you don't really think a 1 degree rise in air temperature is causing all that polar ice and glaciers to melt,

Question

do you? One degree rise in air temperature doesn't really provide all that heat necessary to melt solid ice, right?

why 32F to 33F and not 20F to 21F? what said it has to be 32F to 33F?

Answer 1

Polar ice and glaciers are mostly melted by solar radiation every year (mostly in summer). The polar ice and glaciers are replenished every year also when there is yearly snowfall (mostly in winter). When the yearly snowfall is less than the yearly melting then there will be a net loss of polar ice. In the context of global warming - if there is a net loss year after year and the ice loss is visible/observable, then we say "the polar ice caps are melting". Otherwise - they are melting every year as usual (without global warming).
There are 2 ways "global warming" greenhouse gases cause there to be a net loss (and hence polar ice melting).
1 - the greenhouse gases 'trap' infrared radiation and 'reflect' some back to be absorbed by ice and thus increase melting.
2 - the CFCs of greenhouse gases destroy the ozone and allow more UV radiation to reach the ice and be absorbed and thus increase melting.
The increase in melting without an increase in snowfall results in a net loss of ice (hence polar ice melting).

Answer 2

I am shocked that everyone missed this. A one degree change in the Earth's temperature could possibly cause some ice and glaciers to melt but it absolutely cannot cause ALL polar ice and glaciers to melt.

A change from -32 to -31 degrees in Antarctic is not going to cause ALL Antarctic ice to melt.

Answer 3

That one degree upward push is an subject-loose upward push, indicating that issues have become warmer. this is not a reason, this is an result. we are 10,000 years into an interglacial age. issues are certainly getting warmer, and ice is melting. it is going to at last opposite, and mile-intense glaciers will at last grind long island city into powder lower back, and we are able to be waiting to place Democrats and Algore on the endangered species record. this is been warmer than this is now. this is been less warm than this is now. those will ensue lower back.

Answer 4

Yes, it can. Proof.

Particularly the Arctic ice cap.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article2507843.ece
http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070921-16282400-bc-us-globalwarming.xml

Greenland is also melting fast, although it's slightly masked by increased snowfall, which in no way compensates. Antarctica is hanging on, because of the ozone hole. If it starts to melt, look out.

All signs point to global warming being substantially worse than the recent IPCC report predicted, probably due to "positive feedbacks" accelerating the process.

Answer 5

There's a balance between times when the ice is freezing and growing and times when it melts. The one degree average changes that time so it melts more than it freezes.

Answer 6

Well, let's see. at 32 degrees water becomes ice. At 33 degrees ice becomes water.

Take a science class...

Answer 7

yes 32 to 33 makes a big difference freezing point

Answer 8

OH yes!