Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #Seaice

Most recents (7)

Any post about declining #seaice extent triggers replies pointing out that as the ice is already floating it doesn’t make any difference to sea level. This is correct of course (well, nearly). So why does sea-ice loss matter? There are several reasons. 1/11
Firstly there is the high “albedo” of the ice. It reflects a lot of incoming solar radiation. Reduced summer sea-ice extent exposes more of the ocean surface, which is darker (lower albedo) and thus absorbs more radiant energy, warming the water. 2/11
A second reason is that the normal seasonal fluctuations in sea-ice extent are of great ecological importance. The plankton bloom that occurs each Spring as the sea-ice edge retreats is the foundation of the Southern Ocean food chain. 3/11
Read 11 tweets
This may look like a very ordinary seascape, but it isn't. This view is at 72°S in the Bellingshausen Sea, #Antarctica, taken from RV Polarstern expedition #PS134. In a normal year there would be a lot of #seaice in this area, but this year there is none. 1/3
@AWI_Media @BAS_News This month has seen a new record minimum in #Antarctic #seaice extent since satellite records began more than 40 years ago. In the Bellingshausen Sea most of the ice was gone by the end of November. 2/3
@AWI_Media @BAS_News The minimum #seaice extent is highly variable from year to year, and we should be cautious about reading too much into a single year. However, #Antarctic annual and summer sea ice extents have now been below the long-term average for 7 years. A trend seems to be emerging. 3/3
Read 3 tweets
#ClimateChange impacts all species through extreme weather events, #habitatchange & #resourcescarcity, and the #Walrus is no different. Declining ice has particularly challenged the survival of female and young walruses.

weather.com/en-IN/india/en…

(📸: @UMCES/Lee Cooper) Image
#GlobalWarming has led to a decline in the #SeaIce that walruses use to rest and access clam beds. Therefore, these mammals are being forced to crowd offshore, where clams are scarce, and the risk of stampedes is high!

(📸: Capt. Budd Christman, NOAA Corps) Image
Studying #biomarkers at various #foodchain levels is necessary to understand the role of sea ice in the #foodweb. Since clams are an essential part of the Walrus diet, the more they flourish, the more food walruses will have. Thus, researchers use walrus tissues as biomarkers.
Read 4 tweets
Permafrost is a big topic in climate science. The release of methane, the damage to infrastructure & the massive Siberian craters often make the news. But there’s one area that’s mentioned far less often but is also of huge importance – that is Arctic coastal erosion. Thread 1/17
In the last few decades, some parts of the Arctic Ocean coastline have undergone massive accelerations in their retreat rates and mass loss. It’s bad enough that it’s even been described as a state of collapse! 2/17
So, why are these coasts collapsing? There are several important factors behind this, but a key feature to consider are the materials that make up the unconsolidated coasts (the coasts that consist of frozen soil rather than solid rocks). 3/17
Read 18 tweets
#ImageOfTheDay

The #Arctic #seaice loss of summer 2020 has made headlines, but we shouldn’t forget the winter🧊loss
In February 2018 & 2019, the extent of sea ice in Bering Sea was 60-70% lower than the average, due to #climatechange
⬇️@CopernicusEU #Sentinel3🇪🇺🛰️ view in 2/2019 Image
Read 3 tweets
Study Estimates Global Ice Loss of 28 Gigatonnes Since 1994; #Arctic Worst-Hit - by @MrigDixit

weather.com/en-IN/india/en…

(Image credit: NASA/Joe MacGregor) Image
Melting and refreezing of ice around the globe is an annual natural phenomenon, but owing to the gradual rise in global average temperature, the cycle is no longer marked by just the seasonal variability.

#ClimateChange
Over the last few decades, the accelerated irreversible melting has been a prime indicator of #globalwarming and is posing a massive threat to the entire world in the form of rising sea-levels.

#ClimateChange
Read 20 tweets

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