Sea Ice in the Arctic

Pieces of pancake ice float in the sea. The ice is made of young ice shaped by the swell in the sea which pushes the ice around and makes the pieces collide, rounding the pancake shapes. A thin ridge of ice, washed onto the pancakes forms around their perimeter. Greenpeace is in the Arctic, with a team of scientists researching the effects of climate change on fast depleting sea ice.

Unique identifier: GP01UNS

Type: Image

Shoot date: 17/09/2009

Locations: Fram Strait

Credit line: © Nick Cobbing / Greenpeace

Ranking: ★★★★★★ (B)

Containers

Shoot:

Sea Ice Research in the Arctic

In summer 2009, the MY Arctic Sunrise sails to the Arctic to document the dire effects climate change has on one of the most fragile environments in the world. Independent scientists use the ship, helicopter, boats and assistance of the crew, to collect data and research the impacts of climate change. During this third section of the three-part tour, the ship travels to Fram Strait and seas to the east of Greenland and north-west of the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard to research the effects of climate change on fast depleting sea ice. That year (2009) the summer sea ice minimum was reported to be the third lowest on record. The depletion of Arctic sea ice has serious implications for many reasons. Loss of sea ice creates a positive feedback effect, when the darker ocean surface is exposed it absorbs more heat, melting the surrounding ice further. The loss of ice also threatens vulnerable species likes polar bears who depend on multi year ice to hunt for seals; their primary food source.

Related Collections:

Best of Arctic Impacts Expedition

Conceptually similar