Global Warming & Glacial Mass Balance (Edexcel A Level Geography)

Role of Climate Change

• Although some of the world's glaciers are advancing and in positive mass balance, climate change has led to unprecedented levels of melting, resulting in negative mass balance, in cold environments

• Periglacial areas will see melting permafrost change the ecosystem and biodiversity of the tundra

• Melting of ice and permafrost will likely change the water cycle, which many people depend on for their main water supplies (Peruvian Andes supplies 30% of all water to the communities in the mountains)

• As glaciers shrink, so will water supplies after a period of gain as the glacier melts

• Increased river discharge, increases flood risk during spring/summer melt, particularly with extreme heating causing ice melt spikes

• HEP dam operations become redundant with lower meltwater levels

• Lower velocities of meltwater cannot remove pollutants and water quality lowers

• Sediment yields change, which will either increase due to excess sediment build up, leading to low flow rates and sudden flood burst or decrease, leaving outwash plains exposed and easily eroded