A Norwegian scientist claims: there is also a blessing in the process of warming the earth and melting the ice caps at the poles
While many experts agree that the world is facing a general warming that could destroy many coastal countries, a Norwegian professor of geophysics and climate science sees a new phenomenon. He claims that the increase in the surface area of the world's large bodies of water due to the melting of the ice at the poles may actually reduce the greenhouse effect that causes global warming.
If Prof. Ole Johansson's prediction is confirmed, it is about finding another mechanism that will bring about the regulation of heat in our world.
Recently, much evidence has accumulated regarding the gradual warming process that the earth is going through. In particular, there are changes in the condition of the ice and glaciers in different places. The snows of Kilimanjaro - the high volcano on the equator in Kenya - are disappearing. The huge areas of ice adjacent to the Antarctic continent near the South Pole break into icebergs that sail in the sea. In the Arctic region, near the North Pole, the ice sheet above the sea - until now only nuclear submarines have sailed in its depths - shrinks by 3% every decade.
There are also signs of an increase in the average temperature of the earth - and it is easier to notice them precisely in the cold areas, close to the poles. The warming of the earth occurs as a result of human activities. The biggest influencer is the emission into the atmosphere of gases, which create the greenhouse effect - such as carbon dioxide, methane, and more. The emission of the industrial particles also has an effect on the temperature, because of the change they cause in the heat emission capacity of the earth.
All these factors together raise the average temperature. Meteorological models predict that as a result, the temperature of the Arctic region will rise by three to four degrees in the next fifty years. The result: the average area covered by ice in the Arctic region will decrease. Today, this area changes from 15 million square kilometers at the end of winter (in March) to 5 million square kilometers at the end of summer (September).
A comparison between maps and satellite images of ice covers in the Arctic region showed that there is a constant trend of decreasing the dimensions of the ice caps. Between 1978 and 1997 the rate of gradual reduction was 6% per year, on average. Arctic ice is also getting thinner.
Sonar measurements made by submarines from 1958 to the 90s showed that the average thickness of the ice caps decreased from 3.1 meters to 1.8 The researchers claim that the reduction in the thickness of the arctic ice layer will - if it continues for a few more decades - result in a situation where during the summer, the arctic region will, in fact, be free of ice. From here, 4 scenarios may materialize:
- There will be a change in the Earth's ability to reflect radiation - and this will affect the entire climate.
- Reducing the amount of Arctic ice will cause a reduction in the amount of plankton in the North Atlantic Ocean, due to large amounts of fresh water that will come from the melting of the ice.
- It's also possible that ocean currents, like the Gulf Stream, will change your course.
- Exposure of an area covered in water can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide, due to its dissolution in the water.
First estimates show the possibility of an absorption greater than 30-15% of the current rate of absorption of all ocean water, something that will reduce the greenhouse effect itself. If so, the melting of the Arctic ice cap may also bring a blessing—not just a curse.
