January reported a record-low sea ice cover to the Arctic, according to new data which was released by the US government. Something that can affect the ocean, wildlife, and local communities that rely on both for survival.
According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), data showed that ice is nearly 10% below average this January in the Arctic, an area larger than the states of California, Oregon and Washington combined.
Carbon emissions are causing this change and researchers warn that “warming and substantial ice loss are projected for the next 20 to 30 years, along with other major physical, biological, and societal changes.”
Nature needs sea ice, and its decrease poses a real problem for wildlife and people. Polar bears rely on sea ice as a platform to hunt for food, rest, and breed.
Billions of people around the world can be affected too. As the Arctic warms, melting snow, ice, and permafrost release even more GHG into the atmosphere, which is directly linked to increased warming.
A key point to sea ice coverage is the annual minimum and maximum over time. This year’s data on the Arctic sea ice maximum will be reviewed in March. In 2017, Arctic sea ice was at its lowest spring extent since satellite record keeping began in 1979. The Arctic’s maximum sea ice cover has been decreasing at about 3% every decade.
