Worldwide Warming
One degree may seem small, but it is causing big changes worldwide. In the Antarctic and Arctic, sea ice is melting. The meltdown forms clouds that can make more snowfall than usual. More snow can harm wildlife.
Penguins in Antarctica are having a hard time finding a place to lay eggs. They normally lay eggs on dry ground in the spring. But more snow is falling now. The penguins have to lay their eggs in the snow. When the snow melts, the water rots many of the eggs. That’s causing the number of penguins to drop.
Because of global warming, some penguins cannot find dry places to lay eggs.
Rising temperatures have affected the huge sheets of ice surrounding the North Pole. These images show how.
In 1979, ice covered much of the Arctic throughout the year.
1979
By 2005, large amounts of ice had melted. The outside red line shows where solid ice used to be. Now there is only ocean water. Many scientists say the ice in the area will continue to melt.
2005