Melting Arctic IcesBy: Chris Bitet

&Jerry Copeland

Melting Arctic Ices

Problems In the North PoleArctic ices are melting more

and re-freezing less than ever in the satellite era

Arctic sea ice in February 2012 averaged 5.62 million square miles. This is the fifth-lowest since 1979.

409,000 square miles below the 1979-2000 average.

Arctic warming has become so serious that North Pole may be devoid of ice entirely this summer

Causes to the problem One of the major causes of melting ices is believed to be global

warming. Rising temperatures have begun to make the arctic ices melt more in

the summer and freeze less in the summer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRWKNF35Jrg&feature=results_main

&playnext=1&list=PLA8574B96C4C04389

Negative Effects Albedo

the reflectivity of an object

What happens? Ice reflects solar radiation Water absorbs the rays of

sunlight into sea water

Usually the ice would deflect the sun rays back into space , but the melting of the ice allows water to absorb more sun rays than usual .This melts even more ice which causes even more albedo to occur heating the arctic even more

Effects on organismsWalruses, seals, and sea

birds all use the sea ice to hunt and raise their young .

The sea ice offers protection from predators and allows them to hunt more efficiently.

With the sea ice melting the mortality rates of their young have risen exponentially.

If left unchecked they will continue to skyrocket.

Effects on polar bearshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GDKrqX4kIAPolar bears are being forced to migrate to the south

and have begun actually mating with grizzly bears.Because the arctic ices are melting, polar bears are

starting to die out due to the long swim that they have to take to get to certain places.

This is causing them to be on the verge of extinction

SolutionsOne of the more innovative partial solutions is

that Russian scientists have begun covering small portions of ocean with porous polymer “Rafts” to block sun rays and promote freezing.

Some blame Global warming as the main reason that the ice is melting and that reducing your carbon footprint can help solve the problem.

Work citedFebruary ice extent low in the Barents Sea, high in

Baring Sea.http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/

http://www.physorg.com/news128694058.html