Ponds can predict extent of Arctic ice melt.
According to a recent research, the quantity of water in ponds that accumulates on top of icebergs at the time of spring warming can assist to forecast how much the Arctic ice will melt during the summer.
The scientists have anticipated that the extent of minimum Arctic ice this September will be around 5.4 million sq km, which is similar to what it was last year. The scientists concluded it on the basis of observing the melt-pond region in spring, as they discovered a strong association between the spring pond fraction and sea ice extent in September.
According to the researchers, this has connection with the albedo, which is the reflective power of ice. The scientists found in the month of April that the maximum extent of sea ice in the Arctic was reducing, with the melting season continuing five more days.
The study says existence of more ponds decrease the albedo and a lesser albedo results in more melting and more melting increases pond fraction. The findings help elucidate the acceleration of Arctic sea-ice reduction that took place during the past decade.
Another research published in February indicated that the loss of ice shows that a smaller amount of sun heat was being reflected back into the atmosphere, which was increasing global warming.
2 Degrees Centigrade 