Why are the poles warming faster than other places?
DW News · Current
DW News
Current
As climate change takes hold, average temperatures at the poles are rising 2-4x faster than other places – a phenomenon called ‘polar amplification’. Why?
Breakdown
- Polar amplification causes the poles to warm faster than other regions. 6s
- Loss of ice reduces albedo, exposing darker surfaces that absorb more heat and accelerate melting. 17s
- More heat is transported from the tropics to the poles through changing ocean currents and wind patterns. 1m 5s
- Increased water vapor and cloud formation at the poles trap heat and raise temperatures further. 1m 50s
- Antarctica is losing over 120 billion tons of ice per year, and the Arctic may be ice-free in summer by the mid-2030s. 2m 27s