Ice Melt

Glaciers

are formed on land, sea ice is formed in the ocean and icebergs are broken pieces of glaciers that fall in the ocean. All are melting at unprecedented rates since the early twentieth century. Global warming is causing them to melt faster than they can build.

Effects

Sea Level Rise: The melting of glaciers causes sea level rise. This results in coastal flooding, loss of land, destruction of farms and residential areas, and potential refugee crisis. The melting of sea ice does not cause sea level rise.

Loss of Freshwater: Only 3% of the earth’s water is freshwater. Of this, 75% is stored in glaciers. As the glaciers melt, freshwater is mixed with salt water and becomes undrinkable. Freshwater is also used for irrigation of crops and plant growth.

Animals: When sea ice melts, wildlife lose their homes. Walrus and polar bears do not have the land they need to hunt or exit the water. The number of polar bears is declining.

Weather Patterns: Weather is altered by changes in the jet stream pattern from loss of ice. More frequent and intense storms result from these changes in the ocean current and warmer oceans.

Facts

95% of the oldest and thickest sea ice in the Arctic is gone. – WWF

There may be no ice in the Arctic in the summer by 2040 if nothing is done about climate change. – WWF

“The glacial melt we are witnessing today in Antarctic and Greenland is changing the circulation of the Atlantic Ocean and has been linked to collapse of fisheries in the Gulf of Maine and more destructive storms and hurricanes around the planet.” – WWF