Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
40
40
World Ocean, 0-2000m
1955-2010
Pacific Ocean, 0-2000m
1955-2010
30
30
20
20
10
10
0
0
-10
-10
-90 -60 -30 0 30 60 90
-90 -60 -30 0 30 60 90
Latitude
Latitude
(a)
(b)
40
40
Atlantic Ocean, 0-2000m
1955-2010
Indian Ocean, 0-2000m
1955-2010
30
30
20
20
10
10
0
0
-10
-10
-90 -60 -30 0 30 60 90
-90 -60 -30 0 30 60 90
Latitude
Latitude
(c)
(d)
Figure 2.4.6
Heat content of the different oceans
Linear trend (1955-1959) to (2006-2010) in zonally integrated ocean heat content for the
World Ocean and individual ocean basins as a function of latitude for the 0-2,000 m
layer. Red indicates a positive trend and blue a negative trend.
Figure reproduced with
permission from Levitus et al.
[2.6].
Another effect of increasing temperature is the melting of ice.
Movie 2.4.1
shows that ice caps go through freeze and melt cycles every
year [2.9]. However, a warming climate would mean that the ice retreats
further each summer. By comparing historical measurements of the
extent of the ice caps, we can obtain an independent confi rmation of
climate change.
Figure 2.4.7
shows the amount of ice in the Arctic Sea.
Indeed, the sea ice minimum summertime extent was reached in
September 2012 [2.10].
Figure 2.4.8
shows a representative selection of
glacier length records from different parts of the world. The fi gure shows
a worldwide retreat of ice.
Figure 2.4.9
summarizes the experimental
data on the amount of ice at both poles. Observations consistently show
a global-scale decline of snow and ice over many years.
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