Which of the items below is not a side effect of global climate change?
A.
Rising sea levels
B.
Desertification
C.
Shrinking permafrost
D.
Increased earthquake activity
E.
Shifts in plant and animal ranges and habitats
I'll be glad to check your answer.
To determine which of the items is not a side effect of global climate change, we can analyze each option:
A. Rising sea levels: This is a well-documented effect of global climate change. As the Earth's temperature rises, glaciers and ice caps melt, adding water to the oceans and causing sea levels to rise.
B. Desertification: This is also a consequence of global climate change. Increasing temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns can lead to the expansion of arid regions, resulting in desertification.
C. Shrinking permafrost: Permafrost refers to frozen ground that remains frozen year-round. However, due to global warming, permafrost is melting in many regions, causing the ground to become unstable and contributing to erosion and the release of greenhouse gases.
D. Increased earthquake activity: Earthquakes are primarily caused by the movement of tectonic plates and geological processes, not directly by climate change. While climate change can influence other geological phenomena like landslides or glacier movements, it is not a direct cause of increased earthquake activity.
E. Shifts in plant and animal ranges and habitats: This is a consequence of global climate change. As temperatures change, certain plant and animal species may need to migrate to find suitable conditions for their survival, causing shifts in their ranges and habitats.
Based on this analysis, we can conclude that the item "Increased earthquake activity" (D) is not a side effect of global climate change.