Ice melting is an important environmental issue because of the effect it has on sea levels. As glaciers and ice sheets melt, they release large volumes of water into the ocean, which causes global sea level to rise. Glaciers also play an important role in regulating the Earth’s temperature.
As ice melts, it exposes darker surfaces that absorb more heat from the sun. This is known as the albedo effect. As a result, the overall climate of the region warms and the ice melts even faster.
Water molecules in ice are held together by hydrogen bonds that form a rigid crystalline structure. But as the ice absorbs more heat, these hydrogen bonds break apart and the ice melts into a liquid state. Water molecules in a liquid state are much more flexible and can move around more easily. In a liquid state, water molecules can absorb energy from other sources of heat more readily than they can in a solid. This is what causes ice to continue melting until all of the ice is converted into liquid water.
Different types of ice melt products differ in how effective they are and their duration of effectiveness in cold weather conditions. For example, calcium magnesium acetate works at a lower temperature range and is less effective in very cold weather than sodium chloride. But Sizzle Premium Ice Melter is specially formulated to work effectively in harsh winter conditions, maintaining its effectiveness down to -25oF.