A trend of shrinking ice coverage in the Gulf of St. Lawrence might signal long-term problems that could lead to extreme weather events.
Sea ice spreads across the Arctic Ocean and neighboring bodies of water each winter. According to an article by NASA Earth Observatory and posted to SciTechDaily, ice formation in the Gulf of St. Lawrence near eastern Canada is more uncertain these days.
What's happening?
Based on data from 1981 to 2010, ice usually started forming in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in December and peaked by late February. However, that's not the case anymore. There has been a lot of variation with the ice in the gulf more recently, according to Walt Meier, a sea ice expert at the National Snow and Ice Data Center.
"Some years, it may be high early in the season and then decline," Meier said, per NASA Earth Observatory. "Other years, it can be quite low and then shoot up as late as March."
Numbers from NSIDC show the Gulf's ice coverage was below average in February and remained that way through mid-March. The numbers from 2024 were even lower.
Experts noted that low ice allows the water to absorb more energy from the Sun and warm up faster. That means marine navigation and fishing in the region could be impacted. The shift in sea ice coverage will also affect certain marine mammals like seals, which depend on ice for birthing their pups.
Why is raising awareness about melting sea ice important?
Scientists found that the Arctic ice peak this year was the lowest it's been in more than 40 years. According to the World Wildlife Fund, Arctic sea ice has been declining at a rate of nearly 13% per decade. The Arctic could be completely without ice by 2040 if temperatures continue to rise.
One of the benefits of Arctic ice is that it stores methane, a planet-warming gas that contributes to air pollution. When the ice thaws, methane is released into the atmosphere.
Melting ice can ultimately lead to extreme weather events like polar vortices and intense heat waves, per the WWF. The loss of sea ice also contributes to rising sea levels that put coastal communities at risk and disrupt our food systems.
While extreme weather events have always happened, experts have found that the human-induced climate crisis supercharges extreme weather events, making them more powerful and dangerous.
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Definitely 👍 What's being done to prevent extreme weather events?
Experts have issued warnings about severe weather events moving forward. While there have been technological developments to help predict certain disasters, the best way to prevent extreme weather events is to take action at home.
Many everyday human activities contribute to the warming of the planet. Adjusting behaviors that negatively impact the environment can help mitigate critical climate issues. That includes using less polluting methods of transportation and reducing energy consumption.
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