As that ice melts it causes a bunch of problems. 2. When we talk about global warming at the poles, the Arctic tends to get more press than the Antarctic, because it’s happening faster there than anywhere else on Earth. But since it's floating, it will displace a volume of water that would have an equal mass as the ice. Melting land ice, like mountain glaciers and the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, will change the Earth’s rotation only if the meltwater flows into the oceans. With our planet continuing to warm due to greenhouse gas emissions, we expect to see years in the not-too-distant future where The scientists want to learn more about this threat beneath the ice, which could potentially destroy the cycle of life that starts here, and threaten the lives of people all over the planet. We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through the use of cookies and similar technologies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The Fram Strait is where warm waters originating in Mexico are brought up by the Gulf Stream, flowing thousands of miles through the Atlantic to meet the Arctic ice edge. As the Earth continues to warm and Arctic sea ice melts, the influx of freshwater from the melting ice is making seawater at high latitudes less salty and hence less dense. 3 reasons the Arctic freeze is unseasonably late and why it matters. As the latest episode of AsapSCIENCE explains, ice on Earth comes in the form of glaciers, ice sheets, permafrost, and snow. This effect, known as “Arctic amplification”, has consequences for nearby land ice, too. "The layer that is under the ice has been coming up closer to the surface and melting the ice from underneath.". A team of interdisciplinary scientists is here on a study facilitated by Greenpeace, at the start of the environmental group's nearly year-long pole-to-pole expedition. As the ice disappears, patches of open ocean absorb more sunlight and … Faster melting tends to become a self-reinforcing system in the Arctic. What the sea ice melt does to the ecosystem, and to us, is at the heart of this study. Arctic ice melt could trigger uncontrollable climate change at global level. As the sea ice melts, ice algae and phytoplankton are released into the sea. The Arctic is already vanishing and the Antarctic is following, threatening us with the very inundation the polar ice spares us. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. Less ice ultimately puts that entire cycle at risk, with a smaller nutrient injection meaning less food further up the chain. The northern Bering Sea is experiencing record-setting low winter sea ice levels, which … In reality, Arctic sea-ice cover is not concerned with time. Sea ice is rapidly disappearing as a result of climate change and warming seawater temperatures. Enjoy Miami and Shanghai While They’re Here. They will be further tested later on land, helping us understand how sea ice loss is potentially impacting their ability to take in and sequester CO2. As Arctic Sea Ice Disappears, What Happens to Ecosystems? Yahoo is part of Verizon Media. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. Where’s the sea ice? If we keep burning fossil fuels indefinitely, global warming will eventually melt all the ice at the poles and on mountaintops, raising sea level by 216 feet. It’s not “if” but when. Fram Strait, Arctic Circle (CNN)It's spring in the Arctic, and nature in the far north is just waking up, warmed by 24 daily hours of sunlight. Greenpeace's Arctic Sunrise has been converted into a floating lab and on board, ice core samples are distilled and examined. Recent research shows that Arctic sea ice is melting faster than expected. "We can put a deal in place that the status quo goes on or we can put a deal in place that has teeth, that will allow us to designate areas in the high seas for fully protected marine reserves," says Sune Scheller, Greenpeace's expedition leader. Of course, it's not necessary for all of the ice to melt for us to experience devastating effects of sea level rise. The inflatable boats carrying the scientists maneuver slowly through a sea of fractured ice, a mosaic of pieces that once were part of the Arctic ice sheet, pushed south by winds and currents into the Fram Strait. "They photosynthesize and take in CO2 and expel oxygen as part of the process -- which is the oxygen we breathe," he says. But this April saw a record loss of sea ice across the Arctic. Melting Greenland ice sheet raises sea levels. In the end it's the political will that needs to be there.". Recent research shows that Arctic sea ice is melting faster than expected. In this warmer water, away from the ice, they found significantly less phytoplankton. