How do seasonal changes in sea ice cover provide a global thermal buffer?

How do seasonal changes in sea ice cover provide a global thermal buffer?



Answer: As ice changes state from solid to liquid, large amounts of heat are required to undergo the latent heat of fusion during which there is no temperature change. The Earth can absorb large amounts of heat and experience no change in temperature because the heat is 'used' to convert ice to liquid water (the reverse process buffers against large drops in temperature as the Earth loses heat)

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