North and South Pole ice melt

A before and after satellite photo. In white, the presence of ice at least 4m

Thick. We can see how much has disappeared in 32 years. (NASA)

Permafrost

Since the summer of

2005, tundra permafrost

has massively thawed, and

bacterial fermentation in this

soil has been able to release

deposits of methane

hydrates and

CH4.

Thermohaline Circulation

Ice melt leads to a dilution of sea salt, ma-

king the water less dense, which reduces the

descent of cold water to the seabed. This slows

down major ocean currents, and decreases the

capture of carbon dioxide (CO²).

Consequences

The most important impact of ice

melt is probably the rise of sea levels.

In fact, sea ice has a bright surface, and

between 50 and 70% incoming energy from

the sun is reflected back into space. In the

summer when the ice melts, there is a

dark ocean surface which absorbs

90% percent of the sunlight.

Ecosystems

Pack ice is a ha-

bitat for certain

animals such as

polar bears and

seals, which will

disappear if the

sea ice disa-

ppears. Atmospheric

circulation

The atmosphere is

warmer and there is an

amplification of extreme

weather phenomena which

impact human societies

(poor harvests,

storms, etc.).

Maritime traffic

Ice melt creates shorter routes, for

example, between Northern Europe

and Japan. These routes would be of major

economic and strategic interest to the

sovereign countries which are

Russia and Canada.

Date 1984 2016

What is this phenomenon?

The North and South poles are situated at the extremities of the Earth on its ro-

tation axis. However, theses poles are different in some points.

Concerning the Arctic (North), melted ice effects sea levels, and a decrease of

ice can be seen since the 90’s. The temperature is around -30°C and we call this

pack ice. In the Antarctic (South), we talk about a glacier with a temperature of

around -60°C. The melted ice contributes to form the Ocean currents in the

world, which have a direct effect on the surface temperatures of the sea. In this

area, and until 2014, the pack ice was spreading. Since then, its decrease has

been brutal. Since the industrial revolution and the use of fossil fuels, the world

is warmer and warmer. If nothing is done, the Arctic will lose its

summer Ice by 2050.

A few figures

In 2019, Greenland recorded a warming of 3°C over a

hundred years, where the melting of the ice has

multiplied fourfold in ten years. Between 2002 and

2016, 280 billion tonnes of ice have been lost each year.

In the Antarctic, the loss of ice is six times faster than it was

forty years ago. Between 2009 and 2017, 252 billion tonnes of ice have been

lost per year, compared to 40 billion each year between 1979 and 1990.

Solutions? In any case, ice will melt. The only thing we can do is to reduce the speed of melting. There are solutions to reduce the ice melt, but it will only be efficient if everybody plays his part.

• Encourage local facilities

• Restrict climate change and reduce carbon emission

• Aid tropical forest conservation and restoration to reduce greenhouse gas

Julie Chouvel - Léa-Marie Dufay