How is global warming melting the polar ice caps?

In simple terms, a rise in temperature would cause any frozen water to begin melting, which is how the polar ice caps would be affected. However, due to the result of extreme weather also caused by global warming, it isn't immediately clear if global warming will cause a complete melting of the ice caps. For example, global warming causes more extreme temperature fluctuations so, while one year the ice caps shrink to record lows, the next year that might expand again. Also, it's been observed that when the north pole ice cap melts, the south pole ice cap expands. Scientists are still studying global warming effects, and have not reached a consensus about what will happen in the future.

The only thing for certain is that the ice caps fluctuate much more than in the past due to extreme weather and temperature fluctuations.

Changing wind patterns also causes the ice caps to melt. As they melt, the moving water corrodes at the remaining ice, speeding up the process. As the ice caps are growing again, we now see that global warming is not the only cause and actually a natural cycle in itself. But Global Warming is a bigger factor of the melting. But, global warming certainly contributes to the melting and it also increases more and more, disturbing the natural cycle. Just as the greenhouse effect, a natural cycle of itself, global warming is a cycle too. However, they are both increasing and it is now the enhanced greenhouse effect.

First answer by ID1217176068. Last edit by Jmr28. Contributor trust: 6 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 2 [recommend question]