Geography Research Response Paper
What will be the environmental, sociopolitical, and economic impacts of 21st century climate change? * Environmental * A springtime “ozone hole” has developed in the last 30 years over Antarctica (Mann 30) * Without an ozone layer, unhealthy levels of UV radiation would reach Earth’s surface, making the planet largely uninhabitable (Mann 30) * Basic theoretical considerations as well as detailed climate-model simulations indicate a likely increase in the average intensity of tropical cyclones and hurricanes in all major formation basins (Mann 56) * We know that mountain glaciers over the world are disappearing, and that this disappearance is generally related to increased melting due to warmer atmospheric temperatures (Mann 58) * The combination of decreased summer precipitation and increased evaporation due to warming surface temperatures is predicted to lead to a greater tendency for drought in many regions (Mann 90) * Other likely impacts of climate change over the next century include increases in extreme weather phenomena, and rising sea levels due to melting ice and warming of the oceans (Mann 90) * Sea level is predicted to rise because water expands as it warms, and melting ice is also likely to have a major impact on the sea level (Mann 98) * Coastal regions will be subject to increased exposure to flood and storm damage, more intense coastal surges, and altered patterns of coastal erosion (Mann 111) * The most obvious threat associated with global sea level rise is costal inundation (Mann 110) * Ex. Significant loss of land on the mid-Atlantic and northeast coastlines could occur with just 6 m of sea level rise (Mann 110) * Coastal habitats will be lost if water levels and wave heights substantially increase (Mann 111) * Impact of