Recent research has revealed that heat transported from the Pacific Ocean to the Canada Basin in the Arctic Ocean has increased by 1.5 times over the past 20 years, contributing to the melting of Arctic ice.
Research conducted by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) has indicated a significant increase in heat transported from the Pacific Ocean to the Canada Basin in the Arctic Ocean, which has risen by 1.5 times in the last two decades. This influx of warm seawater is thought to be influencing the melting of sea ice in the Arctic, particularly on the Pacific side, where climate change has led to considerable reductions in ice cover.
Since 2000, researchers have been monitoring sea temperature and flow rates at the sea floor along the pathway from the Pacific Ocean to the Canada Basin. Their findings highlight a disturbing trend where warmer waters not only melt existing ice but also potentially delay the freeze-over of new ice, creating a feedback loop that can exacerbate climate change impacts in the region.
The severity of the situation is underscored by the fact that the heat transport has the capacity to melt an area of ice equivalent to twice the size of Japan, signaling a growing threat to the Arctic ecosystem. The results point towards urgent implications for global climate patterns and the necessity for continued research and policy action to address climate change.
