Coral Reefs and Climate Change

Coralline algae (RCA) help hold the reef structure together and contribute significantly to coral reef carbonate production.

Barrier reefs are typically more developed and older than fringing reefs, which can be quite young and vary in growth due to carbonate deposition and bioerosion.

Major threats include rising temperatures, marine heatwaves, acidification, pollution, and extreme weather events.

<p>Coral bleaching is the phenomenon where corals lose their symbiotic algae in response to environmental stress, affecting their energy supply.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Reef bommies, which are overgrowths of solitary or massive corals, increase local biodiversity and can serve as crucial habitats within barrier reefs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sea ice is frozen seawater and reacts strongly to global warming, affecting the climate system through feedback mechanisms like albedo.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Calving refers to the process where marine-terminating glaciers or ice shelves lose mass by breaking off large pieces to form icebergs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Buttressing is when ice shelves hold back glaciers that feed into them, preventing faster movement and mass loss.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>While melting is currently occurring faster than ice restoration, it is not impossible to reverse, especially at higher elevations with lower temperatures.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Gulf Stream is expected to weaken but will not cease, which could significantly affect regional weather patterns and sea levels.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Key contributors to Earth's ice loss during this period include Arctic sea ice, Antarctic ice shelves, and mountain glaciers, totaling about 28 trillion tons.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ice loss is more pronounced in the Northern Hemisphere due to faster warming, increased industrial activity, and ice fragmentation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The rate of ice loss has increased by 57% since 1990, highlighting a worrying trend that reflects the global impact of climate change.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Total dissolved inorganic carbon represents the total carbon available in water for processes like photosynthesis.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Total alkalinity influences aquatic environments by indicating how well the system can resist pH changes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Carbonate saturation indicates how much carbonate ion is available in water compared to what is needed for minerals like calcium carbonate.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Low carbonate saturation can threaten marine life that depends on calcium carbonate, as it can hinder their ability to form shells and skeletons.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Humid tropical regions contribute significantly to global vapor flows, which are estimated at 67,000 km³/yr.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Atmospheric melting is primarily caused by warmer air leading to surface ice melt, while oceanic melting is driven by warm ocean currents eroding ice from beneath.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Sea level has changed by 35 mm from ice melt since the 1990s.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Most feedback loops result in positive feedbacks, exacerbating ice melt and climate change effects.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Atmospheric melting dominates in the Arctic, while oceanic melting is more significant in Antarctica.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The current contribution from ice sheets to sea level rise is approximately 1.1 mm per year.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Current and predicted ice loss is occurring much faster, up to hundreds of times the natural rate observed over geologic time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Short-term melt events can have significant impacts, and understanding them is crucial for predicting long-term changes in ice sheets.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Enhanced monitoring and modeling are necessary to accurately predict how the cryosphere will respond to continued warming and to validate models with in situ observations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It has led to significant decreases in river flow seasonality, with reduced snow fraction and earlier snow melt.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>There is a net increase in permanent water across all continental regions, except Oceania, which shows a slight loss.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It can lead to earlier water intake due to increased vegetation growth before traditional water availability periods.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Water scarcity can be linked to human actions like river diversion, damming, and unregulated water withdrawal.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Widespread irrigation practices have significantly increased vapor flows in South Asia.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>'Global tree restoration is our most effective climate change solution to date.'</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Only 3 trillion trees remain compared to an estimated 6 trillion historically.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Drainage and drying, fires, land use, and climate warming.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It caused peat fires that made Indonesia the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Blocking drainage channels and promoting paludification.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Peatlands store 600 gigatonnes of carbon.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Climate warming promotes decomposition in peatlands.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Drained peatlands account for a loss of about 0.3 gigatonnes of carbon per year.</p> Signup and view all the answers