What will happen if melting sea ice reaches a tipping point?
Photo credit: MOSAiC/Alfred Wegener Institute By Michael Coppola and Nancy Lazar Sea Ice- what is it and how it works Sea ice is a combination of frozen salt water and accumulated ice from snow fall. It does not play much of a direct role in the raising of sea level when it melts, because the major component comes from the sea water freezing. The smaller component from the accumulation of snow over the years will add water to the seas but it does not result in a significant rise in sea level. That means during the warmer months melting sea ice is similar to an ice cube melting in a glass of water where the amount of volume stays the same. However, scientists measure the extent of sea ice at the poles every day. That important data provides a look into a serious problem for our planet. A combination of land and sea ice has kept the planet from overheating for thousands of years. Sea ice along with the continental ice sheets that cover the land masses at the pole