lecture 12 powerpoint

• Ocean Effects of Climate Change

  • Warmer temps
  • Species range shifts and extinctions
  • Facilitation of invasive species
  • Increased hypoxia
  • Altered circulation
  • Sea level rise
  • Ocean acidification
• Warming and Sea Level Rise

  1. Warming oceans can increase sea levels by:

  2. Thermal expansion

  3. Melting of glaciers

  4. Melting of Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets
• Thermal Expansion

  Warm water is less dense than cold water, so it takes up more room, leading to the ocean's level rising
• Melting of Continental Glaciers


  Lots of water is stored on land in glaciers. Warmer temperatures melt them, and water runs into the ocean
• Greenland and Antarctic Melting

  Like glaciers, the ice sheets at the poles are melting. There's a lot more water stored there than in continental glaciers. Less ice leads to less reflection, warmer temperatures, and further melting
• Sea level is rising faster in the Chesapeake Bay than many other locations
• The Bay is sinking due to glacial rebound
• Glacial Rebound


  During the last Ice Age, areas covered by glaciers sank down in the earth, while areas without glaciers rose up. Since the glaciers melted, the opposite is happening
• As many as 400 islands have been lost in the Chesapeake Bay
• Saltwater moves farther up rivers and estuaries, negatively affecting infrastructure like water treatment, power plants, and sewage facilities
• Saltwater intrusion can move into coastal groundwater supplies, impacting agriculture, industry, and drinking water