Though it is true that sea ice melt is not a large contributor to sea level rise, the measuring cup experiment is an inaccurate and oversimplified “proof.” Madison Dapcevich reports.
of the Woodwell Climate Research Center added that while the meme in question is not “entirely off,” we must recognize it for what it is: “a commonly used technique among those trying to sow doubt about climate science, in which they use one narrow, factually correct statement in a distorted way to suggest that all climate science should be called into question.”
As we’ve mentioned, sea ice is its own form of frozen water. Typically, sea ice forms in cold winter months and partially melts away in the warmer months. These levels create what is known as the sea ice extent, or the area of ice that covers the Arctic Ocean at any given time. Over the last several decades, sea ice extent has declined at a rate of 13% every ten years, further accelerating its pace because of climate change-induced warming.