http://www.weather.com/science/environment/news/arctic-sea-ice-summer-melt
The shell of ice that covers the Arctic Ocean is nearing its yearly
low point and projections suggest that it will be among the four lowest
summer minimums on record. If melt rates are speedy enough, there’s a
chance it could even take the number two spot, forecasters said Wednesday, as the ice continues its decades-long, warming-driven decline.
The sea ice that caps the Arctic Ocean naturally waxes and wanes with the seasons, reaching its maximum area
at the end of winter, before the reemergence of the sun in spring
starts off the melt season. Sea ice area, or extent, usually hits its
annual minimum in mid- to late-September.
The warming of the
planet from the human-driven accumulation of heat-trapping greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere is acting over this cycle, leading to overall
declines in sea ice, with a particularly pronounced drop-off in summer
numbers. Those declines range from 10 to 15 percent per decade depending
on the season.
The melt of sea ice driven by warming, which also leads to a thinning of the ice,
has major implications for the Arctic area. Wildlife like polar bears
and walruses that depend on the sea ice can be hampered in their pursuit
of prey, and the livelihoods of indigenous communities can be
threatened.
Sustained melt has also opened the region to more ship
traffic and oil exploration, which pits economic opportunity against
potential ecological effects.
No comments:
Post a Comment