Polaarjää

Polaarjää refers to ice found in Earth's polar regions, primarily the Arctic and Antarctic. This encompasses various forms of frozen water, including ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, sea ice, and icebergs. Polar ice plays a crucial role in regulating global climate by reflecting solar radiation back into space, a phenomenon known as the albedo effect. Its presence significantly influences ocean currents and atmospheric circulation patterns.

The Antarctic ice sheet is the largest mass of ice on Earth, covering about 98% of the continent and containing roughly 90% of the world's ice. The Greenland ice sheet is the second largest. Sea ice, which forms from frozen seawater, is dynamic and its extent varies seasonally. Icebergs are large pieces of freshwater ice that have broken off from glaciers or ice shelves and are floating in open water.

Changes in polarjää are sensitive indicators of global warming. The melting of ice sheets and glaciers contributes to sea-level rise, posing a threat to coastal communities worldwide. The reduction in Arctic sea ice also impacts wildlife, such as polar bears and seals, and can affect weather patterns in lower latitudes. Monitoring and understanding polarjää dynamics are therefore essential for climate research and predicting future environmental changes.