The biggest source of fresh water of the world, which is in the form of ice, has been melting due to rise in temperature on account of climate change.
After researches done in recent years, scientists have concluded that deterioration is being caused in snow cover of Antarctica and Greenland.
In March 2002, scientists of London, on the basis of data received from remote sensing satellite, said that Larsen B Iceberg connected with the eastern peninsular part of Antarctica has broken. Breaking of ice rock of 1,250 sq mile area and 650 feet thickness IS considered as a grave danger for the world.
Larsen B Iceberg, which is 1500 year old, it was broken and scattered in the space of one month during March 2002, and serious note of this incident was taken by scientists who consider it as the main reason for rise in temperature in the world. British Arctic Survey had also warned four years back that some icy rocks of peninsular part are melting fast.
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A strange fact is that temperature is reducing in other parts of Antarctica, whereas it is fast rising in the peninsular part. Research is being conducted, to establish whether temperature is really reducing or rising. Director, National Centre for Antarctica and Ocean Research, Goa, told on 1st May 2002, in connection with change in global warming, that snow is not melting in South Pole but it is actually increasing, whereas temperature is continuously rising in the world. This doubt is the result of local variation only.
Apart from Antarctica and Arctic region, indications about melting of vast snow reservoirs of high mountains have been received from other parts of the world also. Gangotri glacier, which is the main source of river Ganga, is also retreating fast.
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If ice of the world continues melting, the sea level will also rise. IPCC had indicated about such a possibility one decade back, and it had declared that sea level would rise from 30-100 cms, which would destroy the natural ecological system including agricultural land of coastal areas, mangrove land, as fossil walls.