Arctic Sea Ice Collapse Threatens [View all]

[pscot]

http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/

The image below compares the Arctic sea ice thickness on July 14, 2012 (left panel) and on July 14, 2015 (right panel), using Naval Research Laboratory images.






The dramatic decline of the sea ice, especially north of North America, is the result of a combination of factors, including:

•very high levels of greenhouse gases over the Arctic Ocean
•very high levels of ocean heat
•heatwaves over North America and Siberia extending high air temperatures over the Arctic Ocean
•wildfires triggered by these heatwaves resulting in darkening compounds settling on snow and ice

•very warm river water running into the Arctic Ocean, as illustrated by the image below.




Great news. Shell won't even have to drill; just capture the millions of tons of methane bubbling up from the bed of the Arctic ocean.