5.6B Impacts of climate change on stores

• climate change can affect:

  • ice stores
  • ocean
  • snow
  • permafrost
  • surface runoff and steam flow
  • groundwater flow and aquifers
  • soil moisture
• How does climate change affect ice (store):

  • Higher temperatures lead to negative mass balance 
  • Shrinking of glaciers, ice caps and ice sheets
  • Reduction of glacial water for human use
• How does climate change affect oceans (store):

  • Possible increase in evaporation
  • Rise in sea levels as warmer waters expand
  • Rise in frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones
  • Storage capacity increased by meltwater
• how does climate change affect the snow (store):

  • Decreased length of snow cover seasons - economic impact on tourism revenue
  • Spring melt starts earlier
• how does climate change affect permafrost (store):

  • Melting of permafrost and release of methane to the atmosphere, increase of greenhouse effect (positive feedback)
  • Changes to the ecosystems and tundra reducing stores of water
• how does climate change affect surface run-off (store):

  • Increased low and high flow events (drought and floods)
  • Reduced infiltration with increased surface runoff
• How does climate change affect groundwater flow and aquifers (store):

  • Abstraction of water makes impact uncertain
  • Aquifers depleted through over abstraction but also low flow events not recharging store