Photo: European Geosciences Union

A recent study conducted by the British scientists suggests that the amplified sea ice melt in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions will cause intense heatwaves and droughts in Europe within the next 5 years.

The Arctic ice loss constitutes a source of freshwater for the North Atlantic which will give rise to cold surface anomalies and storms in the subpolar region in winter and then heat waves in the subsequent summer.

In addition to the release of meltwater, the rapid melting of the ice cover leads to emerging new land areas on the map. Several islands in the Arctic region have already been "found" in this way.

Photo: Geospatial analytics

Last year, Russian scientists, using multi-temporal space imaging, reconstructed the chronology of the thawing of a new island in the northern part of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. Geographically, its outlines appeared back in 2020, but at that time there was an ice isthmus between the emerging island and Severny Island. Three years later, this strait got free from ice.

Source: EGU, Geospatial analytics

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