My Antarctic inquiry

My Big Question is Wow did the ice shelf's in Antarctica form and how can we keep them safe. So this is my inquiry to find out my question

Sub Heading’s Why are shrinking Antarctica? How did the ice caps form? How do we keep the animals in Antarctica? How do we keep Antarctica from melting?

Why are shrinking Antarctica? Here’s some info how we are shrinking Antarctica. The cause of Antarctica melting is simple…… It’s US!!! Yes humans we have had a massive effect on Antarctica. Global warming is one of the cause’s of Antarctica melting. And we are another reason why Antarctica is melting with our cars, planes, boats etc. Now don’t just go and blame it on bus drivers scientist’s etc. YOU are melting it as well and how? Bye driving to work every morning with cars, Saturday sport and things like that. If we don’t stop this very very bad things are going to happen! Now stop global warming if we don’t our house’s will flood and we would lose everything. Also ( this one for the fishermen if the world floods lot’s of the specs of fish will die. ) Ok real facts some parts of the ice shelf’s are losing 30 FEET of ice a year!

Why are we shrinking Antarctica? Time for some more facts!!! In March 1998 a 200 square km piece of ice broke from the Larsen B ice shelf. British Antarctic Survey ( BAS ) scientists warn that Larsen B may have entered a irreversible stage. The Wilkins Ice Shelf on the other side of the peninsula shank by almost 1100 square meters last year. The break up of the Larsen B ice shelf started early this happened by global warming. This in no doubt that the break up of this ice shelf is because of Antarctica warming up. In 1995, the Larsen B ice shelf was 11,512 square kilometres (4,373 square miles), an area about the size of Qatar. Now it is only 1,670 sq km (634 miles). Global warming is the warming up of the planet above the temperature it "should" be. It is such a concern at the moment as it seems that the temperature is rising at a rate far faster than ever before and it is thought that it may be the activities of the human population over the last 150 years or so that is doing it.

How did the ice caps form? Here are some facts about the ice caps!!! The Antarctic ice cap alone contains over 90% of the world's glacial ice, some in huge sheets over 2.5 mi (4 km) deep and averaging 1.5 mi (2.4 km) deep across the continent. It has been estimated that enough water is locked up in Antarctica to raise sea levels around the globe over 240 ft (73 m). Ice caps can form in places where the snow that falls in winter months cannot completely melt away during the summer. The layers of snow get thicker and thicker. When it melts and freezes over and over again it turns into ice. This ice can become very heavy and starts to move down valleys. The earth’s glaciers hold about 75 % of the world’s freshwater. Many people think that if temperatures around the world increase, more and more ice will melt. Sea levels will go up and flood many coastal areas. Did you know that there are ice caps on other planets? It's true! Mar's has polar ice caps but they are not composed of water ice. Instead they are a mixture of carbon dioxide and water ice.

How did the ice caps form? The icecap there is formed by the freezing of the ocean surface. Precipitation (snow) will add a little to it each year, but the amount derived from snow is inconsequential compared to the thickness of sea. Well that’s my question answered time for some very interesting facts. Ice sheets contain enormous quantities of frozen water. If the Greenland Ice Sheet melted, scientists estimate that sea level would rise about 6 meters (20 feet). If the Antarctic Ice Sheet melted, sea level would rise by about 60 meters (200 feet). Mars has two Ice caps. The North and south Ice caps which both consist of C02 and H20 dry ice. The northern Ice cap is mainly composed of H20 dry ice but the Southern Ice cap is mainly composed of CO2 dry ice. There is no clear proof of a liquid state on mars but there is evidence that supports the notion of it.

How do we keep the animals in Antarctica? Facts time again Some Penguins live in the Antarctic, where it is extremely cold, and the water temperatures never rise above freezing. Others live further North, but all penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere. Antarctic birds and mammals - penguins, whales and seals - are warm blooded animals and they maintain similar internal body temperatures to warm blooded animals in any other climate zone - that is about 35-42°C (95-107°F). They have to keep high body temperatures to remain active. Some animals in Antarctica hide under big peaces of ice to keep them warm now. You mite be thinking wouldn’t that just make them colder? Well………Your wrong animals in Antarctica get in the gaps of the ice and because when they do that the heat only can only go up and with no big gaps under them the heat bounces back off the ice and warms the outside of them.

How do we keep the animals in Antarctica? INFO!!!!! Well the answer to my question is simple………… Don’t let as much tourist come to Antarctica, Don’t melt there home, watch were your mining, FOLLOW THE ANTARTIC TREATY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very important that one. UUMM what else is there…….. Use more economic cars motorbikes etc. Ok now time for some more facts. When penguins huddle together they create heat which makes a cylinder of heat which after the blizzard there is normally a little round dent in the ice because of the heat they had created.

How do we stop Antarctica from melting? Well my answer is almost already explained in how do we keep the animals in Antarctica? Is very simple………. Don’t let as much tourist come to Antarctica, Don’t melt there home, watch were your mining, FOLLOW THE ANTARTIC TREATY!!!!!!!!!!!!! So that is my answer. Now time for some pic’s I found.