The data for these indicators are compiled by the Canadian Ice Service and grouped into time series by the Climate Research Division to ensure comparability. Multi-year sea ice contains less salt and is usually thicker than first-year sea ice. Care should be taken when using these indicators as proxies of the actual sea ice area change in specific locations. This map combines the latest ice information available from Canadian Ice Service charts. Today, the Arctic is warming twice as fast as anywhere on earth, and the sea ice there is declining by more than 10% every 10 years. The Trudeau government has bowed to years of persuasion by Inuit and has declared a marine protected area in the Far North. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2013) Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. The weekly sea ice charts are compiled into time series by the Climate Research Division for each region and sub-region. For the Canadian Arctic domain, the summer season is defined as the period from June 25 to October 15. Multi-year sea ice corresponds to ice that has survived at least one summer's melt. This 9” x 27.5” stair size mat melts snow or ice anywhere you place it at temperatures -15 or above. Warren F.J. and Lemmen, D.S., editors (2014) Canada in a Changing Climate: Sector Perspectives on Impacts and Adaptation (PDF; 5.5 MB). Our It turns out that a bit of melting helps support larger populations of seals, which are the bears’ main food supply. The Snow cover indicators provide information on spring snow cover extent and annual snow cover duration in Canada. As sea ice area declines due to warming temperatures, darker ocean surfaces are exposed that can absorb more sunlight and in turn cause more warming and sea ice melting. The last fully intact ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic has collapsed, losing more than 40% of its area in just two days at the end of July, researchers said on Thursday. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Sea ice affects marine transportation, commercial fishing, offshore resource development, the hunting and fishing patterns of Indigenous people, and tourism and recreation. Polar bears in two Nunavut regions have been getting fatter since the 1990s, partially because of melting sea ice, according to reports published by the Government of Nunavut earlier this year. ... 10% of the world's landmass is occupied by glaciers, with most in areas like Antarctica, Greenland, and Northern Canada. James and C.S.L. The indicators are calculated using data for the summer sea ice season for the years 1968 to 2018. Five (5) sub-regions make up the Canadian Arctic domain (Kane Basin, Foxe Basin, Baffin Bay, the Beaufort Sea and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago) and 4 sub-regions comprise the Hudson Bay domain (Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Davis Strait and the Northern Labrador Sea). Environmental conservation and protection, Manual of Standard Procedures for Observing and Reporting Ice Conditions, Consequences of change and variability in sea ice on marine ecosystem and biogeochemical processes during the 2007-2008 Canadian International Polar Year program, Variability and change in the Canadian cryosphere, Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. For enquiries, contact us. Multi-year sea ice area in Canadian Arctic sub-regions, 1968 to 2018. Though there are efforts being made to stymie the gradual melting of these large ice bodies, it remains unclear if what is being done will be enough. Great Lakes We have been Canada's premiere industrial supplier for over 125 years with superior service and quality. The Northwest Passage is covered by floating or land-fast sea ice Footnote 3 for most of the year, making it a navigation obstacle for ice-breaking ships and a safety hazard for non-ice strengthened ships. Reduced sea ice is increasing opportunities for shipping, tourism, resource exploration and industrial activities in the North. The data incorporate information from many different sources such as satellite data, surface observations, airborne and ship reports, and model results, along with the expertise of experienced ice forecasters. Howell S, Derksen C, Pizzolato L and Brady M (2015) Multiyear ice replenishment in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago: 1997-2013. Average sea ice and multi-year sea ice area, Canada's Northwest Passage, 1968 to 2018. Historically, sea ice charts have been generated to support the shipping season, which is highest during the summer. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (PDF; 13.9 MB). Retrieved on January 20, 2019. The plan to save Canada's rapidly-melting Arctic ice. In absolute terms, the largest sea ice area loss over the 1968 to 2018 period was found in the Beaufort Sea sub-region, where about 187 000 km2 of sea ice area was lost. Meteor. melting ice videos and latest news articles; GlobalNews.ca your source for the latest news on melting ice . For multi-year sea ice, a decreasing trend of 6.7% per decade was detected for the northern route, while a decreasing trend of 10.0% was detected for the southern route. Sea ice is an indicator of how the climate is changing. The Arctic region is very sensitive to climate change because of feedback involving sea ice that influences the reflectivity of the Earth's surface. Retrieved on December 10, 2018. Several new studies released in recent weeks paint a dire picture of the ongoing melting of Earth's freshwater ice sheets and glaciers, 99% of which are found in Greenland and Antarctica. Note: Sea ice is measured during the summer season. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 120(3):1623-1637.Retrieved on December 10, 2018. The summer season is defined as the period from June 19 to November 19 for the Hudson Bay domain and from June 25 to October 15 for the Canadian Arctic domain. Sea ice is a prominent feature in the Northern Canadian Waters.Footnote 1 It consists of ice that grows and melts each year (refered to as first-year ice) and ice that remains present all-year round (refered to as multi-year ice). In the Northern Canadian Waters, the area covered by sea ice, measured during the summer season,  varies by sub-region. Retrieved on December 10, 2018. 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