Why is the Arctic so sensitive to climate change?
The North Pole is significantly warmer than the South Pole because it’s in the middle of an ocean. Long, warm summers decrease snow and ice cover and expose the dark water, which absorbs far more solar energy. As a result, the Arctic is heating up twice as fast as the rest of the Northern Hemisphere. On the other hand, Antarctica is less affected by climate change because it’s much colder; its climate is insulated from the rest of the world by circumpolar ocean currents. Also, most Antarctic ice sits on land rather than water, so it’s less vulnerable to warming ocean temperatures.
