Deserts, Glaciers, And Climate Essay

813 words - 4 pages

Deserts, Glaciers, and Climate PAGE 1
Deserts, Glaciers, and ClimateDeserts, Glaciers, and ClimateDesert and glacial landscapes seem to be different; however, when they are perceived from a scientific standpoint they are very similar. Deserts are thought of as being hot and arid, and glaciers are thought of as being cold and wet. This description does not always hold true with these types of landscapes. A desert can be either dry and hot, or cold. This is dependant on the amount of moisture, which causes a desert to be perceived this way.Deserts whether they are hot or cold, make up a large area of the surface of the earth. A desert is defined as an area that receives a rainfall amount ...view middle of the document...

The changes in the climate have not been measured correctly through our history; however, looking at historical and scientific data, it has been found that the climate has changed several times in the past few millennia. Ecologists have found that glacier landscapes are sensitive to a change in the climate. Glacier landscapes also perform the duty of being a barometer for the health of the global climate (Gergel & Turner, 2003). Several factors contribute to climate change and are known as human and geological factors. The geological factors are ongoing and will continue, these factors are plate tectonics, shifts in orbit, volcanism, and solar heat (Burroughs, 2007). The human factors that affect climate change are aerosols, fossil fuels, cement manufacturing, use of land, and raising livestock, which all produce and release CO2 into the atmosphere (Maslin, 2007).Continuing to emit CO2 and other toxins and pollutants into our atmosphere, there will be several climate changes, which take place. These changes include global warming, changes in climate zones, reduced sunlight, and population affects. There have been recent articles, which have noted it would require...

This paper talks about the types of glaciers, why glaciers are dangerous, where glaciers exist and much more!

1352 words - 5 pages just slide over the earth they partly penetrate the rocks and carry them as they slide.Glaciers are surprisingly common to the world and occur on very continent except Australia. Even near the equator there are glaciers. But these glaciers are in the mountains high above sea level. If they were in a lower altitude the glaciers would melt in the warm climate. Glaciers can only form in high altitudes.As a glacier moves, its downhill part reaches

Glaciation Essay

1706 words - 7 pages climate which has lead to a retreat of glaciers.Various types of paleoclimatic evidence suggest that the climate of the Earth has varied over time. The data suggests that during most of the Earth's history, global temperatures were probably 8 to 15 deg Celsius warmer than they are today. However, there were periods of times when the Earth's average global temperature became cold. Cold enough for the formation of alpine glaciers and continental glaciers

Glacier Park

391 words - 2 pages Glacier National Park A glacier is a large body of ice that is moving. Since a glacier moves or flows downhill it can be called a river of ice. Two things are needed for a glacier to form - lots of snow and a cold climate so the snow accumulates for many winters without entirely melting in the summer.Glacier National Park was formed millions of years ago, when global warming wasn't a thought. Glaciers are formed because; freshly fallen snow has

Writing About Glaciers in the Romantic Period

2410 words - 10 pages scientific and non-scientific background alike. Ramond and Shelley present perspectives on glacier advancement in a tone of active urgency, almost similar to modern theories of global warming and climate change. Glaciers are described in their viewpoint as threatening and violent elements of nature, which are slowly wreaking havoc on the local environment by consuming everything in their pathway as they advance upon the countryside. Although in

Humans Must Adapt to Global Warming

2595 words - 10 pages No one in the scientific community would argue with the premise that the earth’s climate has changed over the eons of its existence or that it will continue to change. The arguments now revolve around if mankind’s use of the environment has specifically altered our climate. Scientists have described our world as a clump of matter that spun out of the sun to join its journey hurling though cold and empty space. Our spaceship earth would

The Glaciers of Yosemite National Park

3246 words - 13 pages meadows and long, deep arms of the sea, soils spread for the forests and the fields then they shrink and vanish like summer clouds. (Muir, 1880, P. 557) A glacier occurs when the climate of an area is so cold that new snow does not completely melt each summer and more snow is added in the winter. After many winters the accumulation of this snow becomes compact and re-crystallizes, thus forming a glacier. Currently, glaciers cover about ten percent

