How can so little warming cause so much melting? | Have you ever thought about climate change?

It takes a lot of energy to warm up water. However, the oceans do absorb heat, and they do get warmer. This warmer water causes sea ice to begin to melt in the Arctic.

Information from NASA's Earth satellites shows us that every summer, some Arctic ice melts and shrinks, getting smallest by September. Then, when winter comes, the ice grows again. But since 1979, the September ice has been getting smaller and smaller and thinner and thinner. So, just a small amount of warming can have a huge effect over several years.

This animation shows satellite observations of Arctic sea ice each September from 1979 to 2018. Since 1979, the area of ice has been getting smaller and smaller. Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio

Glaciers are another form of melting, shrinking ice. Glaciers are like frozen rivers. They flow over land like rivers, only they move much slower. Warmer temperatures cause them to flow more quickly. Many of them flow toward the ocean, breaking into huge chunks that fall into the water.