The Arctic Melts

THE ARCIC MELTS

Global warming, the gradual warming of the earth, has caused the ice caps to start melting.  The melting of the Arctic ice cap is causing global disasters. Scientists are working on finding the causes of the Arctic melts, the rate of the melting ice, and its effect on our oceans.

            Some scientists say that it is the burning of fossil fuels that have led to global warming and the Arctic ice melting. Others believe that it is a natural occurrence, just like the previous ice ages.  They also say that it is not directly related to human activities, but agree that we may be indirectly contributing to global warming.  Jay Zwally says, “The Arctic is a canary in a coal mine for climate warming. Now as a sign of climate warming the canary has died.” Even though scientists argue the causes of global warming, they all say that global warming is the cause of much of the Arctic ice melting and it is impossible to stop the melting process completely.

            The rate of the Arctic ice melts is drastically increasing. Arctic sea ice levels are just half of what they were four years ago. This summer, the Arctic melting accelerated. “Arctic oceans will be ice free by the summer of 2012,” says climate specialist Jay Zwally. Some scientists even say that all summer sea ice may be completely gone in five years. The Arctic melting of 2007 shattered many previous records of ice melting. Greenland’s ice sheets are already melting at a very fast rate.  Most scientists say that they where not surprised by the amount of ice that melted this year.

            The arctic melting will have drastic effects on the oceans worldwide. If Greenland’s ice sheets completely melt, it would add up to 22 feet to the world’s sea levels. This would flood most land along coastal regions all over the globe.  Without White Sea ice, which reflects 80% of the suns heat, 90% of the heat that should be reflected would go into the ocean.  This warms the oceans and leads to more ice melting.  Scientists use this pattern to determine whether or not the ice melting rate for the next few years are going to be worse than predicted.

            Even though scientists are still working on pinpointing the causes of the Arctic ice melts, the rate of the melting, and the effect on the oceans, they still say that it all comes down to global warming some way or another. Once the ice caps completely melt our why of life will change. Even though we probably can not stop global warming completely, we can at least help to prevent further melting of the Arctic.