Arctic Ocean Ice-Free in Summer by 2015, New Research Shows - Greenland Ice Sheet Shows Rapid Losses, Too
photo: Nick Russill via flickr
Anyone keeping up on the pace of Arctic summer sea ice melting, take note: Mongabay is reporting on new research presented by the National Space Institute at Technical University of Denmark (and others) which says that if current melting trends continue, the Arctic Ocean will be ice-free in the summer by 2015:These latest estimates are based on new data on the rate of rapid thinning of Arctic sea ice -- 2004-2008 saw a total decline of 67cm. (More on this from NASA.)
What's more, scientists reported "rapid increases" in the amount of ice lost from the Greenland Ice Sheet -- 60% of which is coming from icebergs calving off glaciers. The remaining amount is coming from increased surface melting, which is no longer confined to the southern part of the ice sheet -- the amount of ice accumulating in the inland part of the ice sheet is starting to decline as well.
Read more: MongabayArctic Ice MeltArctic Sea Ice Melt 20 Years Ahead of Schedule, Scientist Maintains Tipping Point AssertionNASA Confirms Dramatic Thinning of Arctic Sea Ice - Multi-year Ice the Size of Alaska LostArctic Just Witnessed Fastest August Ice Retreat in History
