The melting of continental ice

However, these are the only things that continental glaciers, polar ice sheets and sea ice have in common. Sea ice is very thin, a few metres at the most, and it is very sensitive to the climate since it is in contact with both the ocean and the atmosphere, which are both currently warming up.
On a seasonal scale, its area varies enormously. So it is sea ice which has the greatest infl uence on climate due to the effect of albedo.

On the other hand, when it melts it has no effect on sea level. Since it is floating in the sea, it occupies the same volume, whether it is frozen or not. Continental glaciers, however, are thicker and more inert.
They therefore don't react as much or as quickly to climate fluctuations: several years for a small glacier, and thousands or even tens of thousands of years for the large polar ice sheets.

The melting of this continental ice contributes to rising sea levels. It can also alter the circulation of oceanic water masses and hence the transport of heat.

Ice, glaciers, ice sheets and snow are highly sensitive indicators of climate change, sometimes because they are impacted by new climate conditions which can affect their very survival, which is the case for certain mountain glaciers, and sometimes because they are located in the Arctic where the climate is warming much faster than elsewhere. This is why it is important to monitor such change very carefully.

The problem is not only that the areas covered with snow and ice are huge, but also that they are generally located in remote areas in high mountains or near the poles, where the climate is exceptionally cold and windy.