Once Arctic sea ice is broken up, does it melt faster?
Yes—waves, sea spray, winds, and melt ponds all affect sea ice. If the ice is broken up, the areas of open water between floes absorb a great deal of solar energy in summer. That energy can be transferred both to the sides of the floes and underneath the floes, promoting further melt. Wind direction is also important. Warm southerly winds can promote melt both because they bring warm air. Also, southerly winds move ice northward away from the coast. Storms and their associated sea spray can work to reduce the albedo, or reflectivity, of the ice, further increasing melt. Other effects of wind on sea ice either push the ice together, resulting in a smaller extent, or spread it out, resulting in larger expanses of sea ice at a lower density. These processes are known as convergence and divergence, respectively. Another interesting question is, are these processes captured in global climate models? Computer simulations do not capture the level of detail that these sorts of processes entail
