Arctic Has Lost Enough Ice to Cover Texas
Although this wasn't the worst winter on record for retention of Arctic sea ice, a report from NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center says that the region is now missing a Texas-sized chunk of the stuff that keeps polar bears alive and cities above sea level. More alarming, the ice that is there is younger, thinner and more fragile than in years past.
Although this wasn’t the worst winter on record for retention of Arctic sea ice, a report from NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center says that the region is now missing a Texas-sized chunk of the stuff that keeps polar bears alive and cities above sea level. More alarming, the ice that is there is younger, thinner and more fragile than in years past.
Your support is crucial…National Geographic:
This winter’s maximum Arctic sea ice extent was 5.85 million square miles (15,150,000 square kilometers)—about 278,000 square miles (720,000 square kilometers) less than the Arctic average between 1979 and 2000.
“That’s a loss about the size of the state of Texas,” said Walter Meier of the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado.
“We used to have a winter ice maximum about twice the size of the lower 48 United States,” Meier added.
With an uncertain future and a new administration casting doubt on press freedoms, the danger is clear: The truth is at risk.
Now is the time to give. Your tax-deductible support allows us to dig deeper, delivering fearless investigative reporting and analysis that exposes what’s really happening — without compromise.
Stand with our courageous journalists. Donate today to protect a free press, uphold democracy and unearth untold stories.
Environment
The phrase grabs people's attention, but some scientists argue it does more harm than good.
Environment
In the Canadian Arctic, two ambitious research initiatives try to strengthen climate data through community engagement.
As climate change accelerates and our biosphere begins to collapse, superpowers will jockey for access to the ice cap's natural resources.
The NOAA's annual report on the Arctic contains some terrifying findings. Here are just 5 of the most worrying ones.
There’s change afoot even where scientists least expect it.
Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, calls the Democratic bill "a sham," and says, "this is not a wilderness area."
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.