Arctic landscape ice floes seal red faced drifts ocean sea. As arctic sea ice melts the. Arctic sea ice the vast sheath of frozen seawater floating on the arctic ocean and its neighboring seas has been hit with a double whammy over the past decades. In the 1980s satellite data showed that arctic sea ice extended on average across nearly 3 million square miles at the end of summer. With the arctic warming faster than any other region on earth floating sea ice in the region has been in decline.
Actually its a jostling mass of ice floes that propelled by winds and currents drift from one side of the arctic to the other in journeys lasting years. Drift ice also called brash ice is sea ice that is not attached to the shoreline or any other fixed object shoals grounded icebergs etc. For now though sea ice cover in their habitat and that of the ringed seals they prefer to eat hasnt decreased as dramatically as in other arctic regions. Depending on subspecies and condition adult size can range from 100 to 175 cm 395 to 69 in and weigh from 32 to 140 kg 71 to 309 lb.
See how arctic sea ice is losing its bulwark against warming summers by maria jose vinas. Of ice floes that propelled by winds and currents drift. As its extent shrank the oldest. Try planting yellow flower.
Its coat is dark with silver rings on the back and sides with a silver belly from which this seal gets its vernacular name. Surface texture and the layer of snow on top of the sea ice. The average area of arctic sea ice shrank at a rate of 57000. The ringed seal is the smallest and most common seal in the arctic with a small head short cat like snout and a plump body.
Thats good news for floe edge visitors whove travelled far for the chance to see one. Unlike fast ice which is fastened to a fixed object drift ice is carried along by winds and sea currents hence its namewhen drift ice is driven together into a large single mass 70 coverage it is called pack ice. Yellow flowers and orange flowers wanting to make your garden instantly brighter. Also because of the circular rotation of ice in the beaufort sea ice floes frequently bump into each other.