Author: Derek Yang
Editors: Sophia Chen, Kayla Otoo
Artist: Sherry Zhang
How would you feel if you woke up to your city slowly disappearing beneath the waves? This is the alarming reality for Jakarta, Indonesia. Due to rising sea levels, about 40% of Jakarta is already underwater, with experts predicting it will be fully submerged by 2050. The dire situation has forced the Indonesian government to relocate its capital to a more sustainable location, at the cost of $35 billion and the displacement of nearly 175,000 people. Circumstances like this are caused by glacier melting, a growing environmental concern caused by global warming and climate change, and the rise in sea levels previously depicted with “albedo” playing a major role. But why is the Arctic, with its vast ice sheets, such a significant player in climate change? Despite ice being white and smooth, which might suggest it is a poor absorber of heat, the Arctic is still one of the fastest-warming continents alongside Europe.
This is due to albedo—the fraction of light that a surface reflects. Albedo helps to keep the planet cooler by reflecting sunlight into space. High-albedo surfaces like ice and snow reflect a large amount of sunlight because of their light-colored appearance. However, as the earth warms up and more glacier ice melts, more of the Arctic’s darker-colored surfaces are exposed (ocean water or land). As a result, the Arctic absorbs more heat, leading to further warming and accelerated glacier ice melt. This process, known as the albedo feedback effect, significantly intensifies global warming and drives Arctic amplification—a phenomenon where the Arctic warms at a much faster rate than other parts of the world, almost triple the global rate, according to research.
The accelerated warming driven by Arctic amplification not only impacts the region itself but also disrupts the balance of global ecosystems. For instance, the melting ice causes freshwater to be combined with saltwater, decreasing salinity and temperature in the Arctic Ocean. These changes can disrupt marine ecosystems by altering habitats for species that depend on stable ice and water conditions to survive, such as polar bears, seals, and various fish. They also displace species that rely on shallow waters for breeding and feeding, leading to habitat loss, reduced biodiversity, and weakened natural barriers that protect coastlines from storms and erosion.
In addition, freshwater is less dense than saltwater, which leads to separation in the ocean waters. Due to the density differences, freshwater can’t sink and flow through the deep ocean, slowing the ocean currents. Slower ocean currents can affect regional weather patterns, such as rainfall and reduced heat exchange, causing warm areas to get warmer and cool areas to get cooler. This shift contributes to more extreme weather conditions, including intense storms, severe heat waves, and harsher cold spells, affecting the global climate balance. This imbalance contributes to extreme weather conditions, including stronger hurricanes in the Atlantic and severe droughts in regions like the Sahel in Africa, disrupting the global climate balance.
To combat the impacts of albedo and Arctic amplification, reducing greenhouse gas emissions is crucial. This can be achieved by transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar and wind, improving energy efficiency, and adopting sustainable transportation. Protecting Arctic ecosystems by limiting industrial activities such as oil drilling and shipping in vulnerable areas can help preserve habitats. Emerging geoengineering solutions, like enhancing surface reflectivity, are being explored but require further research. Supporting international climate agreements like the Paris Agreement and advocating for stronger climate policies are key steps toward reducing global warming. Finally, raising awareness and promoting sustainable lifestyle changes, such as reducing energy use and supporting reforestation, can collectively help mitigate Arctic amplification and its global impacts.
Citations:
Education, UCAR Center for Science. “Center for Science Education.” How Melting Arctic Ice
Affects Ocean Currents | Center for Science Education, UCAR, 2019,
scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/climate-change-impacts/melting-arctic-sea-ice-and-ocean-
Previdi, Michael. “IOPscience.” Environmental Research Letters, IOP Publishing, 2 Sept. 2021,
Zheng, Jianqiu. “Contribution of Sea Ice Albedo and Insulation Effects to Arctic
Amplification in the EC-Earth Pliocene Simulation.” Climate of the Past, Copernicus
GmbH, 13 Feb. 2019, cp.copernicus.org/articles/15/291/2019/.
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