From the drastic melting of the arctic ice or the breaking of A76 iceberg from Antarctica, these growing events have resulted into many unprecedented events. However, there are certain aspects in which the melting of Arctic ice and glaciers of the Antarctic differs.
Melting of the Arctic Ice:
Arctic sea ice has declined at a rate of almost 13 per cent per decade in the last 30 years.
A. Impact:
1. Permafrost in the Arctic region stores large amounts of methane, which is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
2. The melting of the Arctic will open a new trading route, bypassing the Suez Canal.
3. The national economic interest may supersede the global conservation efforts of the Arctic.
4. Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) are becoming frequent.
5. The freshwater runoff into the ocean disrupts part of a major circulation system known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).
B. Melting of the Arctic Ice:
The Antarctic region has registered its highest-ever temperature. Although the reading was not part of a wider study, scientists warn it is enough to indicate how fast Antarctica is warming.
Impact:
1. It is triggering the movement of Earth's crust. Example: Recently the breaking of the Thwaites glacier is expected to cause a crustal shift.
2. It adds to rising sea levels, which in turn increases coastal erosion. Tuvalu Island, Cox Bazaar and the coast of Indonesia are few of the global examples.
3. Melting glaciers also elevates storm surge as warming air and ocean temperatures create more frequent and intense coastal storms like hurricanes and typhoons.
Melting sea ice is also likely to have global consequences and the effects are transboundary in nature. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that the only solution could be integrated international negotiations and frameworks.