This comes as the planet and the sea continue to warm at an alarming and unexpected rate, with ocean temperatures rising roughly four times faster than in the early 1980s, according to scientists at the University of Reading.
One key benefit of our polar ice caps is that the bright polar sea ice reflects much of the Sun's energy back into space, helping to keep our planet cool. However, as the ice rescinds, the dark ocean below absorbs more heat, melting the nearby ice faster. According to a study published last year, this effect has caused the polar ice caps to lose approximately 14 percent of their natural cooling effect since the early 1980s.
Although the reason is unknown, this could perhaps in part contribute to the phenomenon known as ‘Arctic amplification’ in which the Arctic warms nearly four times faster than the global average.
Combining this phenomenon with the effects of rising air and wind temperatures on the ice caps raises grave concerns. Experts from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have even stated that the Arctic is expected to be essentially ice-free at least once before 2050.
The Arctic is important for mitigating the climate crisis. It is home to 5,500 separate species of animals, and new evidence shows that it can help mitigate the frequency and severity of atmospheric storms.
"A thinner ice cover is more responsive to weather [… so] weather events can have a stronger impact than they used to," said Julienne Stroeve, professor of polar observation and modelling at University College London.
However, conditions can change quickly at the poles. With the recent start of the La Niña weather phenomenon which brings cooler temperatures in the central-eastern Pacific, stronger winds, and widespread changes in global weather patterns, the future of the sea-ice levels in 2025 is largely unpredictable.
As ice levels continue to decline, the devastating effect on both the animal kingdom and us will be anything but unpredictable.