Arctic sea ice doesn't need any help melting – it's been doing plenty of that on its own. Now, recent studies suggest other nearby waterways may be contributing to the problem.
NASA researchers have recently found water flowing into the Arctic Ocean from nearby rivers has been speeding up the melting of sea ice. The photo above is a before-and-after animation of the Mackenzie River Delta, which feeds into the Beaufort Sea, in Canada. The first image, with far more sea ice in the water, was taken on June 14, 2012 by NASA's Aqua satellite. The second photo, depicting a cleared-out Arctic Ocean near the delta, was taken just three weeks later, on July 5, 2012.
Here's what happened: Scientists concluded a large early-summer pulse of river water led to faster melting of sea ice. With the ice gone, the dark water then absorbed more sunlight, which warmed the sea and led to even more melting.
What's even worse, as NASA mentioned in the report, was the speed at which the warmer water busted through the ice barrier in the delta and was quickly freed into the cool sea. It was much like pouring a pitcher of warm water on an ice cube – the warm water didn't have time to cool before interacting with the ice, leading to a more rapid melting process.
http://www.weather.com/news/science/environment/arctic-sea-ice-altered-river-discharge-20140307
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