9.) What happens if the polar ice caps melt?
Global Warming will cause polar ice caps to melt. The water will decrease in the amount that is currently above sea level and enter the ocean, increasing the amount of water in the ocean, this will greatly contribute to rising sea levels around the globe. As the glacier melts, rivers and streams will overfill and flood. Chunks of the glacier may slide/fall off and cause significant erosion to the surrounding land.
If seventy five percent of the world's clean drinking water is contained within glaciers that water will enter the water cycle and may not be readily available for human consumption. The temperature of the Earth will increase and cause climate/weather patterns to change, affecting every place on earth. The effects will be enormous. I would ask my students to think about the impact of polar ice caps melting on all life and encourage them to think about ways that the devastation can be prevented or eased.
Great question for your students. I think after learning about the impact of melting caps students would be able to use their problem solving skills to come up with their own ways to fix, prevent, or slow the melting.
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