| Ice melting turns up the heat in the Arctic Region | |
 Research shows that the amount of ice cover over the Artic has decreased from over 8 million square kilometres to 4 million square kilometres in just 50 years which is 1, 5 million square kilometres less than models predicted.
This decrease in the amount of ice cover is the main cause of increases in atmospheric temperatures in the Artic region. This is further exacerbated in the Autumn season when the sun goes down on the Artic releasing warmth back into the atmosphere, delaying the falling in the air temperature and extending the melting season for the Artic Ice Shelf and postponing the onset of the winter freezing. In addition to this as the ice is lost in the Artic, more of the ocean’s surface will be exposed to solar radiation and will warm up further. The temperature gradient between the Arctic and the equator acts as an air conditioner and the reduction of the temperature gradient affects the whole system of atmospheric patterns and precipitation patterns. Dr Julienne Stroeve, from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center, reported to the American Geophysical Union that research on this feedback process was still in its early days and it is still not clear, “how this is going to play out.” This amplication effect is not just restricted to the ocean, Dr Stroeve said. These altered circulation patterns could then move the warmth over land areas.
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