Polar Ice Caps
Ice is melting at the poles. Impacts will be global. Ice shelves are massive, floating platforms of ice that surround the ice-covered continents of Antarctica and Greenland. When they melt, sea level isn't directly affected because this ice is already in the ocean. But scientists have learned that floating ice shelves act as dams to glaciers, which are flowing rivers of ice. After the Larsen B Antarctic ice shelf broke up in 2002, glaciers behind the shelf began flowing into the sea much more quickly. Movement of ice from land into the ocean makes sea level rise globally. Why are glaciers important? Ice acts like a protective cover over the Earth and our oceans. These bright white spots reflect excess heat back into space and keep the planet cooler. In theory, the Arctic remains colder than the equator because more of the heat from the sun is reflected off the ice, back into space. Glaciers around the world can range from ice that is several hundred to several thousand years old an...
