Correlation Between Waves In The Arctic Ocean And Global Warming

Jim Thomson an oceanographer from the University of Washington has made a remarkable correlation between waves in the Arctic Ocean and global warming. According to Thomson the increasing wave size that he documented during a storm is because of the increasing open ocean (University of Washington, 2014.). The open ocean in the Arctic a decade ago was only 100 miles, but in 2012, it was documented at more than 1000 miles (University of Washington, 2014.) With more open ocean, the normal harsh winds, and warmer temperatures it is predicted that wave sizes will increase. Currently, Thomson measured storm waves reaching sixteen feet and it can only be concluded that waves will increase in size (University of Washington, 2014.). The open ocean impacts the wave size because as wind blows across the surface the water will ripple and create white caps, which will steady double in size, and because of more open ocean the waves will keep getting bigger. This is a problem because as shipping companies look for ice-free routes they will face more stormy ocean weather, which is the leading cause of death on the ocean waterways.

Because of increasing Open Ocean it does not only impact shipping companies, but the environment (University of Washington, 2014.). The environment is not only losing glacier ice from increasing temperature, but also from waves battering the face of glaciers, which will break down the summer ice, which will in turn create more Open Ocean. The problem is that as the temperature rises the more glacier ice is melted in the Arctic Ocean. It’s a cycle that has no end unless a deep freeze, ice age, manages to reconstruct the