The arctic ice pack is a primary indicator of global climate change. Arctic ice melting is largely due to carbon dioxide emissions. In recent weeks, the arctic ice pack has shrunk to an extent that no computer model nor scientist had thought possible. The term, ‘arctic ice melt’ refers to the ice located at the arctic circle that is warming due to severe climate change. In certain high latitude regions such as the Arctic Ocean, the surface waters are actually colder than the deep waters and the halocline, which isolates the surface waters from the deep waters, is responsible for maintaining water column stability. The halocline is important in allowing for the formation of sea ice, and limiting the escape of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
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CO2 emissions come from a variety of natural sources. 82% of US’s greenhouse gases are emitted through human activities. There are three main sources of carbon dioxide emissions are, electricity, transportation, and industrial. The types of fossil fuels used to generate electricity will emit different amounts of CO2. To produce a given amount of electricity, humans burn coal, oil, and natural gas that produce excessive amounts of CO2. The combustion of fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel to transport people and goods is the second largest source of CO2 emissions. This sector includes the movement of people and goods by cars, trucks, trains, ships, airplanes, and other vehicles. The main source of CO2 emissions come from the industry sector, which is then split into two categories, direct and indirect. Direct emissions are produced by burning fuel for power or heat, through chemical reactions, and from leaks from industrial processes or equipment. Indirect emissions are produced by burning fossil fuels at a power plant to generate electricity, which is then used by an industrial facility to power industrial buildings and machinery. Consequences of carbon dioxide emissions include global warming in the arctic circle and ozone layer …show more content…
The figure is 70,000 square kilometers less than the previous record low, set in 2007, and it came at least two weeks before the annual low is typically reached. According to the NSIDC, by September 9, 2014, that figure had dropped by another 14%, to around 3.52 million square kilometers. The arctic pack is now thin first-year ice frozen only last winter which requires much less energy to break apart and disperse than multi-year ice. An exposed ocean is darker than an ice covered ocean, therefore, it absorbs more solar heat, causing even more warming and melting.
The first consequence is the loss of ice which means that more heat will absorbed into the Earth. Professor Jennifer Francis from Rutgers University says, “As sea ice retreats, sunshine that would have been reflected back to space by the bright ice is instead absorbed by the ocean, which heats up, melting even more ice”. Professor Francis explains how losing reflective sea ice can, in turn, speeds up the surface warming of the
CO2 emissions come from a variety of natural sources. 82% of US’s greenhouse gases are emitted through human activities. There are three main sources of carbon dioxide emissions are, electricity, transportation, and industrial. The types of fossil fuels used to generate electricity will emit different amounts of CO2. To produce a given amount of electricity, humans burn coal, oil, and natural gas that produce excessive amounts of CO2. The combustion of fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel to transport people and goods is the second largest source of CO2 emissions. This sector includes the movement of people and goods by cars, trucks, trains, ships, airplanes, and other vehicles. The main source of CO2 emissions come from the industry sector, which is then split into two categories, direct and indirect. Direct emissions are produced by burning fuel for power or heat, through chemical reactions, and from leaks from industrial processes or equipment. Indirect emissions are produced by burning fossil fuels at a power plant to generate electricity, which is then used by an industrial facility to power industrial buildings and machinery. Consequences of carbon dioxide emissions include global warming in the arctic circle and ozone layer …show more content…
The figure is 70,000 square kilometers less than the previous record low, set in 2007, and it came at least two weeks before the annual low is typically reached. According to the NSIDC, by September 9, 2014, that figure had dropped by another 14%, to around 3.52 million square kilometers. The arctic pack is now thin first-year ice frozen only last winter which requires much less energy to break apart and disperse than multi-year ice. An exposed ocean is darker than an ice covered ocean, therefore, it absorbs more solar heat, causing even more warming and melting.
The first consequence is the loss of ice which means that more heat will absorbed into the Earth. Professor Jennifer Francis from Rutgers University says, “As sea ice retreats, sunshine that would have been reflected back to space by the bright ice is instead absorbed by the ocean, which heats up, melting even more ice”. Professor Francis explains how losing reflective sea ice can, in turn, speeds up the surface warming of the