IS ICE IN THE ARCTIC MELTING?

The Arctic and all its ice caps, sheets and glaciers supply the world’s 10% of freshwater supply. But it
is getting affected by escalating temperatures which causes the ice to melt this affects all the animals
that live in the arctic region. We are already seeing the impacts of the Arctic’s rapidly changing
climate on wildlife.

As mentioned earlier, the Earth’s temperature is rapidly increasing. As of today, Earth's temperature
has risen by an average of 0.08°C per decade since 1880, or about 2° F in total. The rate of warming
since 1981 is more than twice as fast 0.18°C per decade.

The temperature increase causes the ice to melt. We lose Arctic sea ice at a rate of almost 13% per
decade, and over the past 30 years, the oldest and thickest ice in the Arctic has declined by a
stunning 95%. Also ice reflects most sun energy compared to land or water and the ice melting
means that the Earth will capture more heat energy helping global warming. Less ice caps or sheets
also means that the animals who depend on ice for living will have to either adapt to the climate
change or will get extinct.

This also increases the water levels as the ice melted reaches the oceans after all. As well as because
of heating up of the planet water levels rise. Due to this, a lot of cities in India are at risk of being
flooded by the end of this century; a few examples would be Mumbai, Kochi and Vishakhapatnam.
These cities are heavily populated so the number of people who are at risk of getting flooded by the
end of this century are approximately 100 million.

To sum up, there are clear evidences that show about the ice melting in the Arctic. This has too
many side effects like increase in water levels, or more heat energy being absorbed by Earth and also
on wildlife. If nothing is done about this and then humanity will have some tough times in the future.

References:

1. ‘Climate Change’. https://www.arcticwwf.org/threats/climate-change/

(Date Accessed 6/12/23)
2. ‘Is the rate of sea level rising?’. https://sealevel.nasa.gov/faq/8/is-the-rate-of-sea-level-rise-
increasing/ (Date Accessed 6/12/23)
3. ‘Clearest evidences yet of polar ice losses.’ (2012)
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Space_for_our_climate/
Clearest_evidence_yet_of_polar_ice_losses#:~:text=After%20two%20decades%20of%20satellite,ice
%20sheet%20melting%20is%20increasing (Date Accessed 6/12/23)
4. ‘Global Climate Change Explorer: Ice’ https://www.exploratorium.edu/climate/ice (Date Accessed
6/12/23)
5. Six ways loss of Arctic ice impacts everyone. https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/six-ways-loss-of-
arctic-ice-impacts-everyone (Date accessed 6/12/23)
6. Climate Change: Global Sea Level. Rebecca Lindsey (19/4/22). https://www.climate.gov/news-
features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-sea-level (Date Accessed 6/12/23)
7. These Indian cities likely to go three feet underwater by century end, IPCC report rings warning bell.
(2021). https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/ipcc-climate-report-coastal-cities-in-india-sea-level-
rise-environment-global-warming-indian-ocean-1839061-2021-08-10 (Date Accessed 6/12/23)