Satellites Record Second Lowest Arctic Sea Ice Extent Since 1979
14 October 2019 (UN Environment)* — The polar oceans are among the most rapidly changing oceans in the world. The yearly cycle of the build-up and melting of Artic sea ice is one of the earth’s vital signs and a key climate variable monitored by scientists.
Graph by UNEP/GRID-Geneva, based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Graph by UNEP/GRID-Geneva, based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
Loss of sea ice increases global heating. White snow reflects sunlight, whereas water absorbs it. Declining Arctic sea ice, therefore, amplifies the warming up of the Arctic. Temperatures increased by around 0.5°C per decade between 1982 and 2017, primarily due to increased absorbed solar radiation accompanying sea ice loss since 1979. This is twice as fast as the global average.
Satellite images for 1979 and 2012 are from NASA (arrows added by UNEP/GRID-Geneva).
Thinner ice
Not only is the extent of Arctic sea ice reducing, but it is also much thinner, and scientists observe a transition to younger ice. Five-year-old sea ice has declined by about 90 per cent since 1979.
This has several impacts. It reduces the reflection of light, thus contributing to thermal expansion of the oceans. The change in Arctic sea ice extent may influence mid-latitude weather, and it may affect the regional composition of species, their spatial distribution, and the abundance of many marine species, with impacts on the structure of ecosystems.
For instance, reduced ice cover is adversely affecting the habitat of polar bears which now need to travel greater distances and swim more than previously, particularly threatening young cubs.
While the science tells us that global heating is happening, the exact impacts on fragile habitats and ecosystems are much harder to predict.
“There is an urgent need to reduce our greenhouse gases emissions,” says Peduzzi.
Further Resources
- IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate
- World Environment Situation Room (provides daily updates on Arctic sea ice extent)
- 2019 Arctic Sea Ice Minimum Is Second Lowest (NASA)
“Business as usual” could lead to catastrophic global sea-level rise, says new study
Source: https://human-wrongs-watch.net/2019/10/14/satellites-record-second-lowest-arctic-sea-ice-extent-since-1979/
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