Canada’s last intact ice shelf collapses due to record temperatures
#GS3 #Environment #ClimateChange #GS1 #Geography
High temperatures in the Canadian Arctic led to the collapse of the country’s last intact ice shelf recently.
- The Milne Ice Shelf, a 4,000 years old shelf is a fragment of the former Ellesmere Ice Shelf, located in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada.
- It is the second-largest ice shelf in the Arctic Ocean.
- The ice shelf had an area of about 290 square km (110 sq miles), in 1986. In 2020, its size was around 187 sq kilometers.
- At the end of July this year, around 43% of the sheet collapsed within 2 days period and swept into the Arctic Ocean.
Very warm Arctic region
- The Arctic region is warming up much faster than the rest of the world as strong Arctic heatwaves are impacting the region.
- It was very hot in July across the Arctic and Siberia.
- In our discussion a few weeks ago, we have attached the analysis of sea ice concentration change over the Arctic Ocean.
- Notice how significant is the sea ice decreasing on the Arctic Ocean side of Ellesmere Island.
