How would underwater waves impact sea ice in the Arctic?
Waves in the Arctic Ocean are massive, so big that they can be up to 160 kilometres long (much bigger than in lakes). These waves can be caused by storms and wind. They are also caused by ice bergs and blocks of lake and river ice breaking and flipping over. However, it is the underwater waves that may do the most damage to sea ice. Scientists believe that underwater waves can seriously impact the rate of sea ice melt in the Arctic. The reason is that the underwater waves pull warmer waters from the depths of the ocean up to the surface. The warmer waters pose a significant threat to sea ice melt which will have serious impacts for the wildlife, humans and environment that depend on it. For example, ice reflects heat from sunlight back into the atmosphere in order to regulate Earth's temperatures. If the ice melts, more sunlight will be absorbed into Earth's surface causing our atmospheric, land and water temperatures to increase. Thus causing even more sea (and lake) ice to melt – continuing the vicious cycle.