At the North Pole, a newly discovered lake is sparking concerns about global warming.
The North Pole Environmental Observatory (NPEO) has a webcam stationed at the North Pole. It normally tracks snow cover and weather conditions in the area.
But the latest images reveal a troubling ice melt.
The wide-angle photos released by NPEO show a lake that started forming July 13.
July is usually the warmest month in the area but the National Snow and Ice Data Center reports that temperatures were one to three degrees Celsius higher than average over much of the Arctic Ocean this month.
Although this pond is the result of ice melting rather than seawater coming up from the ocean, one scientist says there may not be reason to panic.
James Morison, principal investigator for the NPEO, told The Atlantic that he’s seen worse ice melts at the North Pole. He said the lake may look more dramatic because of the wide-angle lenses used to capture the images.
Morison said it’s hard to draw conclusions about global climate change from one video. However, NPEO’s photos have given scientists and observers something to think about.
