Summary

Scientists also use the simulation method to find out the fluctuating dynamics of ice-sea relationships over the past 40,000 years. Now, during the past 20,000 years, the ice sheets of Antarctica have gone through various episodes of quick melting. Scientists call these various melting phases “meltwater pulses”. They maintain that the Antarctica ice sheet is seemingly stable even after having undergone myriad changes. Ice sheets must have weighed much more than 26 million gigatons and would have spread beyond 14 million square kilometers, as they are now.

Description

They say global climate is interconnected and events in one part affect events in the other parts of the world. Let’s explore further.

Nature, to mankind, is no less than a wonder-basket. And one shouldn’t bewilder much about its polymorphic phases, rather enjoy them. Now, as we speak of the interconnectedness of global climate, we need to first talk about the twin poles of the earth. They exist in their respective hemispheres of the earth and are 180 degrees apart. But they are close enough to affect each other. Our earth is an uneven ellipsoid and its tummy bulges along its circumference. It is depressed at the poles and resembles with the shape of an orange-fruit. Thus, climatic changes in the northern part claim to affect the southern part of the earth. And we say that the global climate is interconnected. However, scientists always search strong evidences to prove their arguments.

Team’s research to establish the interconnectedness of global climate:

A team that has Natalya Gomez who is an assistant professor of the earth and planetary sciences at McGill University. And Jerry X. Mitrovica, and scientists from Oregon State University, and the University of Bonn (Germany). Natalya leads the team to research and collect great evidences to establish the fact that the global climate is interconnected. The basic idea is that as the snow melts away in one region casts an effect on the other region of the earth. They take indications from a study of the past 40,000 years to establish that global climate is interconnected. The study was compiled into a report and published in the journal “Nature”. It well supports the argument that the ice sheets-thawing in the northern hemisphere affects ice sheets in Antarctica. And in turn also trigger other changes such as global warming, sometimes.

Are global warming and global climate interconnected?

Mitigation of a problem lies in its recognition. And yes everything our earth holds is deeply interconnected to one another. So, the scientists focussed their study on the last phase of the ice age (about 20,000 to 26,000 years ago) in the Northern Hemisphere. And found that when the ice remained frozen during this last phase of the ice age, the sea levels in Antarctica remained considerably low. Post this period, when the climate heated, ice sheets in the North started to melt. And resulted in a substantial increase in water levels of the Southern hemisphere.

The ice in Antarctica quickly responded to the increasing levels and started to recoil or refreeze. Thus, the whole scenario of melting and freezing of ice comes out as a see-saw effect. The key interest area for the group also included studying the ice rubble that was once packed in the Antarctica ice sheet. And later was carried into the southern ocean through fallen icebergs. The team determined the place and time of their origin, collaborated ice-sheets and sea-level modeling to double-check their research. They also used samples of sediments from the ocean beds in their study. Shorelines also make an important part of the study, to understand the retreating pattern of the ice sheets.

Quotes of Mitrovica and other researchers to show global climate is interconnected.

Mitrovica quotes “The study establishes an underappreciated connection between the stability of the Antarctic ice sheet and significant periods of melting in the Northern Hemisphere.”

Mitrovica wants to highlight the fact that the ice on Antarctica remained stable as it seems today. And this happened even after several phases of climate change through ages. This certainly was and is not possible because of any changes happening locally. The effect from far-flung must have affected the entire scenario. She further quotes, “What was driving these dramatic events in which the Antarctic released huge amounts of ice mass? This research shows that the events weren’t ultimately driven by anything local. They were driven by sea level rising locally but in response to the melting of ice sheets very far away. The study establishes an underappreciated connection between the stability of the Antarctic ice sheet and significant periods of melting in the Northern Hemisphere”.

Gravitational Pull of Ice Sheets on seawater:

One of the extremely significant findings of Gomez, which she undertook in 2010, is the gravitational effects of ice sheets.

The rise in sea levels isn’t a simple phenomenon as we observe at homes while filling up a bathtub, with a faucet. It is much more complex than that. The earth has a varied topography which is a major factor contributing towards the rising of sea levels. And this rise happens differently in different parts of the world.

Now the huge mass of these ice sheets in Antarctica exert a powerful gravitational pull on the water nearby. This attracts large amounts of water towards these ice sheets and thus, raising the sea levels around them. But when these ice sheets melt, their gravitational pull weakens, which makes sea levels to fall again in Antarctica. But causes sea-level rise in far-flung areas like New York City in America. A strong hypothesis is that if all the ice of Antarctica melted, it would lower the nearby sea levels up to 300 feet. And would unexpectedly increase sea levels in the northern hemisphere. This is a strong indication that the global climate is interconnected. Now not just the gravitational pull, but also the currents make an important factor contributing to the rise and fall of sea levels.

Meltwater Pulses:

Scientists also use the simulation method to find out the fluctuating dynamics of ice-sea relationships over the past 40,000 years. Now, during the past 20,000 years, the ice sheets of Antarctica have gone through various episodes of quick melting. Scientists call these various melting phases “meltwater pulses”. They maintain that the Antarctica ice sheet is seemingly stable even after having undergone myriad changes. Ice sheets must have weighed much more than 26 million gigatons and would have spread beyond 14 million square kilometers, as they are now.

Conclusion:

Such data leaves strong evidences that the global climate is interconnected. Researchers like Gomez in awe of the playfulness of these ice sheets and sea levels are excited to know more about such ice systems that bring global effects. She thus winds up and quote “These ice sheets are dynamic, exciting, and intriguing parts of the Earth’s climate system. It’s staggering to think of ice that is several kilometers thick, that covers an entire continent, and that is evolving on all of these different timescales with global consequences.”

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Sonali Singh