Predicted Effects of Global Warming
The Greenland, and probably the Antarctic, ice sheets have been losing mass recently, because losses by melting and outlet glaciers exceed accumulation of snowfall. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), loss of Antarctic and Greenland ice sheet mass contributed, respectively, about 0.21 ± 0.35 and 0.21 ± 0.07 mm/year to sea level rise between 1993 and 2003.
The IPCC projects that ice mass loss from melting of the Greenland ice sheet will continue to outpace accumulation of snowfall. Accumulation of snowfall on the Antarctic ice sheet is projected to outpace losses from melting. However, loss of mass on the Antarctic sheet may continue, if there is sufficient loss to outlet glaciers. In the words of the IPCC, "Dynamical processes related to ice flow not included in current models but suggested by recent observations could increase the vulnerability of the ice sheets to warming, increasing future sea level rise. Understanding of these processes is limited and there is no consensus on their magnitude." More research work is therefore required in order to improve the reliability of predictions of ice-sheet response on global warming.
The effects on ice formations of an increasing in temperature will accelerate. When ice is melted away less light from the sun will be reflected back into space and more will be absorbed by the ocean water causing further rises in temperature. This positive feedback system will could become independent of climate change past a certain point which will cause huge losses of ice to the icecaps.
Read more about this topic: Ice Sheet
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