vIndianz.com (28 Nov, 2009) — Arctic sea ice situation are even poorer than feared after an investigation discovered that ice detected as older and thicker by satellites is in reality thin and delicate, a well-known Canadian researcher reported Friday.
University of Manitoba researcher David Barber said experts about the world supposed the ice was recuperating because satellite images showed it getting bigger, but the thick, multiyear frozen sheets have been replaced by thin ice that cannot sustain the burden of a polar bear.
“Polar bears are being constrained to an undersized periphery of where this multiyear sea ice is. As we went more and more north, we saw less and less polar bears since this ice wasn’t even well-built enough for the polar bears to rest on,” said Barber, who returned from an journey to the Beaufort Sea in September.
Barber said permanent ice, which is generally up to 30 feet thick, was simply pierced by the research icebreaker he and his team were on. The decline has influential consequences for the North and its iconic mammal. Polar bears that rely on the permanent ice to stay alive the summer have fewer and fewer places of shelter, said Barber, who has been studying the Arctic ecosystem for 25 years.
Scientists too said Friday that shrinking Arctic sea ice might be forcing a few starving polar bears to cannibalize bear cubs. At least seven cases of adult male polar bears eating bear cubs have been spotted this year amongst the animals around Churchill, Manitoba, said Ian Stirling, a retired Environment Canada biologist who specializes in the Churchill bears.
The sea ice results, which are soon to be published in the peer-reviewed journal Geophysical Research Letters, come as an alarm to experts worldwide. Even though northern sea ice hit a record low in 2007, researchers believed it was improving because of what they were considering on satellite images. But the satellites the experts relied on were deceptive because the decayed ice looked strong on the surface and has a comparable surface temperature, Barber explained.
Barber said his team lastly reached what it thought was steady ice, only to watch a crack emerge just as researchers were preparing to move down onto the floe.
“As I watched, over the course of five minutes, the entire multiyear ice floe broke up into pieces. This floe was 10 miles across,” said Barber, who holds the Canada research chair in Arctic science at the University of Manitoba. The ice is not capable to resist mauling waves and storms because global warming is speedily melting it at a rate of 27,000 square miles each year, he said.
Multiyear sea ice used to cover up 90 percent of the Arctic basin, Barber said. It currently covers approximately 19 percent. Where it used to be up to 33 feet thick, it’s now 6 feet at most. The lack of sea ice may be good news to a few who desire to see the North opened to industry. Without thick ice jamming the way, ships can more effortlessly gain access to the Arctic’s natural resources.
Further Reading- Mystery over death of Knut the polar bear – The Australian
- Zoo accused of contributing to Knut’s death – Independent
- Bucs bringing Ronde Barber back for 15th season – USA Today
- Borden: Barber good for a few laughs – SNY.tv
- Friends, family pay respects to ex-Bear Duerson – Atlanta Journal Constitution
- NFL Today, Week 15 – SI.com
- Barber out against Colts; Brooking questionable – Washington Post
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- Patriots-Bears flexed to 4:15 pm kickoff – WEEI.com
- Chicago Bears will stay at Olivet Nazarene through 2012 – Chicago Sun-Times (blog)
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