Last Friday March 20, the earth’s poles were undergoing simultaneous freakish extreme heat unheard of. Parts of Antarctica were more than 40°C warmer than average and areas of the Arctic more than 30°C warmer than average – shattering records.
The Artic phenomena caught officials at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado by surprise while areas around the North Pole were nearing or at the melting point. “This is truly unusual for mid-March”, said ice scientist Walt Meier.
“Not a good sign when you see that sort of thing happen,” said meteorologist Matthew Lazzara, who monitors temperatures at East Antarctica’s Dome-C.
Both Lazzara and Meier stated what happened in Antarctica was probably a random weather event and not a sign of climate change. This warming was weird as it has not been warming much, especially when compared to the rest of the globe.
“What likely happened was ‘a big atmospheric river’ that pumped in warm and moist air from the Pacific southward”, Meier said.
At the same time, on Friday the Arctic excessive heat was due to warm Atlantic air coming north off the coast of Greenland. poles: Antarctica, Arctic 70 and 50
In the Arctic, which has been warming two to three times faster than the rest of the globe is considered vulnerable to climate change. degrees above normal
Our planet has experienced warmer periods in the past during the Pliocene geological epoch around three million years ago. One third of Antarctica’s ice sheet melted during this period, causing sea levels to rise by as much as 20 metres above present levels in coming centuries.
The Pliocene was the last time atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations were above 400 parts per million and Earth’s temperature was 2°C warmer than pre-industrial times. That warming of more than 2°C could set off widespread melting in Antarctica once again and our planet could be hurtling towards a climate that existed three million years ago.
One of the most critical questions facing humanity is how much and how fast global sea levels will rise.
According to the recent special report on the world’s oceans by IPCC, glaciers and polar ice sheets continue to lose mass at an accelerating rate.
If we continue to follow our current emissions trajectory, the median (66% probability) global sea level reached by the end of the century will be 1.2 metres higher than now, with two metres a plausible upper limit (5% probability).
The heat from the storms warms up the air, snow and ice, slowing down the growth of the ice. Moisture falls as snow onto the ice. After the storm, the blanket of snow insulates the ice from the cold air, further slowing the growth of the ice for the remainder of winter.
The strong winds also stir the ocean below the ice, mixing up warmer water from deeper waters to the surface where it melts the ice from below. This melting of the ice in the middle of winter can happen for several days after the storms when the air is already back to well below freezing.
Artic sea ice forms when ocean water freezes, serving as an insulating barrier to keep heat within the ocean. Researchers measure sea ice after each summer, and in the spring. In April 2021, it was reported that the ice volume was the lowest found since 2010. Less ice on top of the world means more ships can travel further into the Arctic.
It’s important to underscore that when measuring sea ice, the expanse of ice, the number of square miles covered, is significant, but so too are depth and age of the ice crucial factors. Thicker, older ice is more resilient, and it also provides a better insulating layer. New, thinner ice can fracture and melt more easily, and it also moves more effortlessly with winds and ocean currents.
The Arctic summer sea ice is at risk of disappearing by mid-century according to a new study. There’s still time to save the Arctic summer sea ice if countries around the world immediately do everything possible to reduce methane emissions.
“Even though the risk is very imminent, it is not unavoidable,” said Tianyi Sun, author of the study. But if the world achieves net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050 and quickly enacts measures to reduce methane emissions right now, the chances of preserving the Arctic summer sea ice this century could increase more than 80 per cent.
Along with exacerbating global warming, losing Arctic summer sea ice will erode coastlines, devastate ecosystems and infrastructure and ways of life of northern communities. Global sea levels will rise unless something changes – and fast.
Most emphasis is on reducing CO2 and less attention on methane. CO2 remains in the air for centuries, while methane lingers for just over a decade but results in over 80 times more heat than CO2.
