Question

Global warming leads to

• A. falling of sea level
• B. lowering of the average temperature of earth
• C. static weather pattern
• D. melting of ice caps at slower rate
• E. expansion of desert

Hint:

Global warming generally leads to higher temperatures, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and expansion of dry regions.

Answer 1

Answer: (E)

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Global warming refers to the long-term heating of Earth’s climate system observed since the pre-industrial period due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere. This question asks for a direct consequence of this phenomenon.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's analyze each option:
(A) falling of sea level: This is incorrect. Global warming causes glaciers and ice sheets to melt, and it also causes the thermal expansion of seawater. Both of these effects lead to a {rise} in sea level, not a fall.
(B) lowering of the average temperature of earth: This is the opposite of what global warming is. Global warming is characterized by an {increase} in the Earth's average temperature.
(C) static weather pattern: This is incorrect. Global warming disrupts normal weather patterns, leading to more extreme and unpredictable weather events, such as more intense hurricanes, heatwaves, droughts, and heavy rainfall. Weather patterns become more volatile, not static.
(D) melting of ice caps at slower rate: This is incorrect. The increase in global temperatures accelerates the melting of ice caps and glaciers in polar regions and mountain tops.
(E) expansion of desert (Desertification): This is correct. Global warming alters precipitation patterns, leading to prolonged droughts in many regions. Higher temperatures also increase the rate of evaporation from soil and water bodies. These conditions make land more arid and susceptible to desertification, which is the process by which fertile land becomes desert.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Among the given options, the expansion of desert is a known consequence of climate change and global warming. This corresponds to option (E).