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John McConnico/AP
North Pole May Be Ice-Free This Summer
June 26, 2008 02:12 PM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
After a drastic polar meltdown last year, climate scientists say that the Arctic region is primed for the previously unimaginable.
30-Second Summary
"The North Pole may be free of ice for the first time in history," said Canadian climate scientist David Barber to Canwest News Service. "This is a very dramatic change in the High Arctic Climate System."
The Arctic ice shelf underwent a considerable weakening last summer that left the area with a greater concentration of surface ice, said Barber.
Also, satellite images confirm that the immediate area around the North Pole now consists mostly of fragile first-year ice. The surface ice that forms anew every winter is much more vulnerable to melting as temperatures rise in July and August, than thicker and denser multi-year ice that has survived several cycles of thawing and refreezing.
The Arctic experienced a warm spring, said geophysicist Mark Serreze of the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Centre.
"This summer's forecast—and unusual early melting events all around the Arctic—serve as a dire warning of how quickly the polar regions are being affected by climate change,” according to National Geographic.
Jim Beard writes in the Richmond Times-Dispatch that negative impacts of a possible meltdown include accelerated global warming, a loss of habitat for several animal species, and unforeseeable effects on the ocean ecosystem.
On the positive side, it could be clear sailing for ships traveling across the top of the world.
Some foreign policy experts have predicted, however, that the opening of the Northwest Passage could have dramatic global security implications as nations scramble for the region's rich resources.
The Arctic ice shelf underwent a considerable weakening last summer that left the area with a greater concentration of surface ice, said Barber.
Also, satellite images confirm that the immediate area around the North Pole now consists mostly of fragile first-year ice. The surface ice that forms anew every winter is much more vulnerable to melting as temperatures rise in July and August, than thicker and denser multi-year ice that has survived several cycles of thawing and refreezing.
The Arctic experienced a warm spring, said geophysicist Mark Serreze of the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Centre.
"This summer's forecast—and unusual early melting events all around the Arctic—serve as a dire warning of how quickly the polar regions are being affected by climate change,” according to National Geographic.
Jim Beard writes in the Richmond Times-Dispatch that negative impacts of a possible meltdown include accelerated global warming, a loss of habitat for several animal species, and unforeseeable effects on the ocean ecosystem.
On the positive side, it could be clear sailing for ships traveling across the top of the world.
Some foreign policy experts have predicted, however, that the opening of the Northwest Passage could have dramatic global security implications as nations scramble for the region's rich resources.
Headline Links: Arctic ice may melt completely this summer
Geophysicist Mark Serreze says that what will happen this summer will depend on past and future weather patterns: "Will we have a 'perfect storm' like last summer or some other pattern that helps to preserve ice?'"
Source: National Geographic
"The Arctic is changing much more rapidly than we thought it would," said David Barber, the Canada Research chairperson in Arctic System Science, who recently returned from a spring research trip aboard the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Amundsen.
Source: Canwest News Service
Background: 'Experts Warn North Pole Will Be "Ice Free" By 2040'
In 2006, a team of climatologists predicted that the North Pole would melt by the year 2040, or earlier, saying that some ice would remain on coastlines but that the rest of the pole would become open water.
Source: The Times of London
Security implications
In March, Foreign Affairs warned that the melting of the polar ice caps could have huge global security implications and predicted that the opening of the Northwest Passage could lead to international disputes over shipping routes.
Source: findingDulcinea
Opinion & Analysis: What does the melting mean for us?
Possible negative impacts of the meltdown include an acceleration of global warming due to the fact that sea ice reflects more of the sun's heat into space than open water, and a loss of habitat for several animal species, such as polar bears. In addition, the melting of sea ice, which is composed of freshwater, could have unforeseeable effects on ocean currents, global climate and the ocean ecosystem, as it will affect the salt content of ocean water, writes Jim Beard.
Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch
Related Topics: 'Russia Steps Up Arctic Claim'
In a sign that competition for the rich resources of the Arctic is heating up, a Russian general has said that the Russian military will start conducting training exercises in the region, on the heels of a similar announcement by the U.S.
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Reference: North Pole Web Cam; the North Pole
Web Cam 3 offers a live "fish eye view" of the North Pole and updates images every two hours.
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Geographic provides some fast facts about the North Pole. There are actually two of them: the north terrestrial pole, which is part of the Earth's axis together with the south terrestrial pole, and the moving north magnetic pole, which is what compass needles point to. The Arctic ice cap is a shifting pack of ice that has no land beneath it.
Source: National Geographic
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