The Melting of Polar Ice Caps
What are polar ice caps and how are they affected by the climate crisis? Ibra takes a brief look at these geographical markers and potential solutions to slow their rate of melting.
Illustration by Ellie McDonald.
One of the many lethal outcomes of global warming is the melting of polar ice caps in the extreme southern and northern regions of the Earth. An ice sheet is a mass of chilly land ice expanding on an area of 50,000 square kilometers (20,000 square miles). The two ice sheets on Earth today cover a large portion of Greenland and Antarctica. During the last ice age, ice sheets likewise covered a lot of North America and Scandinavia.
Ice caps are floating white sheets that act as a protective layer for the Earth’s crust and water bodies. They play a vital role in maintaining a moderate temperature of the Earth by reflecting excessive heat from the sun. This is one of the contributing factors that explain why the poles of the Earth are significantly colder. Melting glaciers around the world are poignant scientific proofs that demonstrate the dangerous effects of climate change. Due to the increased melting of ice caps, the rate of glacial flow has accelerated, leading to icebergs breaking off into the ocean. The melting of ice caps indicates the lurking warning of climate change as temperatures rise at an alarming rate. An article by National Geographic writes, “Things that normally happen in geologic time are happening during the span of a human lifetime. It's like watching the Statue of Liberty melt.”
Furthermore, melting ice sheets that contribute to rising sea levels have led to coastal erosion and elevated chances of hurricanes and typhoons. Coastal communities face massive loss as a result of this. Islands like the Maldives are the most vulnerable to this outcome as their entire civilization could drown in the depths of sea water. Aside from this, rising sea levels can hinder the growth of crops and make it harder to obtain drinking water. There are endless outcomes to this, which indicate the gravity of the continuously melting ice caps.
Exploring the solutions to reduce excessive melting of polar ice caps, scientists have simulated the effect of adding artificial snow to the glaciers to stop the melt. They would reflect sunlight to keep the planet cool while simultaneously acting as a protection for ice sheets from melting. A team of scientists proposed an innovative solution. They explained that the ice could be protected by using a safe material to do its job as a replacement. They introduced the idea of using hollow glass beads carved out of silica spread across ice caps. They will prevent heat from reaching the ice so it would not melt and act as reflective surfaces to bounce back excessive heat from the sun.
If we look at the possibility of all the ice caps melting in the near future, the geography of the Earth would be dramatically altered. Continents would reshape and countries surrounded by water may face the fate of drowning. Change is everywhere. We need to accept the change by implementing solutions so it does not meddle with the natural system of the Earth and continue to keep the Earth a habitable place.
Ibra Aamir
Ibra is an o-levels student based in Lahore, Pakistan. Having a great passion for books and words, she works as a writer and editor for various magazines. Ibra has authored many articles on feminism and South-Asian culture and acknowledges the power of words, which has motivated her to pen articles on topics not widely discussed in our society. While working with Bloom in Doom, she aspires to become a well-known writer.