Here are some consequences.
- The rising temperatures have accelerated the melting rate of mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice. This as a result has had a negative impact on the ecosystems in these regions. Many species of flora and fauna found in these areas have been pushed to the brink of extinction
- The accelerated melting rate of ice water has caused the sea levels to rise at an alarming rate.
- It has caused changes in the water cycle, precipitation i.e. rainfall and snowfall have increased across the globe.
- It has caused many animal species to change their migration patterns. For example, research shows that Icelandic black-tailed godwits birds advanced migration by two weeks over the past two decades.
- It has ruptured the fine balance of a healthy ecosystem, where all populations are kept under check. For eg due to the long summer periods in Alaska the Spruce bark beetles, and have destroyed as much as 4 million acres of spruce trees.
The diagram below summarizes the effect of global warming on various broad categories:
