Consequences of Global Climate Change

Effects of Ocean Currents

• can causes excessive warming or cooling

• thermohaline circulation

Why are the ocean currents chaning?

salinity decreases of ice caps melting and more water

Effects of ice caps/glaciers melting

• disrupts  seasonal access to water

Effects of permafrost melting

• permafrost melts in tundra  the moss and vegetation decays and releases methane - high warming potential 

• less albedo from ice cap melting 

• higher temps

Effects of rising sea-level

• flooding in coastal areas and habitats 

• EX: beaches, wetlands, coral reefs, estuaries, and barrier islands, flood low-lying areas (EX: New Orleans) - most risk

Why are sea-levels rising?

• caused by thermal expansion and melting of ice caps 

How does global climate change effect human health?

• humans may have to relocate inland

• diseases carried by mosquitoes could increases 

• economic consequences

• environmental refugees because the are they live in can support

• mold problems because warm and moist 

• rise in yeast infections, mildew, fungus, and mold 

What will happen to biodiversity and organisms?

• biodiversity decrease 

• increase in generalist and r-species

• decreases in specialists and k-species

• species survival based on ability to move North

• coral bleaching because small range of tolerance - ocean acidification or temp increase 

• growing season for plants change 

• habitats move north