answersLogoWhite

0

There are several reasons why the Arctic is warming faster than the Antarctic, in fact, faster than the rest of the world:

  1. The albedo feedback. White snow and ice reflect the heat, so when they melt, the darker surfaces below absorb more heat.
  2. The ocean is never colder than -2°C and when the sea ice melts warmth moves from the ocean into the atmosphere.
  3. Global warming is likely to change the circulation patterns in the atmosphere and the oceans, causing more heat to be transferred to the Arctic.
  4. The Antarctic is much colder than the Arctic. The coldest temperature in Antarctica is about -80°C, compared to -50°C in the Arctic. So the Arctic warms more easily than the Antarctic.
User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Natural Sciences

Does global warming and holes in the ozone layer share the same cause?

They are not the same issue. Ozone is a greenhouse gas and the hole is an issue with the Antarctic that occurs at the end of every winter for a few months. The lack of warming seen at the Antarctic is being blamed on the temporary hole there allows the to escape faster. The main link is that man may be helping nature with both issues, but even this in different ways.


Does most global warming take place in Antarctica?

Africa is the continent most vulnerable to climate change. It already suffers regular famines, and agriculture and food production are threatened by any future warming. Other areas affected are the Arctic, small island nations, and the large flat river deltas of Asia.


What are facts about Antarctica and global warming?

The average annual temperature at the centre of Antarctica is -57C (-70F), so any warming there is difficult to measure.Antarctica seems to be warming at the edges and cooling in the middle.Most warming is along the Antarctic Peninsula, where the glaciers that used to move down onto the ocean floor are melting underneath, forming ice shelves which are breaking off.


Which environmental changes occur faster global warming or oil spills?

Oil Spills . Global Warming Would Take Longer Than a Oil Spill


Where are the biggest effects of global warming going to occur?

The Arctic is showing the first signs. It is warming faster than anywhere else on the planet. Sea ice melting is already affecting the habitat and feeding and breeding patterns of polar bears. The Arctic warming seems to be changing the wind flows around the Northern Hemisphere, brining cold winds into North America and Europe. Parts of these continents are experiencing unusual weather, blizzards and heat waves at different times of the year.

Related Questions

When will the Antarctic melt?

We can't know the answer. The West Antarctic Peninsula is warming faster than anywhere else in the world. Since 1958 it has warmed by 4.4 degrees Fahrenheit (2.4 degrees Celsius) which is three times faster than the overall rate of global warming. However East Antarctica has hardly melted at all.


What melts the Antarctic?

Warming temperatures and ocean currents melts the Antarctic.


What is a threat to the Antarctic?

Global warming comes to mind but the earth will adapt.


Which is melting faster the Arctic or the Antarctic?

The Arctic


Does anything threaten Antarctica?

Global warming threatens the Antarctic that we know today.


How do rates of warming and cooling of land surfaces compare to the rates of warming and cooling of ocean?

Land surfaces warm faster and cool faster


Should you be concerned about global warming in Antarctica?

You should be concerned about global warming everywhere. The Arctic will probably show earlier signs of warming than the Antarctic, which is the coldest place on earth. Parts of West Antarctic are melting, but not much is happening in the East, where the ice cap is more than two kilometers thick.


How will the Antarctic be affected by global warming?

It will be. as the temperature's rise and the ice cap will shrink and eventually disappear


How is global Warming Affecting Penguins Polar Bears and Us?

Global warming can melt the arctic and antarctic ice caps causing polar bears and antarctic penguins to have less place to live, if the ice melted, sea levels will rise and areas will be flooded and we will have fewer places to live.


What are the threats of the ozone depletion and global warming in the Antarctic?

Ozone depletion is over Antarctica. It is because of the low temperature there.


Does global warming happen faster in any part of the world?

It happens faster where there are holes in the ozone layer.


Does global warming and holes in the ozone layer share the same cause?

They are not the same issue. Ozone is a greenhouse gas and the hole is an issue with the Antarctic that occurs at the end of every winter for a few months. The lack of warming seen at the Antarctic is being blamed on the temporary hole there allows the to escape faster. The main link is that man may be helping nature with both issues, but even this in different ways.