The Present and Future States of ice sheets, glaciers and sea level change
● know how much sea level rise (SLR) has occurred since the Industrial Revolution
(~25 cm) Approximately 25 cm in 140 years since 1880
● explain why melting of sea ice does not cause a rise in sea level
○ When ice is floating as a glacier, the mass of the ice is equivalent to the
mass of the water that is displaced, when it melts into liquid water it fills
the same volume as was displaced by the ice.
○ In more simple words, when floating ice melts, it does not change sea
level
● explain the role of glaciers in sea level rise
○ the importance of tide-water glaciers
■ Tide water glaciers are glaciers that empty directly into the ocean.
They are very sensitive to melting and are usually exposed to warm
ocean water
○ future SLR due to melting of glaciers
■ In the past, melting of glaciers has caused 25 mm of sea level rise
since 1960, and the rate of glacier caused sea level rise is
increasing
• explain the role of ice sheets in sea level rise
- Greenland – describe recent ice mass balance and future SLR projections
- The volume of ice sheets here is 2.9 million cubic km
- Antarctica – describe recent ice mass balance and future SLR projections
- The volume of antarctic ice sheets is 26.5 million cubic km
- Ice sheets are way larger than glaciers so that means they could have a larger
impact on sea level changes. If all ice melted, that would add volume of water to
the ocean so you divide total ice sheet volume with area of the oceans
(22.3/362= 65 meters)
- The ocean would increase by 65 meters
o define thermal expansion and how seawater density changes with temperature
- Since 1950 there was 20 mm sea level rise from thermal expansion. It is the
largest contributor to SLR, more than sheets or glaciers.
- Water expands when it is heated and contracts when it’s cooled, so the mass of
the water occupies more volume at a higher temperature (15-25 degrees C),
causing a .15% volume increase per degree C. as temp increases volume
increases and SLR increases
o describe projections for future SLR rise due to thermal expansion
- RCP 2.6 is the best for the environment and would still predict an additional 1
degree C of warming over the next century. So put together with thermal
expansion would mean about 2 cm since 1950
How do we measure the area and volume of glaciers and their changes over time?
- Airborne and satellite altimetry: repeat fly overs to construct digital elevation
This study source was downloaded by 100000889810302 from CourseHero.com on 09-27-2025 08:56:14 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/51163651/geography-exam-3-study-guide/
, models at different times, provides volume change
- Satellite-based gravity measures (GRACE mission); satellites can precisely
measure the pull of gravity
- Length change measurements: based on satellite images only 500 glaciers are a
part of this doesn’t give volume or mass
- Direct field surveys
Impacts of Climate Change on the Built Environment
● Define “The Built Environment”
○ Places and spaces that are created by people to provide the settings for
their daily activities, this is our built environment that is affected by climate
change
● Explain the role of coastlines in terms of land area, GPD, and population
○ how these would be affected with sea level rise
○ Those who live on the coast would be affected because floods from the
water next to them- houses and businesses would be destroyed
○ GDP: for US 40% of population lives in coastal counties, a lot of US
economic power is in this county. 40% of that population is vulnerable to
SLR, flooding, and will have a huge effect on our economy and that
amount of US population
• Compare the world population from 1950 to today
○ percentage of population in urban areas today
○ World population is 7.6 billion as of May 2018, most people living in urban areas
○ 2.5 billion in 1950- most did not live in urban areas
• Describe the following as they relate to climate change:
- Risk
- Urban heat islands: day and night temperatures are at several degree C
higher than surrounding countryside, which increases cooling demand,
heat-related deaths, decline in urban air quality
- Drought and water scarcity, including power shortages, air quality, water
related diseases
- Coastal flooding, flooding living space, overwhelms wastewater and water
pollution control systems, increase in water-borne diseases, power
shortages
- Vulnerability: susceptible to harm
- Age or health status makes people vulnerable, locations with buildings
homes and roads have greater risk; inability to avoid, anticipate, or limit
climate change hazard, or recover from it
- Resilience: ability to recover quickly from difficult situations
- High income societies are likely to have universally applied standards for
This study source was downloaded by 100000889810302 from CourseHero.com on 09-27-2025 08:56:14 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/51163651/geography-exam-3-study-guide/
● know how much sea level rise (SLR) has occurred since the Industrial Revolution
(~25 cm) Approximately 25 cm in 140 years since 1880
● explain why melting of sea ice does not cause a rise in sea level
○ When ice is floating as a glacier, the mass of the ice is equivalent to the
mass of the water that is displaced, when it melts into liquid water it fills
the same volume as was displaced by the ice.