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. The consequences of climate change can be weird and apocalyptic. Negotiations towards a Global Ocean Treaty at the UN are under way and Greenpeace is part of a broader coalition that is campaigning for legislation that would see 30% of our oceans protected by 2030. As we lose more ice more quickly and see more rapid permafrost melt, we will start seeing the worst climate change predictions come true. It is melting. Since 1990 the thickness of sea ice here has decreased by a third, from about 3 meters to 2 meters, according to the Fram Strait Arctic Observatory. As the ship heads further south, we come across red streaks of blood across the ice, the bloody aftermath of a polar bear kill. But since it's floating, it will displace a volume of water that would have an equal mass as the ice. In the short term, this creates something of a nutrient injection that jump starts the cycle of life in the ocean. According to a CNN report, the Arctic is heating up twice as fast as the global average causing massive melting of sea ice. In fact, the loss of reflective sea ice is one of the main reasons why Arctic temperature has risen three times faster than the global average in recent decades. The Arctic is melting faster than at any time in at least the last 1,500 years, according to climate scientists. An estimated 5 million cubic … Less sea ice means there will be less of that protective cold layer, leading to even more melting. Here, the scientists spend days working on top of the precarious ice floes, keeping a watchful eye out for polar bears while drilling into the ice to measure its thickness. Sea ice loss will impact us all, in ways that science is racing to understand. And being in direct contact with the warming waters of the ocean, sea ice will be the first form of frozen water to disappear. After a recent excursion to the Arctic , researchers made a seriously shocking — and truly devastating — discovery regarding just how quickly the Arctic's ice is melting . It is one important reason why the Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the planet. "This warm water is at the surface as it comes up [from the south] and then it drops under the ice as it goes into the Arctic Ocean," says Wagner. This live lesson broadcast is a great way of learning about sea-level rise and clear up common misconceptions such as how melting sea ice in the Arctic will cause sea levels to rise. Here's what would happen if all the ice in the Arctic melted. "For the longest time the story of sea ice loss has been one of the higher air temperatures melting the ice from above," Wagner explains. Because the Arctic is largely made up of ocean, ice there mainly takes the form of floating blocks such as massive icebergs. If we keep burning fossil fuels indefinitely, global warming will eventually melt all the ice at the poles and on mountaintops, raising sea level by 216 feet. By Arwa Damon; video and photos, Brice Laine, CNN. If that ice melts, it causes sea levels to go … "And then right below there is this warm water, that is almost 3.5 degrees and this is the warm Atlantic water" Cape adds. The underbelly of the ice teems with zooplankton -- tiny crustaceans that feed on the phytoplankton. Faster melting tends to become a self-reinforcing system in the Arctic. 2016 saw some of the most extensive sea ice loss in recorded history. The uncertainty is how fast it happens. For several years now, scientists have been painfully aware that the Earth's ice caps are rapidly melting, but little did they know how soon it would actually happen. quoted from the article: If you have ice floating in the water, it displaces some liquid water. "It has definitely thinned in this area, it has thinned everywhere" says team leader, polar physicist Till Wagner, of the University of North Carolina Wilmington. That means almost half of Australia would perish and the rest flooded completely. The team's study confirmed their expectation. Melting Greenland ice sheet raises sea levels. It is one important reason why the Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the planet. As the sea ice melts, ice algae and phytoplankton are released into the sea. Coastal Australia would be washed away along with 80% of residents. Greenpeace is traveling from the Arctic to the Antarctic to highlight the threats facing our oceans and part of its campaign for ocean sanctuaries. not white. In turn krill and smaller fish feed on the zooplankton, big fish feed on the smaller fish and so it goes on up a food chain that includes whales, seals, sea birds, and even polar bears. The absence of sea ice doesn't just threaten the top of the food chain, or the beluga whales we watch gently dipping along the ice edge, their deep breaths echoing across the silence of this remote region. Melting permafrost in the Arctic is unlocking diseases and warping the landscape. In fact, data shows that the North Atlantic has already become fresher over the past several decades. Global warming, highlighted by the Siberian heatwave in June, has meant that much of the Arctic's sea ice hasn't formed. 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