sea ice
Arctic surface layer
Sea ice is frozen seawater, as opposed to icebergs and glaciers, which form from freshwater on land.
It covers vast areas of polar oceans, expanding in winter and retreating in summer.
Sea ice thickness and extent are key indicators of climate change: Arctic sea ice has declined dramatically over the past four decades.
Drifting sea ice
- leadDense metal, symbol Pb
- pressure ridgeBuckled ice formation
- hummockLow earthen mound
- tabularOrganized in grid format
Earth's northernmost zone
- AntarcticSouthern polar region
- North PoleEarth's northern axis point
- South PoleSouthernmost point on Earth
- tundraFrigid treeless biome
permafrost · Aurora Borealis · midnight sun · polar night · Svalbard · Greenland · Nunavut · Arctic Ocean
Large white arctic mammal
- sealAuthentication stamp or mark
- walrusTusked Arctic marine mammal
- krillSmall marine crustaceans
- phytoplanktonPhotosynthetic aquatic drifters
algae · narwhal · beluga · icefish · food web · haul-out · zooplankton
Sudden complete stoppage
- congelationTransition to solid state
- crystalsSolids with ordered structure
- freezingExtremely cold
- solidificationTransition to firm state
Tension-easing social activity
- Northwest PassageArctic shipping channel
- shipping laneDesignated ocean travel path
- maritimeOf the sea
- expeditionOrganized exploratory journey
Rising planetary temperatures
- meltingSolid-to-liquid transition
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
- feedback loopsSelf-modifying response cycles
- temperature riseIncrease in heat level
greenhouse gases · CO2 emissions · ocean warming · carbon cycle · climatology · anthropogenic · Paris Agreement · tipping point
floe
Drifting sea ice
- leadDense metal, symbol Pb
- pressure ridgeBuckled ice formation
- hummockLow earthen mound
Arctic
Earth's northernmost zone
- AntarcticSouthern polar region
- North PoleEarth's northern axis point
- South PoleSouthernmost point on Earth
tundra · permafrost · Aurora Borealis · midnight sun · polar night · Svalbard · Greenland · Nunavut · Arctic Ocean · Arctic Circle
polar bear
Large white arctic mammal
phytoplankton · algae · narwhal · beluga · icefish · food web · haul-out · zooplankton
freeze-up
Sudden complete stoppage
- congelationTransition to solid state
- crystalsSolids with ordered structure
- freezingExtremely cold
icebreaker
Tension-easing social activity
- Northwest PassageArctic shipping channel
- shipping laneDesignated ocean travel path
- maritimeOf the sea
expedition · vessel · convoy · lead · transit · hull · beset
global warming
Rising planetary temperatures
- meltingSolid-to-liquid transition
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
- feedback loopsSelf-modifying response cycles
temperature rise · greenhouse gases · CO2 emissions · ocean warming · carbon cycle · climatology · anthropogenic · Paris Agreement · tipping point · thermal expansion
- AntarcticaSouth Pole, Amundsen, Scott, penguins, glaciology
- glaciersglacier, crevasse, moraine, firn, cirque
- arctic special regionsArctic Circle, North Pole, Arctic Ocean, Greenland, Svalbard
- Canadian ArcticNunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Baffin Island, Yellowknife
- Polar Ecologypolar bears, permafrost thaw, glacier retreat, calving, thawing
- sea phenomenawaves, tides, currents, storm surges, rogue waves
sea iceopen water
Unobstructed body navigable freely
seawater · open ocean · ocean · liquid water · open sea