GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -How do melting sea ice and glaciers affect weather patterns? Today, the Arctic is warming twice as fast as anywhere on earth, and the sea ice there is declining by more than 10% every 10 years.

Detailed explanation-2: -The polar regions are warming much faster than the global average. In the Arctic, 2022 was the 6th warmest year in records that date back to 1900. This rate of warming continues an upward trend that has been going on for decades.

Detailed explanation-3: -The warmer temperatures are having impacts in the Arctic region. Sea ice is melting, frozen ground (called permafrost) is thawing, and habitat is shrinking for wildlife that rely on cold temperatures. Arctic sea ice cover is shrinking at a rate of 13% per decade.

Detailed explanation-4: -If all the ice covering Antarctica, Greenland, and in mountain glaciers around the world were to melt, sea level would rise about 70 meters (230 feet). The ocean would cover all the coastal cities. And land area would shrink significantly.

Detailed explanation-5: -September Arctic sea ice is now shrinking at a rate of 12.6% per decade, compared to its average extent during the period from 1981 to 2010. This graph shows the size of the Arctic sea ice each September since satellite observations started in 1979.