International polar research initiatives made within the frames of the International Polar Year (IPY), have given researchers the possibility to document a lot of assumptions on climate change. Norwegian oceanographer Cecilie Mauritzen from the Norwegian Institute of Meteorology says that it now is finally proven that human activity has had an impact on the melting sea ice of the polar region.
− In one of the largest international research projects ever, we have been able to document alarming changes in the polar areas. The human made changes in the atmosphere due to large emissions of CO2 have dramatic impact on polar climate. Previous estimates of the changes in the Polar Regions done by researchers have proven to be wrong. The enormous sea ice melting over the two last years should stand as an alarm sign for politicians and decisions makers all over the world, Cecilie Mauritzen says to NRK.
Mauritzen wants more focus on ice thickness, since its thickness is very decisive for climate changes. Thinner sea ice results in higher temperatures in the atmosphere because the ocean gives off more heat. 2007 became a record year when it comes to melting sea ice because of two factors. Strong winds which moved the ice in one dominant direction, together with high summer temperature.
