The ice is literally melting on both the North and South Poles of the Earth. This is one of the adverse effects of climate change in the two Polar Regions. A recent study revealed that arctic temperatures have finally cooled off after the course of winter heat wave that hindered the growth of sea ice in the said territories. This might also take an impact on the life of species living in these areas.
Experts blame the repeated bouts of warm weather that occurred in the first quarter of 2017. This climate pattern has even shocked seasoned veterans because this phenomenon can push the Arctic to record low peak every winter for the third consecutive year. On the other hand, it has been reported that Antarctic sea ice has already set a record low peak in its history. This is a complete reversal of the recorded winter hike in the recent years, Accuweather reports.
There is an expectation for sea ice located at both poles to decline. This is because of the build-up of greenhouse gasses caused by the planet heating up the atmosphere. This trend can be clearly traced in the Arctic, especially during summer when sea ice covers half the area it did in the early 1970s. Moreover, scientists are unraveling the process that affects this process annually.
The Irish Times reported that ice floating around the continent usually melts to its smallest form every February. This extends within the southern hemisphere in summer before expanding again as the autumn season kicks off. This year alone, sea ice extent contracted to 2.287 million sq km (883,015 square miles).
A study released last year claimed that bird droppings contribute to maintaining the low temperature of the Arctic. However, this is only of modest cooling. Researchers further added that this might help the Arctic cope with global warming.
