Arctic Sea Ice Melting

Arctic Sea Ice Melting

• A recent study in the Nature journal suggests that the melting of Arctic Sea ice in summer is inevitable in the coming decades.

Importance of Arctic Sea Ice

• Climate Influence:
  • Arctic sea ice plays a crucial role in influencing global climate patterns.
  • It reflects sunlight, helping to maintain the earth’s energy balance and cool polar regions.
  • Sea ice acts as a barrier, keeping the air cool by separating cold air above from warmer water below.
• Biodiversity and Indigenous Communities:
• Economic Opportunities and Competition:
  • Reduced ice cover opens shipping lanes and facilitates access to natural resources in the Arctic.

Arctic Amplification

• Arctic amplification refers to the phenomenon where changes in surface air temperature and net radiation balance produce larger effects at the poles, specifically in the Arctic region.
• It is a result of global warming caused by anthropogenic forces or human activities since pre-industrial times, leading to a 1.1-degree Celsius increase in the Earth’s average temperature.
• The primary causes of Arctic amplification include ice-albedo feedback, lapse rate feedback, water vapor feedback, and ocean heat transport.
• Diminishing sea ice in the Arctic due to global warming plays a significant role in amplifying the warming effect.

Consequences:

• Weakening of Polar Jet Streams:
  • Unseasonal showers in northwest India have also been linked to this weakening.
• Melting of Ice:
• Changes in Composition of Sea Water:
• Affects Fauna:
• Gaseous Emission:
  • Thawing permafrost releases carbon and methane, greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.
  • It may also release long-dormant bacteria and viruses, potentially leading to disease outbreaks.

Practice Questions for Prelims

____ is India’s research centre in the Arctic.
a) Maitri
b) Dakshin Gangotri
c) Himadri
d) Bharati

Ans. c)

Chetan Bharat Learning is the best institute in Chandigarh for UPSC IAS ,PCS preparation. To know more about Chetan Bharat Learning’s Online & Classroom Courses, click on the following links: