The Role of Glaciers in the Processes of Climate Warming

We analyze the process of an increased, in comparison with other regions, rate of warming in the Arctic Ocean and adjacent areas. The visible aspect of the cause of the phenomenon is a decrease in the average thickness of ocean ice and, as a consequence, an increase in the heat flux from the water through the ice, which heats the lower air layer. In addition, in the process of losing the ice mass of perennial floating glaciers, the heat consumption for their melting decreases. The combined effect of these two factors has provided the current rise in temperature in the polar zone, by more than 8 degrees C in a linear approximation. Note that interlatitudinal air heat exchange does not intensify in this process due to a decrease in meridional temperature gradients.