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
Changes in polarjää are sensitive indicators of global warming. The melting of ice sheets and glaciers contributes