[AndroidNeox (OP)]

If I understand correctly, the Arctic ice cap is floating on ocean and glued in place at the edges by ice extending down to land, e.g. Siberia & Canada. But, not long ago a guy circumnavigated the pole in a boat and that got me to thinking...

As ice retreats toward the North Pole, will the Earth's cap slip down?

[CliffordK]

The polar cap does drift a lot.  But, in the North, the polar cap is surrounded by land and islands, so it has to break up to get outside of the polar region.

In fact, the polar cap tends to drift towards Canada where the ice gets stacked up, and one finds the oldest multi-year ice.

One of the largest openings is the Fram Strait along the east coast of Greenland, where there is a significant amount of "flushing" of ice.  This year actually was a relatively good year for polar ice due to less movement of ice out of the Arctic region.

I've wondered if we could preserve ice in the Arctic region by adding buoys in the Fram strait designed to slow down the ice drift.  However, the climate is very interdependent, and perhaps reducing the ice filled water along the east coast of Greenland would negatively impact the Greenland ice cap, and potentially the Atlantic ocean as a whole.

[CliffordK]

Here is an excellent animation of the estimated ice age and movement of the old ice in the arctic by Fowler over the past few decades. 

One thing to also note is that the "sheet" isn't homogeneous, but has many cracks which are utilized by sea life such as whales, especially in the spring and summer.  I'll try go find some good Black and White animations later.

[AndroidNeox (OP)]

Here is an excellent animation of the estimated ice age and movement of the old ice in the arctic by Fowler over the past few decades. 

One thing to also note is that the "sheet" isn't homogeneous, but has many cracks which are utilized by sea life such as whales, especially in the spring and summer.  I'll try go find some good Black and White animations later.

Thank you for the info. It still worries me, though.

[syhprum]

Why are "Greens" opposed to evolution, if the artic ice melts the polar bears will die out and the seals will be real thankful when it freezes over again they will re evolve, you can't stop nature working you must let well alone.