Climate Change
How does the Atmosphere, Biosphere and Hydrosphere all link together?
Climate change and the increasing temperatures means that the hydrosphere ice in some areas of Antarctica such as North Antarctica and the Peninsular is becoming too thin for Emperor Penguins to rear their chicks on. The ice breaks and floats away before the penguin chicks are able to look after themselves or are able to swim. This means that less chicks are making it to adulthood and the overall numbers of penguins are decreasing in this area.
You can also have too much of an increase of the amount of sea ice which can have a detrimental if it expands too much, as the foraging parent penguins then have further to walk in their weakened state for find food for their chick which means that there is more chance of something happening to the parent and more time for the chick to wait between feeding's. (1)
Some Penguins such as the Adelie Penguin are benefiting from the increase in temperature as they don't have to walk and have the option of swimming to find food instead of having to walk large distances so can bring back more food for their chicks. It also means with less snow and ice covering areas it is easier for them to find rocks and pebbles to make their nests out of. (4)
The Ozone Hole in the Atmosphere letting in more UV radiation has had an effect on the organisms that live in Antarctica and could possibly affect a wider region too. The UV radiation reaches the depth where vital primary producers grow and live, such as Plankton. The UV is interacting with their cells, damaging cells, and are making the organisms reach their tolerance levels. Any changes in their numbers has a huge flow on effect on the food web for organisms such as whales and penguins. It is also a concern for the humans who work down on the ice as well as they are at a higher risk of cell damage and mutilation. (5)
Climate change and the increasing temperatures means that the hydrosphere ice in some areas of Antarctica such as North Antarctica and the Peninsular is becoming too thin for Emperor Penguins to rear their chicks on. The ice breaks and floats away before the penguin chicks are able to look after themselves or are able to swim. This means that less chicks are making it to adulthood and the overall numbers of penguins are decreasing in this area.
You can also have too much of an increase of the amount of sea ice which can have a detrimental if it expands too much, as the foraging parent penguins then have further to walk in their weakened state for find food for their chick which means that there is more chance of something happening to the parent and more time for the chick to wait between feeding's. (1)
Some Penguins such as the Adelie Penguin are benefiting from the increase in temperature as they don't have to walk and have the option of swimming to find food instead of having to walk large distances so can bring back more food for their chicks. It also means with less snow and ice covering areas it is easier for them to find rocks and pebbles to make their nests out of. (4)
The Ozone Hole in the Atmosphere letting in more UV radiation has had an effect on the organisms that live in Antarctica and could possibly affect a wider region too. The UV radiation reaches the depth where vital primary producers grow and live, such as Plankton. The UV is interacting with their cells, damaging cells, and are making the organisms reach their tolerance levels. Any changes in their numbers has a huge flow on effect on the food web for organisms such as whales and penguins. It is also a concern for the humans who work down on the ice as well as they are at a higher risk of cell damage and mutilation. (5)
The Albedo effect is when most of the solar radiation that comes into Antarctica is reflected back into the atmosphere and space because the snow and ice is white in colour and therefore has a high albedo. This helps to keep Antarctica cold, as the radiation doesn't get absorbed into the ground and warm the surface. However when the temperature becomes warmer globally it causes changes in temperature at the pole and causes melting to occur, which decreases the overall albedo, which in turn increases the warming happening. This would ultimately change the circulation of the atmosphere because it is a positive feedback. (16)
Increasing temperatures and CO2 in the Atmosphere is leading to increasing melting in Antarctica, especially on the Antarctica Peninsular (13). This melting could raise world wide sea levels and change the salinity levels in the oceans. A change in ocean salinity means that the way the stratification happens changes because it changes the density of the water, and can therefore have a change on the overall circulation of oceans world wide, through Thermohaline circulation. There is evidence of an event like this already of happened 1200 - 1500 years ago known as the Younger Dryas. (17)(18)(19)
Increasing temperatures and CO2 in the Atmosphere is leading to increasing melting in Antarctica, especially on the Antarctica Peninsular (13). This melting could raise world wide sea levels and change the salinity levels in the oceans. A change in ocean salinity means that the way the stratification happens changes because it changes the density of the water, and can therefore have a change on the overall circulation of oceans world wide, through Thermohaline circulation. There is evidence of an event like this already of happened 1200 - 1500 years ago known as the Younger Dryas. (17)(18)(19)
For different perspectives from a range of people have a look at these two TED talks, that summarize and give a different view on how the biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere all link up.
James Balog - Time Lapse proof of Extreme Ice Loss:
http://www.ted.com/talks/james_balog_time_lapse_proof_of_extreme_ice_loss?language=en
Lee Hotz- Inside an Antarctic Time Machine
http://www.ted.com/talks/lee_hotz_inside_an_antarctic_time_machine?language=en
James Balog - Time Lapse proof of Extreme Ice Loss:
http://www.ted.com/talks/james_balog_time_lapse_proof_of_extreme_ice_loss?language=en
Lee Hotz- Inside an Antarctic Time Machine
http://www.ted.com/talks/lee_hotz_inside_an_antarctic_time_machine?language=en