The world of mathematics.
We see the entire Earth's surface. It's magnificent.
The Earth is 300 miles away from its surface.
From this distance, astronauts can clearly see countries and entire continents.
What astronauts cannot see from this distance are the danger symptoms that can later have drastic effects on the Earth's surface.
A drop in the ocean.
The warming of the Earth's atmosphere is a danger that scientists fear.
For the last two years, Dr. Angela Wilkinson has been investigating the causes and consequences of a warmer climate on Earth.
The greenhouse effect is the term used to describe the way the Sun heats the Earth's atmosphere.
Solar rays reach Earth, crossing the atmosphere, which appears transparent.
Later, the heat generated on the Earth's surface, which is of vital importance for life on Earth,
transfers back to the atmosphere. But this composition catches the heat and doesn't allow it to leave, causing a overheating on Earth.
An analogy of this phenomenon occurs when the Sun passes through the windows of a greenhouse and this prevents the heat from escaping.
How does the increase in temperature affect us in the atmosphere?
As the greenhouse effect progresses, the Earth's atmosphere heats up and naturally the same thing happens with the air because the temperatures rise.
Another effect is that the temperature of the climate changes in different regions.
The various climates are the manifestation of the heat deposited by the Sun on the Earth's surface.
Therefore, due to the greenhouse effect, we must expect climatic changes, that is, that some parts of the world are warmer,
other parts colder, more rain in some places and less rain in others.
Storms can be more severe if we could have hurricanes more frequently.
We could expect that when the air temperature rises, the sea level increases.
But how high could the sea level rise? Mathematics can help us with this.
When we try to measure the area of a surface, it can be useful to imagine the surface of a painting.
When measuring a quantity of liquid, gas or solid substance, we can think of spaces full of cubes.
These cubes measure one centimeter on each side.
This object is made of exactly a thousand cubes that measure one centimeter per side, so its volume is one thousand cubic centimeters.
We can rearrange these cubes in different ways, but the volume will remain the same.
How could I check them without having to tell you?
It could be as follows. Imagine that these cubes are ice blocks.
There are five layers.
And there are twenty rows on each layer.
If we divide the rows even more, we can see that there are ten cubes on each layer.
So there are twenty rows of ten cubes on each layer.
There are two hundred cubes on each layer. And since there are five layers of two hundred cubes each, we will have a total of a thousand cubes of ice.
Volume is the term we use to indicate the amount of space that something occupies.
This one-thousand-centimeter-cubic container, which is equivalent to a can of one liter, can contain air, a solid or a liquid.
A volume does not necessarily have to be a cube. It can have any other form.
Increase in sea level. We have seen what volume is, but what is this for scientists to calculate the increase in sea level?
In the case of the Alpine glaciers and in Antarctica, we know the temperature of the atmosphere and we know the volume of the ice mass.
So we can calculate how quickly it will melt and how much water will reach the oceans.
The way scientists do it is to consider the surface of the planet divided into cubes.
Some of them will be made up of only water and others of ice and earth.
These, ice and earth, will contribute to an increase in sea level in the event of a temperature increase.
We know that if the ice that is in the poles melts, the sea level will increase.
Melted ice. What do you think will happen to the water level in this vessel while the ice melts?
When scientists began to calculate the increase in sea level, they had to take into account the difference between Arctic ice in the North Pole and Antarctic ice in the South Pole.
The ice in this vessel is similar to the ice in the North Pole. There is no ground below.
When the entire iceberg melts, the volume of water it provides is exactly the same as its original volume, so the sea level does not change.
If the entire Arctic ice layer melts, the sea level would not rise. So why worry about it?
Scientists are concerned because part of the Antarctic ice is sitting on land.
So if the ice in the South Pole melts, the sea level will increase drastically.
But how much will it increase? Before we start calculating this increase, we need to know how much ice there is.
The area of Antarctica is equivalent to a rectangle of 4,000 by 3,500 kilometers.
To be able to calculate the volume of ice, we also need to know its depth, which is approximately 2,200 meters or 2.2 kilometers.
If all the ice melts, the total amount of water generated would be distributed in all the oceans.
All the oceans together cover an area equivalent to a rectangle of 23,000 by 22,000 kilometers.
We do not need to know the total volume of the oceans to know what the increase in sea level is.
We just need to know the amount of ice melted in Antarctica.
But how much will the level rise? It will be the same as before.
That is, the same amount as the volume of melted ice in Antarctica, as shown in the container.
If the Antarctic ice melts, the water would run towards the sea and become part of the ocean.
What depth do you think this extra water will have?
Global effects. With this increase in ocean level, what will happen to the countries that are near sea level?
The greenhouse effect will play a particular role in third world countries like Bangladesh and Punjab, which are countries with a near sea level.
There are many people living in areas very small, close to the sea.
As the sea level increases in those areas, there will be more danger of flooding and land loss.
As a consequence, the properties and life of the people will be at increasing risk.
What measures do you think scientists should use to demonstrate the greenhouse effect?
How would you use the volumes in your daily life?
What measures do you think scientists should use to demonstrate the greenhouse effect?