18 - Melting Sea Ice
For a further explanation of why melting sea ice does not raise de sea level, Archimedes and all that, see the explanation page. For some great graphics that illustrate Earth's ice loss, check out this article from ESA.
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1Cause
3Other possible consequences
When the ice pack melts, a white surface is replaced by a dark blue surface, which has a lower albedo and therefore absorbs more energy. This relationship is not essential but it does allow another feedback loop of the game to be put forward.
The poor polar bear is a powerful symbol of the climat. If players make this connection, suggest they draw a bear!
There's probably some sort of link here...
3Wrong consequences
This link would mark confusion with the amplifying effect due to albedo. The white sea ice melts to reveal a darker surface underneath and the extra energy absorbed warms the Earth. This mechanism is called albedo and has nothing to do with the greenhouse effect. It belongs to the orange arrows on card 13, not to the red arrows.
The melting of the Arctic ice pack, but also the melting of Greenland's glaciers may lead, in the distant future, to a disruption of the thermohaline circulation (which gives rise to the Gulf Stream). But beware, the "Water Cycle" card does not refer at all to the thermohaline circulation.
This it the trap in which participants can fall while playing with cards set n1. Therefore, do not ask them to read the cards from the beginning. Once they have put them in place, ask them to read the texts.