What is Climate Change?

"Climate change is a long-term change in the average weather patterns that have come to define Earth’s local, regional and global climates. These changes have a broad range of observed effects that are synonymous with the term."

How does climate change affect west Virginia?

West Virginia is impacted by climate change by long heat waves, more rain/precipitation, and ultimately affects farming and agriculture. 

How does climate change affect tides?

Climate change affects tides by making them come in higher than usual. This can result in high tide flooding for a lot of places along a coastline.  (Lindsey, 2023)

How does climate change affect tsunamis?

Climate change can affect tsunamis by increasing the sea levels which can result in more tsunamis. It is also known that landslides are a result of climate change. This can be dangerous because landslides can result in tsunamis from the ocean.  Along with landslides, icebergs that slide apart or collide with the ocean floor can result in an unwanted tsunami. (Jane Cunneen. Adjunct Research Fellow, 2024)

How does climate change affect red tides?

Red tides are blooms of harmful algae. These blooms happen due to the water temperature rising. Thus, when climate change causes the ocean's water temperature to rise then the harmful algae bloom will spread across the ocean resulting in red tides. 

How does climate change affect ocean warming?

Ocean warming is a very likely result of climate change. with climate change, ice melts away and heat intensifies. Therefore, the sea temperature will rise and make the ocean warmer. This impacts the marine life, people who visit the ocean and the world if the ocean temperature cannot be maintained. 

how does climate change affect hurricanes?

climate change affects hurricanes by increasing their likelihood of happening. Climate change produces more rainfall, warmed ocean water, and strong winds. These three things can result in more hurricanes happening. It is also making storm surges and hurricanes much more powerful and destructive. (Kolk, 2024)

how does climate change affect dead zones?

Dead zones are areas in the ocean that have low or no oxygen. These are called dead zones because they marine life cannot survive there due to the lack of oxygen resulting in many dead fish and other marine life. climate change worsens dead zones by warming the ocean's water's up. With the ocean warming up, it does not allow the ocean to receive the needed oxygen that it provides to the fish to live resulting in higher amounts of dead zones. 

how does climate change affect ocean currents?

climate change results in warmer ocean water. Therefore, it will melt many icebergs and ice glaciers. This will in turn result in a higher salinity of the ocean which disrupts of oceans currents by not allowing them to move as fast as they should be (2019). 

how does climate change affect ocean acidification?

Ocean acidification is the result of absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere. Climate change produces excessive amounts of CO2 into the air resulting in the ocean taking in the co2.  this makes the water more acidic which in turn is harmful to humans and marine life. 

how does climate change affect offshore drilling? 

climate change is directly fueled by offshore drilling (Giltz, 2023). While offshore drilling is impacted by climate change because the operation itself can become dangerous due to dangerous weather and risking the chance of oil spills which is extremely harmful for our marine life. 

how does climate change affect overfishing?

overfishing is detrimental to a lot of marine lives. Climate change will deplete marine life by a variety of factors such as destroying habitats and by raising the ocean's temperatures to where fish will have to constantly migrate to areas they will not survive in. Overfishing will not be a concern if climate change takes away all of the fish before overfishing stops.