Large Cracks Appearing in Arctic ice

The Artic is experiencing vast ices melt from the retreat of the glaciers, to the melting of the sea. The fate of the vast ice blocks is seen as a key indicator of climate change. When ice shelves break apart, they drift offshore into the ocean as "ice islands", transforming the geography of coastlines. US scientists predict that northern polar waters could be ice-free in summers within the next decade. Temperatures in the artic region have risen noticeably during the past few decades. The Arctic climate varies naturally, but the researchers conclude that human-induced global warming is partially responsible. They warn the shrinkage could lead to even faster melting in coming years. The melting may also contribute to even higher arctic temperatures in the future.

Some scientists are concerned that melting Arctic sea ice will dump enough freshwater into the North Atlantic to interfere with sea currents. They believe that the thawing of sea ice covering the Arctic could disturb or even halt large currents in the Atlantic Ocean, which are responsible for warmer airflows. This would actually result in lower temperatures for some areas, particularly Europe and the eastern part of North America. There would be more rain and snow in these regions. Retreating ice cover exposes more of the ocean surface, allowing more moisture to evaporate into the atmosphere and leading to more precipitation. More violent storms are also more likely as a result of the melting artic ice.