How are rising temperatures shrinking the Arctic sea ice?

In the Arctic, sea ice melts during the summer, but the winter snow helps it freeze back, replenishing the ice that’s lost. However, because of on-going rising temperatures due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, glaciers are melting at a more rapid speed. As a result, this has caused a decline in the Arctic sea ice extent over the years.

Although the Arctic and Antarctica are both covered with glacial ice, the Arctic sea ice is considered a more important gauge in understanding the global climate. This is because the Arctic is warming faster than any other region on Earth. This part of the world is quite sensitive to changes in climate.

There’s even a study indicating that the Arctic summer ice could completely disappear as early as 2035. Depleting Arctic sea ice leads to a multitude of devastating consequences. It speeds up climate change and disrupts wildlife such as polar bears, as well as Arctic indigenous communities.