Trends in Arctic Sea Ice
What happens when the cycle of ice melt continues? Since the late 1970s, NASA has used satellites to monitor the sea ice in the Arctic. This data tells us how much of the ocean is covered by at least some ice. Sea ice grows during the winter and melts during the summer. The area covered by sea ice therefore grows in size and shrinks each year. Sea ice maximum is when the sea ice covers its largest area of the year; in the Arctic, sea ice usually reaches this point in March. Sea ice minimum is when the sea ice is at its smallest area; in the Arctic, this usually occurs in September.
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Watch the video to see how much the sea ice minimum area has changed in the Arctic from 1979 to 2018. Note that the video shows only the September minimum for each year, not full seasonal cycles.
Take Notes
1. Based on the data in the video and what you have learned about albedo, describe in your own words how Arctic sea ice has been changing over time.
2. Make a claim about how the temperature of the ocean might be affected if this trend continues.
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