Shrinking H2o Ice Caps, Rise Seas

The National Snow as well as Ice Data Center has created a serial of interactive maps which visualize Satellite Observations of Arctic Change. The maps allow yous to run across how sea ice, snowfall embrace as well as frozen dry reason convey all been shrinking during the 21st Century. Other maps plot air temperature changes inwards the Arctic as well as the changes to Arctic vegetation.

Global warming is causing observable changes to ecological systems inwards the Arctic. Air temperatures inwards the Arctic are rising as well as sea H2O ice extent is declining. Even Arctic vegetation is changing amongst tundra beingness replaced past times shrubs.

Each of the NSIDC interactive maps uses NASA satellite information as well as inquiry to plot changes to the Arctic from 1979 to 2015. The maps allow yous to uncovering the information for each twelvemonth inwards this menses to uncovering how global warming has effected the ecological systems of the Arctic.


Mapbox has also released a map which allows yous to thought monthly Arctic sea H2O ice changes all the agency dorsum to 1976 (when consistent satellite measurements began). Mapping Arctic Sea Ice uses information from the National Snow as well as Ice Data Center to demonstrate the sea H2O ice embrace for whatever month.

If yous pick out a calendar month from the timeline yous tin plough over notice non alone thought the extent of the sea H2O ice coverage for that calendar month but also a business graph showing the total H2O ice surface area inwards km2 as well as the temperature anomaly inwards a higher house the norm over time. The graph shows a clear tendency of rising temperatures inwards the Arctic as well as a autumn inwards the surface area of sea H2O ice coverage.

The polar projection inwards the Arctic Sea Ice map was created amongst D3.js. You tin plough over notice easily practice your ain polar projection inwards Leaflet using Arctic Web Map,an Arctic specific spider web mapping tool, consisting of an Arctic-focused tile server. If yous desire to know how Mapbox created their polar projection so read the explanation below the map on the Mapbox blog.


MasterMaps has created some other impressive mapped visualization of the Arctic H2O ice cap. The Arctic Sea Ice map allows yous to compare the monthly sea H2O ice embrace inwards the Arctic for whatever calendar month since 2006.

If yous pick out a calendar month from the bottom timeline yous tin plough over notice so arrange the twelvemonth on the summit timeline to brand a at nowadays comparing of whatever calendar month for each twelvemonth from 2006 to 2015. Every fourth dimension yous arrange the timeline the Arctic run across H2O ice coverage is automatically updated on the map. This map was also created amongst attention from D3.js.


At the other goal of the the world Antarctica is also losing sea ice. Like almost everything else glacial nation H2O ice obeys the police line of gravity. Ice sheets thence current downhill. They usually practice this very, really slowly. Unfortunately nosotros don't alive inwards normal times.

Global warming has warmed the oceans. Warmer oceans convey undercut Antarctica's glaciers, causing them to current quicker as well as quicker. With over 60% of the world's freshwater locked inwards Antarctica's H2O ice this is a huge concern. If this H2O ice melts nosotros volition run across a global rising inwards sea score as well as coastal cities around the the world volition endure inwards danger of inundation.

The New York Times has created a serial of maps to attention explicate how global warming could Pb to the melting of Antarctica's H2O ice sheets as well as drive rising sea levels around the world. In Antarctic Dispatches glacier H2O ice current is beautifully illustrated inwards a serial of animated maps. The danger of global rising seas is explained inwards maps showing areas of Antarctica that convey lost 10 feet or to a greater extent than of H2O ice since 2010.

Part iii of Antarctic Dispatches uses a scrolling map to attention illustrate the amount of H2O locked upward inwards Antarctica's H2O ice sheets. The scale of the Ross Ice Shelf is illustrated past times overlaying the road of the New York marathon on summit of satellite imagery of the H2O ice shelf. The Ross Ice Shelf is huge!