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Greenland's northern seas have long been known as "the last ice area." The ice here is so ancient and dense that researchers believed it would be the final ice shelf to withstand climate change in the region. However, a new development is now disputing that belief: According to The Guardian, the most resilient sea ice in the Arctic has begun to disintegrate for the first time in recorded history.
The ice above Greenland's coast has maintained its strength, largely due to the Transpolar Drift Stream. This current transports ice from Siberia, which accumulates along Greenland's shoreline, compacting to form a resilient ice pack over 13 feet thick, with ridges that can exceed 65 feet. It has stayed intact since scientists began tracking it with satellites in the 1970s. However, an exceptionally warm and windy year has caused its integrity to falter.
The disintegration of the sea ice has been recorded twice this year—once in February and again in August—during temperature surges that exceeded the region’s typical averages. The heatwaves weakened the ice and detached it from the coast, while warm winds drove it further offshore, creating an area of open water larger than anything previously seen in the Arctic. While temperatures will eventually cool, closing the gap, this won't undo the damage. The ice has already been displaced to a location where it will melt more easily during future warm spells.
With less permanent sea ice, polar bears will face diminished hunting grounds for marine mammals, their primary food source. New openings in the ice could also set off a feedback loop: While white ice reflects the Sun's heat, the darker ocean absorbs it, raising temperatures and accelerating the ice's melt, creating a dangerous cycle. Arctic ice cover at both poles has been rapidly diminishing in recent decades, with the Larsen C ice shelf breaking off from Antarctica last summer and creating an iceberg the size of Delaware. Scientists predict that, within the next 10 to 30 years, there will be no summer ice left in the Arctic Ocean.
