Arctic Sea Ice Is Disappearing
we’ll soon lose most of the Arctic's summer ice
Scientists expect that this year will end up as the hottest year in the record books. Additionally, Arctic ice is melting away faster that scientists had thought, and we’ll soon lose most of the Arctic's summer ice. Scientists previously estimated that Earth will lose Arctic ice in 50 years, but recent news shows this time will arrive sooner than we had expected. According to a recent study published in Nature Communications, the Arctic may be free of sea ice by the 2030s.
This should not come as a complete surprise. It turns out according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s annual 2018 Arctic Report Card, the oldest and thickest ice in the Arctic has declined by 95 percent.
Over the past several decades, the far north has already been warming four times faster than the rest of the Earth. So you could expect how quickly the ice will melt in the future.
So why is it so bad? How does this problem relate to global warming?
As you know when you wear darker colors in the summer, you get hotter than when wearing white because darker colors absorb more wavelengths of light. Since the ice is white, it reflects 50-70 percent of the wavelengths. That's why Arctic ice can stay cool. But when the ice melts, most of the sun wavelengths then go directly to the ocean below. The darker ocean surface absorbs much more heat than the icy surface had.
Obviously, the sea level rises as the ice melts. This means Earth will lose coastal lands, due to flooding not to mention putting inhabitants and wildlife in danger.
Additionally, the permanently frozen ground stores large amounts of methane. When it thaws, the methane is released into the atmosphere. As you are aware, methane has a significant impact on global warming.
The more we learn about Arctic ice melt, the more we can understand the real problem and how it can affect not only plants and animals, but also humans. I think that the more we educate people about the Arctic ice melt, the more we have the power as a team to overcome it. Let's work together to prevent ice melt - for nature, humans, and our planet.