This is the second time in two years that part of the Petermann Glacier in Greenland has broken off into the sea. A crack in this glacier was first seen in 2001, and it has continued to increase in size each year. Many critics do not see an cause for alarm, however they are not be further from the truth. The Petermann glacier is moving closer to the sea each year and this split will most likely increase this trend. There will be no immediate effects if this glacier enters the sea, similar to how the water level in a glass of water stays the same when the ice melts. However in order for the glacier to melt the temperatures in the area have increased. After some time if temperatures do not return to normal, the sea temperature will increase, causing the water to expand which will raise the sea level.
This is only one of the many examples showing the adverse effects of climate change. All over the world there are glaciers and snow caps that continue to melt at alarmingly fast rates. While it is normal for ice to melt and glaciers to disappear each year, the current rate is far above the norm. According to Daniel Glick from National Geographic, "sea levels have risen and fallen substantially over Earth's 4.6 billion- year history. But the recent rate of global sea level rise has departed from the average rate of the past two to three thousand years... Driving around Louisiana's Gulf Coast, [one] can see the future... [the] coasts are literally sinking by about three feet (a meter) a century."
Changes need to occur in the immediate future, unless we want all of Earth's glaciers to disappear bringing about consequences that we are not equipped to handle. Unfortunately I do not have the answer to stop climate change and the melting glaciers. However the first step is to increase the awareness and participation of people worldwide so we can work together to find a solution.
-NP
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