The correct option is (c).
Explanation
Global warming refers to the long-term heating of Earth's climate system observed since the pre-industrial period (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities, primarily fossil fuel burning, which increases heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in Earth's atmosphere.
- Statement 1 is Correct: The rise in global average temperatures leads to the melting of the cryosphere, which includes snow, glaciers, and ice sheets in the coldest regions of the world, such as the Arctic, Antarctica, and high-altitude mountain ranges.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect: Global warming leads to a rise in sea levels, not a decrease. This rise is primarily driven by two factors related to global warming: the added water from melting land-based ice sheets and glaciers, and the expansion of seawater as it warms (thermal expansion).
- Statement 3 is Correct: Climate change alters habitats and ecosystems at a pace that exceeds the ability of many species to adapt or migrate. This stress, combined with other anthropogenic pressures, significantly increases the risk of extinction for numerous plant and animal species in the long run.
Key Takeaway: Global warming results in the melting of polar ice and thermal expansion of oceans, causing sea-level rise, and poses a severe threat to biodiversity by disrupting established ecological niches.