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North Pole Now Has A Lake

North Pole Now Has A Lake

Posted by Snow Addicted
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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

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Santa floo ded out? Researchers release shocking new images of a lake that has fo rmed at the once-fro zen North Pole.

This image (above) do esn't scare you about the effects of glo bal warming, yo u must have icewater in your veins. Yes, that's the North Pole. It's now a lake. The pho to is part of a time lapse recently released by the North Pole Environmental Observato ry, a research group funded by the Natio nal Science Foundatio n that has been mo nito ring the state o f Arctic sea ice since 2000. The shallow lake began forming on July 13 after an especially warm month, w hich saw temperatures rise 1-3 degrees C elsius o ver the average, reports The Atlantic.

www.snowaddiction.org/2013/12/north-pole-now-has-lake.html

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1/15/14

North Pole Now Has A Lake

The North Po le has not co mpletely melted away; there is still a layer o f ice betw een the lake and the Arctic Ocean underneath. But that layer is thinning, and the new ly fo rmed lake is continuing to deepen. It's a dramatic reminder that climate change is real and that the Arctic is being radically transformed. In fact, the lake we might as well call it Lake No rth Po le is no w an annual o ccurrence. A po ol of meltw ater has fo rmed at the North Pole every year no w since 2002. The mythical home of Santa Claus has been officially floo ded out. Arctic ice has been retreating dramatically in recent years, opening up the fabled Northwest Passage, which can now be successfully navigated in the summer months. While that marks a bo on for shipping traffic and oil and gas explo ration, it's bad news for the environment. Animals that rely on sea ice, such as the polar bear, are left with a shrinking habitat. The ice cap is also important fo r the regulation of the global climate. It influences o cean currents, insulates the air, and acts as a giant reflector for sunlight that hits the Earth. As the cap melts, global warming is projected to accelerate.

www.snowaddiction.org/2013/12/north-pole-now-has-lake.html

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