Since the temperature of the N. and S. Poles is below freezing, how is the ice melting in global warming?

Answer 1

Because the temperatures of these areas is actually warming up- the term is, after all, GLOBAL warming! Also, the oceanic currents that travel there are getting warmer, too- so it's double trouble, the ice sheets are melting top and bottom. Not good. :(

Answer 2

The south pole is well below freezing and the ice here never melts, it will take an incredible amount of global warming before it begins to melt.

The melting that's occuring is primarily around the edges of Antarctica, this is happening because the sea water is warming up and so melting the ice it comes into contact with, the sea level is also rising slightly so it makes contact with more of the ice (Antactica isn't floating so rising sea levels sumberge the periphery of the continent) and the air temperature is rising.

Although the north pole is cold, it has warmed sufficiently in recent years so that tempoeratures there can now reach 5°C (41°F) and last year enough of the ice melted for someone to actually swim at the north pole. Here's a news report and video about it from the BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6899612.stm

As with Antarctica, most of the melting in the Arctic occurs around the edges. Last year a record amount of ice melted and for the first time ever it was possible to navigate around the northern coast of Canada - it had only ever been done in the past by ice breakers and specially designed ships that took several years because they kept getting locked in the ice.

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I'm sure you're intelligent enough to realise this but the above answer is... erm, questionable to put it politely. There's no less then ten errors into, pretty impressive for such a short answer.

Answer 3

Ice at the North Pole is subjected directly to sea-water, so it doesn't necessarily take air temperatures above freezing to melt the ice. Sea currents warm the ice from below and melt it.

The ice in Antarctica is NOT melting right now, as far as we can tell, and there is actually some evidence of ice-mass increase.

Answer 4

All of the oil spills and other toxic chemicals that humans dump into the oceans is causing the ocean itself to warm up. This increase in temperature has caused the undersea currents to be redirected because of convection. The warmer currents flow under the poles causing the ice to melt. Though the temperatures at both poles are below freezing convection also occurs with the wind in combination with sunlight to melt the ice on the surface. Since humans are also polluting the atmosphere the surface convection is more intense. Global warming a scam? Think again!!

Answer 5

The arctic seas have become ice loose in the summertime and are expected to be thoroughly ice loose by way of 2030 wich skill the North pole temperature would be above freezing in the summertime months. The ice caps on land will take longer to soften yet melting they're. The UN panel on climate substitute has merely released a sparkling report warning of irreversible harm from surprising consequences of international warming. I propose you study it.

Answer 6

The temperature difference between liquid water and ice is 1 degree. Once the temperature rises to a level above freezing there is a whole lot of ice being thawed.

The facts of global warming is that average tempeatures world wide are raising several degrees.

It does not take a lot of warming to cause a catastrophe.

Answer 7

The ice is always melting and refreezing on both poles. That's just part of nature. The facts are easy to check on.

At the moment the South pole is increasing in ice mass while the North pole is decreasing.

The earth is in a warming period right now and has been for about 20 years. Before that it was in a cooling period that lasted about 40 years. No one knows how long these periods will last, but the warming periods are better for the planet, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Answer 8

It's not below freezing in most of the Arctic during summer days.

Suppose the average temperature of the Arctic is 30F. During the summer it's above freezing and some ice melts. During the winter some water freezes and ice forms. Over years that will cause a certain amount of ice to exist, on average.

Now raise the average temperature to 31F. In summer more ice melts. In winter, less water freezes. So the average amount of ice decreases.

Which is exactly what's happening:

"Arctic ice shrinks to record low"

http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/climate-change/dn12724-arctic-ice-shrinks-to-record-low.html

Answer 9

It can't all be below freezing, the ocean is still water. And dont confuse temperature with energy; it takes 80X more energy to melt ice without changing temperature than to raise it one degree C (Latent Heat of Fusion).

Answer 10

watching the movie "the inconvieniant truth" may help but the sun rays bounce off the snow but the heat cant escape so the snow melts and there is less and lees snow to reflect the rays.
Hope this helped!