○ In more simple words, when floating ice melts, it does not change sea
level
● explain the role of glaciers in sea level rise
○ the importance of tide-water glaciers
■ Tide water glaciers are glaciers that empty directly into the ocean.
They are very sensitive to melting and are usually exposed to warm
ocean water
○ future SLR due to melting of glaciers
■ In the past, melting of glaciers has caused 25 mm of sea level rise
since 1960, and the rate of glacier caused sea level rise is
increasing
• explain the role of ice sheets in sea level rise
- Greenland – describe recent ice mass balance and future SLR projections
- The volume of ice sheets here is 2.9 million cubic km
- Antarctica – describe recent ice mass balance and future SLR projections
- The volume of antarctic ice sheets is 26.5 million cubic km
- Ice sheets are way larger than glaciers so that means they could have a larger
impact on sea level changes. If all ice melted, that would add volume of water to
the ocean so you divide total ice sheet volume with area of the oceans
(22.3/362= 65 meters)
- The ocean would increase by 65 meters
o define thermal expansion and how seawater density changes with temperature
- Since 1950 there was 20 mm sea level rise from thermal expansion. It is the
largest contributor to SLR, more than sheets or glaciers.
- Water expands when it is heated and contracts when it’s cooled, so the mass of
the water occupies more volume at a higher temperature (15-25 degrees C),
causing a .15% volume increase per degree C. as temp increases volume
increases and SLR increases
o describe projections for future SLR rise due to thermal expansion
- RCP 2.6 is the best for the environment and would still predict an additional 1
degree C of warming over the next century. So put together with thermal
expansion would mean about 2 cm since 1950
How do we measure the area and volume of glaciers and their changes over time?
- Airborne and satellite altimetry: repeat fly overs to construct digital elevation
This study source was downloaded by 100000889810302 from CourseHero.com on 09-27-2025 08:56:14 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/51163651/geography-exam-3-study-guide/
, models at different times, provides volume change
- Satellite-based gravity measures (GRACE mission); satellites can precisely
measure the pull of gravity
- Length change measurements: based on satellite images only 500 glaciers are a
part of this doesn’t give volume or mass
- Direct field surveys
Impacts of Climate Change on the Built Environment
● Define “The Built Environment”
○ Places and spaces that are created by people to provide the settings for
their daily activities, this is our built environment that is affected by climate
change
● Explain the role of coastlines in terms of land area, GPD, and population
○ how these would be affected with sea level rise
○ Those who live on the coast would be affected because floods from the
water next to them- houses and businesses would be destroyed
○ GDP: for US 40% of population lives in coastal counties, a lot of US
economic power is in this county. 40% of that population is vulnerable to
SLR, flooding, and will have a huge effect on our economy and that
amount of US population
• Compare the world population from 1950 to today
○ percentage of population in urban areas today
○ World population is 7.6 billion as of May 2018, most people living in urban areas
○ 2.5 billion in 1950- most did not live in urban areas
• Describe the following as they relate to climate change:
- Risk
- Urban heat islands: day and night temperatures are at several degree C
higher than surrounding countryside, which increases cooling demand,
heat-related deaths, decline in urban air quality
- Drought and water scarcity, including power shortages, air quality, water
related diseases
- Coastal flooding, flooding living space, overwhelms wastewater and water
pollution control systems, increase in water-borne diseases, power
shortages
- Vulnerability: susceptible to harm
- Age or health status makes people vulnerable, locations with buildings
homes and roads have greater risk; inability to avoid, anticipate, or limit
climate change hazard, or recover from it
- Resilience: ability to recover quickly from difficult situations
- High income societies are likely to have universally applied standards for
This study source was downloaded by 100000889810302 from CourseHero.com on 09-27-2025 08:56:14 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/51163651/geography-exam-3-study-guide/
