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The Definition & Effects of Global Warming

Global warming is a term used to describe an increase in the Earth's average surface temperature. This increase in temperature is as a result of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, or as a result of deforestation, which destroys trees that help reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Global warming has impacted the Earth in many ways.

  1. The Arctic Tundra

    • The tundra makes up about 15 percent of the world's surface and is located in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth, and on some isolated islands off the coast of Antarctica in the Southern Hemisphere. The tundra is a virtually treeless region that is normally covered by grasses, small shrubs and lichen, but because of global warming, larger plants have started to grow and spread across the region, changing the way that arctic region looks. This effect can be better seen when Earth is viewed from outer space. The normally white-covered parts of the globe are now getting darker; thus absorbing more heat, and further leading to the melting of the icecaps.

    Unpredictable Weather Patterns

    • Global warming has led to an increase in unpredictable weather patterns, leading to elevated storm activities. Two examples of the effects of global warming on the weather patterns are severe drought and flooding. This has bad consequences for the agricultural systems which are dependent on the existing weather patterns. If this trend continues, food production will decline as the weather becomes more unreliable and the weather patterns become even more unpredictable.

    Extinction of Species

    • Global warming affects animals because rising sea levels and flooding of coastal areas will harm many animal species. Coastal areas are natural hatcheries for fish and contain a wide diversity of sea and land creatures, and flooding of these areas will result in the extinction of many species that are needed to maintain the food chain. For example, it will lead to the extinction of the polar bear, which hunts for its food in the sea ice.

    Less Fresh Water

    • Global warming affects the level of freshwater which is available. For example, the Quelccaya icecap in Peru has been melting steadily; scientists predict that if it continues to melt at this rate, it will be gone by the year 2100. If this happens, thousands of people who rely on it as a source of drinking water and electricity will be left without either.

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