ARCTIC ICE MELTING

The melting of Arctic ice is a direct result of climate change, which is causing warmer temperatures. As the Arctic ice melts, it contributes to the overall warming of the planet, which in turn causes further melting and exacerbates the effects of climate change.

WHY IS THE EARTH’S TEMPERATURE RISING?

• Human activities are producing gases that get released into the atmosphere. These gases are mainly released by burning coal and crude oil.
• These gases, such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, make the world warmer by trapping the Sun’s heat in a process called the greenhouse effect. 
• The Earth has a big, giant heat shield – the atmosphere! Heat from the Sun goes through it. Some of the heat gets trapped by gases in the atmosphere.
• This trapped heat is warming the Arctic. If it is too warm, water can’t get cold enough to freeze. This means there will be less ice.
• Water from the melting ice then absorbs more heat from the Sun. As the temperature rises, even more ice melts.

The ice around the North Pole is melting. We don’t know why that is, but many scientists say it is because the ice is too hot, and we call this problem ‘global warming’.

• People are releasing gasses into the air that makes the world warmer. These gasses are being released by burning coal and crude oil.
• Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane are bad for the earth because they cause global warming.
• The gasses, when they get warm, make it so that the sun’s rays can’t get out into space.
• The Earth has a big giant heat shield. Most of the heat from the Sun goes through it and gets reflected back to the surface.
• The heat from sunlight makes the arctic warmer. When things warm up, they freeze less often. This means there will be less ice around.
• When the areas that are ice are melted, ice is gone and the water absorbs heat from the sun. As the temperature rises, more ice melts.

HOW ARCTIC ICE MELTING AFFECTS THE PLANET

The melting of the arctic ice is a threat to marine animals. Without the arctic ice, animals that live at the North Pole will have nowhere to live. (Research from National Geographic)

1. Rising Sea Levels

• As the ice melts in the polar regions, the water flows into the ocean, causing sea level changes.
• Sea levels have risen about 8 inches in the last 100 years.
• As sea levels rise, they can flood coastal cities and cause erosion, saltwater intrusion into freshwater supplies, and loss of habitats for wildlife.

2. Arctic Ice Melting Speeds up Climate Change

• The ice caps in the Arctic have a cooling effect on the Earth. Their melting will raise the temperature of the whole planet.
• The Arctic ice is currently covering a lot of water. This ice cover reflects most of the Sun’s heat, which helps keep the planet cool. With less ice, the planet will absorb heat faster, which will melt even more ice and create more water, which will continue to absorb more heat from the Sun.
• The climate is changing. It’s getting warmer in many places, and that makes it hard to grow crops and causes weather problems.
• Some places on Earth may get too much rain, while others may get no rain at all.

3. Impacts Wildlife Population in the Arctic

• The polar bear population is dropping because the ice is melting, destroying their habitat.
• If there is no ice, walruses will also be forced out of their natural habitat, onto dry land, away from the ocean shallows where they normally feed. If there are no walruses, then other animals that depend on walruses for food may also go extinct.
• Ocean currents exist in part due to the ice. Without ocean currents, fish do not have good living conditions

WHY DO WE NEED POLAR ICE

• The ice at the polar caps is important because it keeps the planet cool.
• When there’s not enough ice in the ocean, aquatic animals such as fish have a hard time because they can’t spawn and have babies. If there are less fish, people have less food, which means more people will go hungry.
• The melting of Arctic ice can also affect ocean currents and circulation patterns, which can have impacts on weather patterns and temperatures around the world. This can lead to changes in precipitation patterns, increased storm activity, and other weather-related events that can have significant impacts on human populations and the environment.

POLAR ICE MELTING CAPS FACTS

Global warming impacts the Arctic region. (Research from Soft Schools)

• Everyone is worried that the ice in the Arctic will melt. The ice melts every ten years. If it keeps melting, there will be no ice in the Arctic by 2040.
• Over 90% of the thickest and oldest arctic ice has melted because of the increase in global temperatures.
• There is a piece of ice in the Antarctic region that’s about 5.4 million square miles. It’s melting, so the oceans are rising.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

We need to stop global warming if we want to save the arctic ice.

1. Reduce Meat Consumption

• Raising cows puts a lot of carbon dioxide into the air and also destroys forests.

2. Plant Trees

• Trees can help to avoid global warming. A way they can do that is by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air. This helps to make the world a better place.

3. Sustainable Transport

• Car engines give off invisible air that can hurt the environment. People who drive should consider electric vehicles instead of gas-powered ones to keep the environment clean.

The melting of Arctic ice is a complex problem with far-reaching impacts on the environment, wildlife, human populations, and the planet as a whole. It requires a concerted effort from governments, businesses, and individuals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate the effects of climate change, and protect the Arctic and its resources.

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