Argentina

574 words - 2 pages Argentina, one of the largest countries in South America. Their president is Nestor Kirchner and has an republic type government. It is about 1,000,000 square miles. Argentina extends from the Atlantic Ocean to the Andes. The country has many kinds of landscapes: Mountains, rain forests, beaches, glaciers, deserts and plains. Argentina's climate is usually moderate. The seasons in Argentina are opposite those in North America, so the hottest

Environment and Climate Change

1018 words - 5 pages natural causes of climate change, the more common are continental drift, volcanic eruptions, and the melting of the glaciers. In addition to these causes, climate change has also many man-made causes such as the emission of greenhouse gases, deforestation, pollution, use of chemical fertilizers, burning of fossil fuels. All these causes have almost the same consequences that are the increase of the earth’s temperature, extreme weather, and the

Hydrologic cycle of the Panamanian rainforest and Mojave desert

861 words - 4 pages Module 2: Landforms The hydrologic or water cycle is an important topic in geology that is tied to the weather and the formation of landforms. It is the stages of water on Earth as it transforms itself from liquid to gas to solid or liquid again (American Water Works Association, 2002). Discussed below are the hydrologic cycle and two different examples of it on Earth. One example is of Panama, which is a tropical climate. The other is of the

Global Warming: Real or Imagined?

1628 words - 7 pages not only is it effecting the Earth, but humans as well. Global warming affects the environment, the climate, animals, and humans all together. Sadly this problem is a concern to many and a joke to others, and without the help of everyone this issue can have a dramatic change in the lives of many. Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, cloud forests are drying, and wildlife is scrambling to keep pace (Geographic). In other words, Mother

How does Climate affect Glaciers

981 words - 4 pages Global Glaciers in the Himalayas The Himalayan mountains are home to the second largest body of ice in the world, these glaciers are extremely important to the lives of many people, animals and ecosystems.The Himalayan range includes about 15,000 glaciers, which store about 12,000 km3 (3000 cubic miles) of freshwater. The Himalayan mountains are located in the northeastern part of India and pass through several countries including Pakistan

Deserts Glaciers And Climate Essay

999 words - 4 pages characters that includes semi-arid, hot and dry, cold and coastal (Johnson, 2000).When it comes to the glacial landscapes unlike the desert landscapes has its own moisture asthe moisture is trapped in the ice that is form by glaciers. The largest reservoirs on the earthsurface are by glaciers. Glaciers covers polar ice caps and if an individual should travel or visitany mountain range in most of the continents glaciers can be found within those areas

The Desert Biome: One Of The Most Interesting Biomes On Earth

1290 words - 6 pages bare soil and low vegetation. Deserts make up approximately one fifth of the Earth's land surface, which is about 20.9 million square miles ("Basic Facts about Deserts"). There are three reasons for the hot and dry climate in deserts. These are from Hadley cells, rain shadows, and ocean currents. First, Hadley cells are pockets of air named after the meteorologist from Britain who discovered it. In Hadley cells, moist air rises above the rain

Desert Biome Essay

1229 words - 5 pages make up approximately one fifth of the Earth's land surface, which is about 20.9 million square miles ("Basic Facts about Deserts"). There are three reasons for the hot and dry climate in deserts. These are from Hadley cells, rain shadows, and ocean currents. First, Hadley cells are pockets of air named after the meteorologist from Britain who discovered it. In Hadley cells, moist air rises above the rain forests along the equator. This causes

Climate Change In Peru Essay

1589 words - 6 pages Peru is a nation composed of heterogeneous ecosystems including the coastline of the Pacific Ocean, deserts, the Andes Mountains including the glacial regions, and the second largest portion of the Amazon Forest Basin (US AID, 2011). Its heterogeneity creates such a dire situation for Peru in terms of climate change and the effects it has on each individual system as well as the effects on wildlife and human occupants that live in these regions