Global Warming & The Mediterranean Sea

Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta The Mediterranean Sea Derived from the Latin medium (middle) and terra (earth) – sea in the middle of the earth Is surrounded by 3 continents Africa, Europe & Asia Is surrounded by 20 countries Is connected to the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean Is warm & highly saline – leading to scarcity of sea life as visible by its intense blue colour May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta What is global warming? May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta Burning of Fossil fuels Most electric power stations still burn fossil fuels to generate electricity. When fossil fuels are burnt many greenhouse gases are released in the atmosphere. May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta The effect of CO2 in the atmosphere All models show that doubling the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere will result in a rise of 2o to 4oK over the Mediterranean area. http://www.visionlearning.com May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta Greenhouse Effect The Sun’s energy passes through the car’s glasspanes. This heat energy is trapped inside the car and cannot pass back through the glass, causing the inside of the car to warm up. May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta What are the effects of global warming on the Mediterranean Sea? May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

Rise in the sea water levels Global warming leads to melting of the arctic ice which leads to the rise of water level across the globe.  Since the Mediterranean Sea is connected to Atlantic Ocean its water level will rise. Recent pictures of Venice May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta Hurricanes Global warming could trigger hurricanes Hurricanes currently form in the tropical Atlantic ocean and rarely reach Europe A rise in temperature could set off hurricanes to start in the Mediterranean in the future This would lead to damage of the coastal settlements around the Mediterranean May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta More about Hurricanes Hurricanes form when the energy released by the condensation of moisture in rising air causes a positive feedback loop. The air heats up, rising further, which leads to more condensation. The air flowing out of the top of this chimney drops towards the ground, forming powerful winds http://www.aerospaceweb.org May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

Thermal expansion of the sea Global warming heats up the seas. Sea water expands on heating Thermal expansion has already raised the oceans 10 to 20 centimetres This should be added to the possibility that Greenland’s massive ice sheets were to melt May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

Observed Climate change in the Mediterranean sea http://dataservice.eea.europa.eu/atlas/viewdata/viewpub.asp?id=2928 May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

Can WE do something about it? Turn off the computer or the TV when I am not using it. Take shorter showers. Heating water uses energy. Keep the rooms cool by closing the blinds, shades or curtains. Turn off the lights when I leave a room. Dress lightly when it’s hot instead of turning up the air conditioning or use a fan. Dress warmly when it’s cold instead of turning up the heater. Offer to help my parents to keep the air filters of the air-conditioner clean. Walk short distances instead of asking for a ride in the car. May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

What are the projections for the Mediterranean region? May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta Higher temperatures Rise in sea level; re-design of low-lying coastal areas Plant species will be endangered Species living in and around the sea will be endangered New diseases in the Mediterranean region May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

These sectors may be affected negatively Agriculture www2.warwick.ac.uk/ Biodiversity Tourism The Economy Health May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

What is happening in Cyprus? Average temperature increased by 0.8oC in the last 30 year period Precipitation dropped by 17% in the second half of the 20th century Cyprus is importing drinking water from Greece May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

What is happening in Malta? There has been an increase of 3oC in the last 100 years Precipitation dropped by 20% This has lead of a drop in the water table reservoir Soil is drier and contains more salinity May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

A mind map about global warming http://media.learningfundamentals.com.au May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta

This powerpoint presentation was prepared by Toyah Attard Mariem Louati Jasmine Vella Turner Sarah Chetcuti Students at the Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta, The End May 2008 Lily of the Valley GSS, Mosta