stock image Sag River emptying into Prudhoe Bay, Beaufort Sea
Increased heat from Arctic rivers is melting sea ice in the Arctic Ocean and warming the atmosphere. These rivers contribute significantly more heat than they did in 1980. It’s responsible for up to 10% of the total sea ice loss that occurred from 1980 to 2015 over the shelf region of the Arctic Ocean. The warming water dumps into the ice-covered Arctic Ocean and spreads below the ice, decaying it. Once the ice melts, the warm water begins heating the atmosphere.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201107133922.htm