On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: 1. Regions of glaciers warm faster than other regions due to global warming. 2. Global warming can lead to seafloor sedimentation in some areas. 3. Melting glaciers can reduce marine biodiversity in some areas. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

Passage

Temperatures have risen nearly five times as rapidly on the Western Antarctic Peninsula than the global average over the past five decades. Researchers have now found that melting glaciers are causing a loss of species diversity among benthos in the coastal waters off the Antarctic Peninsula, impacting an entire seafloor ecosystem. They believe increased levels of suspended sediment in water to be the cause of the dwindling biodiversity in the coastal region.

Question

CSATEasyPrelims 2019Comprehension

On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

Regions of glaciers warm faster than other regions due to global warming.
Global warming can lead to seafloor sedimentation in some areas.
Melting glaciers can reduce marine biodiversity in some areas.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect. The passage states that "Temperatures have risen nearly five times as rapidly on the Western Antarctic Peninsula than the global average over the past five decades." This suggests that some regions, like the Antarctic Peninsula, are warming faster than other regions, but it does not explicitly state that glaciers themselves warm faster. The assumption makes a reasonable inference but is not directly supported by the passage.

Statement 2 is correct. The passage mentions that "melting glaciers are causing a loss of species diversity among benthos in the coastal waters off the Antarctic Peninsula," and links it to "increased levels of suspended sediment in water." This suggests that global warming, through melting glaciers, is contributing to changes in sediment levels in the water. The assumption aligns with the passage's implication.

Statement 3 is correct. The passage directly supports this assumption by stating that "melting glaciers are causing a loss of species diversity among benthos in the coastal waters off the Antarctic Peninsula." This confirms that melting glaciers can indeed reduce marine biodiversity in the area mentioned. Hence, this assumption is valid.