1. Droughts and heat waves This can lead to: Failure of crops to grow – food shortages Water shortages Heat waves can kill humans New deserts are formed
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Fig. 6 Dry, cracked earth.
2. More violent storms Warm water transfers heat energy to the air above and leads to more evaporation of water. This can cause tropical storms and hurricanes which can lead to: Destruction of property Homelessness Flooding
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Fig. 7 Hurricane Katrina (Gulf of Mexico) 2005.
Fig. 8 The Republic of the Maldives is vulnerable to rising sea levels.
3. Rising sea levels Rising sea levels leads to flooding in many areas such as Bangladesh and the Republic of the Maldives. There are currently one hundred million people living just one metre above sea level. This can lead to: Destruction of communities Homelessness Spread of disease in flood water
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4. Warming oceans This can lead to: Higher sea levels as water expands and ice caps melt Stronger and more frequent storms Bleaching of coral reefs. When water is too warm corals will expel the algae living in them. This causes the coral to turn completely white. Some marine organisms cannot tolerate higher temperatures and this affects many food chains. Other organisms, like some bacteria, may thrive in warmer temperatures and cause disease in marine organisms.
