USA — According to a study published in Science Advances, there is warm water trapped under the surface of the Arctic seas that could significantly melt sea ice in the Arctic.<br /><br />The researchers used old data from ships and new data from probes installed in the Arctic waters to calculate the "heat content."<br /><br />The warm water beneath the Arctic Sea is accumulating rapidly around 50 meters below the Arctic Ocean.<br /><br />As the sea ice started to melt, the water was exposed to the sun, and heated up.<br /><br />The Arctic winds then sent the warmer waters to the north, which is where they are trapped beneath the ice pack at present.<br /><br />Warm water is typically lighter than cold water, causing it to float. <br /><br />According to the CBC, the warm water doesn't float in the Arctic because its saltiness makes it sink. <br /><br />Instead, the colder, fresh water sits near the sea ice.<br /><br />However, the researchers warn the trapped hot water has the potential to "come to the surface" and "impact the ice."<br /><br />The researchers explain this could happen if the waters become so warm, they stop sinking and begin mixing with the cold, fresh water near the sea ice.<br /><br />The Arctic is already warning at twice the rate of the global average, this would only exacerbate the dire situation in the polar region.
