Question

why is land ice important in climate change?
a. it covers more area than glaciers and snow caps.
b. land ice supports important species at the top of the food web, like polar bears.
c. if a large amount of land ice were to melt, it would raise sea level.
d. land ice has less salinity than sea ice and retains more energy.

Explanation:

1. Option A is incorrect: Glaciers and snow caps are types of land ice, so this statement is factually wrong.
2. Option B is incorrect: Polar bears rely on sea ice as their primary hunting and resting platform, not land ice.
3. Option C is correct: Land ice (glaciers, ice sheets) is stored on land. When it melts, the runoff flows into the ocean, displacing seawater and causing global sea level rise, a major climate change impact.
4. Option D is incorrect: Land ice has no salinity, but it reflects (not retains) most incoming solar energy due to its high albedo, and this claim about energy retention is false.

Answer:

C. If a large amount of land ice were to melt, it would raise sea level.