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Arctic Ice Sheet

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The planet goes through normal intervals of warmer and colder climates. However, since the start of the industrial revolution humans have had an undeniable effect on the environment. One area of our planet that has been feeling the strain of anthropogenic causes is the Arctic. Arctic ice sheets have been gradually melting and this can have a profound effect on sea functions and sea life. The Arctic sea is made of old thick ice that forms in the Beaufort Gyre, and new thin seasonal ice. This old ice last all year round while young ice would melt out by summer. With rising temperatures, old ice is melting faster than it can be replaced, leading to the melting of the Arctic Cap (Climate.gov team, 2016). We can see ice free summers as soon as 2050 …show more content…
We calculated that we would see ice free summers before the year 2076. Although, there was a slight difference in expected complete summer ice meltage; the big take away is that within our lifetime it is expect to happen.
One potentially devastating effect of of melting sea ice is the effect it can have on Meridional circulation. This is deep ocean circulation that is highly dependent on density. Factors that affect density are temperature and salinity, both of which are changing due to anthropogenic causes. Melting ice caps are putting an influx of freshwater into the North Atlantic which is the start of this process, which is also known as the conveyor belt system. The role that salinity plays in Meridional circulation is apparent if you look at the North Pacific. Due to factors like rain …show more content…
This is not always a problem as some of these fish can affect the ecosystem in a positive manner. However, the real issue lies with the introduction of invasive species. Invasive species are a major problem that affect many types of ecosystems around the globe. With sea ice melting, this opens up new seas for commercial vessels to navigate. This increases the potential of the introduction of invasive species from one sea to the other. There has been many cases in which species from one area of the world find their way to another area of the globe by hitching a ride on ships and commercial vessels. Additionally, with ice free summers we can expect the possibility that species find their way over to the Atlantic or Pacific by themselves. Invasive species can be devastating to the ecosystem since they have no natural predators to keep them in check. This can endanger certain species, if these invasive species feed on them, but have no natural predators themselves to balance out populations. Furthermore, this can impact fisheries in these areas which can lead to enormous financial

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