Arctic Sea Ice at Record Lows

A Polar Bear on the Melting Arctic Sea The National Snow and Ice Data Center reported on Friday there is less sea ice in the Arctic than ever recorded. With one month left to go in the melt season, the sea ice will shrink even more.

The last record ice melt happened on September 21st, 2005 with 2.05 million square miles of sea ice. Friday’s satellite record showed 2.02 million square miles.

The Snow and Ice Data Center is based in Boulder, Colorado and is part of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado. Scientists began monitoring Arctic sea ice in the 1970’s when satellite imaging became available.

As most people know by now, the polar regions are areas of particular concern in regard to climate change, because these regions feel the effect of global warming sooner and with greater impact.

While some of this current melt is attributable to natural causes, senior research scientist Mark Serreze said on Friday that "We simply can't explain everything through natural processes. It is very strong evidence that we are starting to see an effect of greenhouse warming."

Serreze further indicated that melting is occurring faster than computer models predicted, and at the current rate of melt, a complete loss of summer Arctic sea ice could occur as soon as 2030, instead of previous predictions of 2070 to 2100.

Sources and More Information
National Snow and Ice Data Center
IndyStar.com

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Arctic Sea Ice at Record Lows

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