How do the melting of the Arctic ice and glaciers of the Antarctic differently affect the weather patterns and human activities on the Earth? Explain.

The melting of Arctic and Antarctic ice due to climate change has far-reaching impacts on weather, sea levels and human systems across the globe. However, effects differ based on the characteristics and location of each region.

Melting Arctic impact upon:

• Weather
  • Slower and weaker Jet Streams.
  • Giving birth to a Central Pacific El Niño
  • Lead to extreme weather events in the middle latitudes.
• Human activities
  • Native people's subsistence hunting, fishing, and herding possibilities have been reduced.
  • People who are acclimated to live in milder areas are prone to experience physiological stress when the temperature rises.

Melting Antarctic impact upon:

• Weather
  • The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is slowing down along with the Gulf Stream.
  • Colder winters and hotter summers are expected in the North Atlantic as the Antarctic warms.
• Human activities
  • The melting of Antarctic glaciers would exacerbate coastal erosion and storm surges, resulting in the loss of life and livelihood for coastal communities.

If emissions continue to rise unchecked, the Arctic could be ice-free in the summer by 2040. But what happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic. Sea ice loss has far-reaching effects around the world.