently rising 0.12 inch per year, but this is also accelerating. 1/3 of present sea level rise is caused by the thermal expansion of warming oceans and 2/3 from melting ice.
The cryosphere includes the ice cap over the waters of the Arctic, the ice sheets covering Greenland and Antarctica, the mountain glaciers on most continents, and the permafrost of the northern areas of North America, Europe, and Asia.
Arctic sea ice has lost three-quarters of its volume and half of its area in the past 30 years. The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are losing a total over 400 billion tons of ice per year. Glacier melting and movement in Greenland and Antarctica is accelerating. The rate of Antarctic ice loss has tripled in the last decade.
In the late 1880s, Glacier National Park had 150 glaciers. Now about 25 smaller glaciers are left, and may disappear by 2030. Mountain glaciers are similarly retreating around the world. The permafrost is also thawing in some areas, leading to “drunken forests” and the damage of infrastructure built on the changing soils.
Sea levels are rising
Since 1880, sea levels have risen an average of 8 inches. Sea levels are currently rising 0.12 inch per year, but this is also accelerating. 1/3 of present sea level rise is caused by the thermal expansion of warming oceans and 2/3 from melting ice.
