EARTHSS 21 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Pancake Ice, Tropical Rainforest, Ice
23 Jul 2016
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Document Summary
Sea ice: top layer of the ocean water that freezes (thin) An iceberg breaks off of glaciers and therefore is not characterized as sea ice. Has different properties as its formed from frozen seawater. Positive feedback effect; losing sea ice losing the earth"s mirror reflecting radiation. Risk losing diversity of animals adapted to sea ice. The 5 oceans: the pacific, southern* (around antarctica, atlantic. Indian: arctic (currently under a cap of sea ice) Oceans: surface temperature: warmest near equator because less beam spreading and radiation doesn"t have to travel as far in the atmosphere. Blue: fresher areas: make water saltier evaporate it, more evaporation in hotter places, make water fresher add more freshwater dilute down the salt. Tropical rainforest at equator: fresher there and counteracts evaporation. Fresh around india and china: monsoons (enormous amount of precipitation falling in himalayas. Flows down in rivers and enters the ocean)
