In News
Ice free areas may increase in Antarctica by 25% due to climate change, leading to drastic changes in the continent’s biodiversity, a study warns.
About the Study
- Researchers, including those from University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia, investigated how ice-free areas in Antarctica may be affected by climate change.
- Melting ice could create up to 17,000 square kilometre of new ice-free area across Antarctica – a 25% increase on current levels.
- The majority of this melting would occur on the Antarctic Peninsula where the climate had already rapidly warmed.
Effect of ice-free area
- Expansion of ice-free habitat could lead to new opportunities for Antarctic biodiversity.
- The warmer conditions will also encourage invasive species to establish.
Source : Live Mint
GS I : Salient features of world’s physical geography
GS III : Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment