HIPELS - Unit 1 - Causes and Effects of Sea Level Rise and Climate Change

Rising sea levels

Mainly caused by melting land ice and thermal expansion of seawater due to warming.

Sea ice melting

Does not cause sea level rise because it's already displacing water.

Land ice melting (Greenland, Antarctica)

Adds water to the ocean, causing sea level to rise.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂)

Not a heat source, but traps infrared energy, warming Earth's atmosphere.

More CO₂ in a system

Higher temperature because energy gets trapped inside.

Burning fossil fuels

Releases CO₂ rapidly, increases greenhouse effect, speeds up global warming.

CO₂ stays in the atmosphere

For hundreds to thousands of years, making its effects long-term.

Earth's orbit & tilt

Affect long-term climate cycles, not the fast warming we see today.

Volcanic eruptions

Can cause temporary cooling, but aren't happening fast/frequently enough to explain current warming.

Specific heat capacity (c)

Tells how much energy it takes to raise 1g of a substance by 1°C.

Q = mcΔT

Energy = mass × specific heat × temp change (used in heat transfer calculations).

Q = Lm

Energy for phase change = latent heat × mass (used to calculate ice melting).

80 calories

Needed to melt 1 gram of ice (latent heat of fusion).

Greenland's ice melting

Would raise sea level by approximately 7 meters globally.

Antarctica's ice melting

Would raise sea level by approximately 55 meters globally.

Ilulissat Glacier (Greenland)

Contributes huge amount of meltwater; heat transfer model shows 3.5 × 10¹⁸ calories melting it annually.

Proposed berm solution

Blocks warm, salty water from entering Ilulissat Icefjord; could prevent approximately 6.1 × 10¹⁸ calories of annual heat energy transfer.

Microbeads proposal

Reflect sunlight, slow glacier melt by increasing surface albedo.

Albedo

How much light a surface reflects; ice has high albedo, dark surfaces have low albedo and absorb more heat.

Melting ice

Lowers Earth's albedo, leading to more heat absorbed and more melting (positive feedback loop).

Positive feedback loop example

Warming leads to melting ice, resulting in lower albedo and more warming.

Negative feedback loop example

Warming leads to more clouds, which reflect sunlight and result in less warming.

Energy transfers from hot to cold

Until both substances reach the same temperature (thermal equilibrium).

Confounding variable

A hidden variable in an experiment that affects both the independent and dependent variables.

Climate models

Use math, assumptions, and data to simulate future changes in Earth's systems.

Major consequence of sea level rise

Coastal flooding, loss of land, displacement, infrastructure damage, economic loss.

More greenhouse gases

Results in more heat trapped in the Earth system.

Conduction

Energy transfer by direct contact (like warm water melting ice).

Radiation

Energy transfer through light waves (like the sun warming Earth).

Energy is conserved

It moves between objects but isn't created or destroyed.

Industrial activity (burning fossil fuels)

Main cause of fast CO₂ increase since the 1800s.

Higher sea levels

Lead to flooding, habitat loss, forced migration, and infrastructure damage.

Mass of object affects

How much it changes temperature when energy is added or removed.