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North and South Pole ice melt
A before and after satellite photo. In white, the presence of ice at least 4m
Thick. We can see how much has disappeared in 32 years. (NASA)
Permafrost
Since the summer of
2005, tundra permafrost
has massively thawed, and
bacterial fermentation in this
soil has been able to release
deposits of methane
hydrates and
CH4.
Thermohaline Circulation
Ice melt leads to a dilution of sea salt, ma-
king the water less dense, which reduces the
descent of cold water to the seabed. This slows
down major ocean currents, and decreases the
capture of carbon dioxide (CO²).
Consequences
The most important impact of ice
melt is probably the rise of sea levels.
In fact, sea ice has a bright surface, and
between 50 and 70% incoming energy from
the sun is reflected back into space. In the
summer when the ice melts, there is a
dark ocean surface which absorbs
90% percent of the sunlight.
Ecosystems
Pack ice is a ha-
bitat for certain
animals such as
polar bears and
seals, which will
disappear if the
sea ice disa-
ppears. Atmospheric
circulation
The atmosphere is
warmer and there is an
amplification of extreme
weather phenomena which
impact human societies
(poor harvests,
storms, etc.).
Maritime traffic
Ice melt creates shorter routes, for
example, between Northern Europe
and Japan. These routes would be of major
economic and strategic interest to the
sovereign countries which are
Russia and Canada.
Date 1984 2016
What is this phenomenon?
The North and South poles are situated at the extremities of the Earth on its ro-
tation axis. However, theses poles are different in some points.
Concerning the Arctic (North), melted ice effects sea levels, and a decrease of
ice can be seen since the 90’s. The temperature is around -30°C and we call this
pack ice. In the Antarctic (South), we talk about a glacier with a temperature of
around -60°C. The melted ice contributes to form the Ocean currents in the
world, which have a direct effect on the surface temperatures of the sea. In this
area, and until 2014, the pack ice was spreading. Since then, its decrease has
been brutal. Since the industrial revolution and the use of fossil fuels, the world
is warmer and warmer. If nothing is done, the Arctic will lose its
summer Ice by 2050.
A few figures
In 2019, Greenland recorded a warming of 3°C over a
hundred years, where the melting of the ice has
multiplied fourfold in ten years. Between 2002 and
2016, 280 billion tonnes of ice have been lost each year.
In the Antarctic, the loss of ice is six times faster than it was
forty years ago. Between 2009 and 2017, 252 billion tonnes of ice have been
lost per year, compared to 40 billion each year between 1979 and 1990.
Solutions? In any case, ice will melt. The only thing we can do is to reduce the speed of melting. There are solutions to reduce the ice melt, but it will only be efficient if everybody plays his part.
• Encourage local facilities
• Restrict climate change and reduce carbon emission
• Aid tropical forest conservation and restoration to reduce greenhouse gas
Julie Chouvel - Léa-Marie Dufay