Arctic
Sea Ice Getting Terribly Thin
7
August, 2016
A
temperature rise (from preindustrial levels) of more than 10°C
(18°F) could eventuate by the year 2026, as illustrated by the image
below and as discussed in an earlier
post.
The
high temperature anomaly that occurred in February 2016 was partly
caused by El Niño. Nonetheless, there is a threat that the February
2016 anomaly was not a peak, but instead was part of a trend that
points at what is yet to come to come.
As
the image below shows, 93.4% of global warming goes into oceans.
Accordingly, ocean heat has been rising rapidly and, as the image
below shows, a trend points at a huge rise over the coming decade.
Ocean
temperature rise affects the climate in multiple ways. A recent
study
confirmed earlier fears that future increases in ocean temperature
will result in reduced storage of carbon dioxide by oceans.
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[
click on images to enlarge]
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Furthermore,
ocean temperature rises will cause Arctic sea ice to shrink,
resulting in albedo changes that will make that less sunlight gets
reflected back into space, and more sunlight instead gets absorbed by
the Arctic Ocean.
Arctic
sea ice is losing thickness rapidly. The image on the right shows
that the thicker sea ice is now almost gone (image shows sea ice on
August 6, 2016, nowcast). The image below gives a comparison of the
years 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 for August 6.
The situation looks even more threatening when looking at the Naval Research Laboratory image below, produc ed with a new model and run on August 3, 2016, valid for August 4, 2016.
The situation looks even more threatening when looking at the Naval Research Laboratory image below, produc ed with a new model and run on August 3, 2016, valid for August 4, 2016.
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There's
a danger that, as the temperature of the Arctic Ocean keeps rising,
huge amounts of methane will enter the atmosphere due to
destabilization of hydrates at its seafloor.
Links
-
A Global Temperature Rise Of More than Ten Degrees Celsius By 2026?
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Ocean Heat
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Implications for Earth’s Heat Balance, IPSS 2007
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World Ocean Heat Content and Thermosteric Sea Level change (0-2000
m), 1955-2010, by Levitus et al.
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Attenuation of sinking particulate organic carbon flux through the
mesopelagic ocean, by Marsay et al.
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