The Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission took us over a portion of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In relation to this, the majority of the archipelago is also part of the northernmost and largest part of Canada called, Nunavut. More so, the archipelago comprises an area of roughly 1,500,000 square kilometers and has 94 main islands and over 36,000 minor ones.
Essentially, this archipelago is Beaufort Sea-bound to the west, and by "Hudson Bay and the Canadian mainland to the sound."
The Canadian Arctic Archipelago's various islands are divided by chains of waterways collectively called, "the Northwest Passage." Formerly, the Northwest Passage was not passable owing to its year-round thick ice. Nevertheless, owing to remarkable alterations in the Arctic climate, this summer sea ice has reportedly decreased considerably, and has resulted in a rising number of vessels that navigate through what's called the "once-impossible course."
The Sea Ice Image
It was in July 2019 when this image was first captured. Here, one can see the sea ice in the Canadian Archipelago's waterways, as well as well as the cracked sea ice found in the Beaufort Sea. Several large ice floes are also seen at the pack ice's southern margin. More so, they can be seen moving and traveling southwards. And, as the pack ice floats and bumps into warmer waters, the ice becomes more prone to fast melting.
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The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said the sea ice level in July 2019 dropped "at an average of 105 700 square-kilometers daily," going beyond the average rate from 1981 to 2010 with 86,800 square-kilometers each day.
Relatively, the image was captured when numerous wildfires were burning in Siberia. Specifically in this image, a wildfire is viewed in mainland Canada, together with the Mackenzie River, and clouds of smokes are visibly blowing towards the west.
The Climate in the Arctic Archipelago
By any gauge, the Arctic Archipelago is indeed, a polar atmosphere. On the northern islands, the night is lasting for 24 hours for up to four months in winter. Day, on the other hand, is the same period during summer. In addition the, the yearly temperature may reach as low as 20°C in the north and the southern Baffin Island, at 6°C, with very low temperatures at 50°C. At present, the Arctic Archipelago is going through climate warming more intensely and faster than the world's lower-latitude parts.
Incidentally, there have been changes observed in the High Arctic and these include the reduced sea ice, as earlier mentioned. Additionally, the archipelago's glaciers are already slowly thinning and disappearing. Some glaciers vanish and thin quite faster.
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Moreover, the annual mean temperatures are forecasted to rise by 4 to 7 °C this century, with the greatest warming to happen in winter with "as much as 12°C."
This was based on an emissions scenario. And lastly, the warmer winter temperatures become, precipitation is likely to greatly rise. More so, temperatures in summer, as well as precipitation are forecasted to increase, as well.
