A new study co-authored by Jay Zarnetske, a Michigan State University hydrologist, shows that ice deposits in Arctic rivers are melting faster each passing year.
According to Zarnetske’s study, the ice deposits that form along Arctic rivers melt almost a month sooner than they did 15 years ago.
Normally, these deposits grow throughout the winter and will pack the river valleys with ice. The massive ice formations grow to be nearly 33 feet thick and can spread over 4 square miles.
In the past 15 years, Artic river ice deposits have melted around mid-July. Zarnetske’s study shows most ice deposits disappearing 26 days earlier in 2015 than they did in 2000—lasting only until mid-June.
"This is another ‘canary in the coal mine’ signal that we can see from space about how the Arctic is rapidly responding to global warming.” Zarnetske told MSU Today.
If this trend progresses, it could have serious implications for Arctic river ecosystems.
River icings are common all over the Arctic region and create wide channels that provide habitats for animals and fish. When the ice melts in the summer it prevents rivers from drying out. This maintains other freshwater habitats for fish and other animals.
The study detected 147 river icings. 84 of these icings are becoming smaller or disappearing earlier in the season. The rest have not changed over the years. However, none of the river icings grew or remained frozen later in the season.