The Arctic ice is the thinnest it has ever been at this time of the year.  What’s more, it’s spring and summer is on the way. Researchers are saying that some 90% of the Arctic ice is just 1-2 years old. The researchers are with NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Colorado.

The Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean

“We’re not set up well for summertime,” ice data center scientist Walt Meier said Monday. “We’re in a very precarious situation.”

Apparently sea ice needs to survive for two years before it becomes the type of thick sea ice that is key.

Thick sea ice, 10 feet thick or more, can be found from the northern boundaries of Greenland and Canada almost to Russia. But not this year. The ice barely extends the center of the Arctic Circle.

This year is an all-time low— just 378,000 square miles, down 43 percent from last year.

“Thick ice traps ocean heat; it keeps the planet in its current state of balance,” said the director of the Center for the Study of Earth from Space at the University of Colorado and NASA’s former chief ice scientist. “When we start to diminish that, the state of balance is likely to change, tip one way or another.”

Sea ice is also important because it reflects sunlight away from Earth. The less see ice there is the more heat is absorbed by the ocean, heating up the planet even more. That can cause changes in global weather patterns.

Younger, thin ice accounts for about 70 percent of the ice cover, however this year it is 90 percent.

What is it they say? “It’s going to be a long summer.” Or was it winter?

Source: Sina
Images by toddraden & nileguide

If you're new here and you like our articles, how about subscribing free for our updates via RSS feed.

Related posts:

  1. North Pole Ice Free This Summer? A U.S. scientist will blame global warming if ships are able to sail over the normally frozen over North Pole at the top of...

  2. Unexplored Oil and Gas Resources in the Arctic, Mostly RussianThey say the balance of power shifts with the control over natural gases and oil reserves. It might be the right notion with Russia, US,...

  3. What Lies Beneath The Arctic Ice The U.S. Geological Survey has some insight into what lies beneath/near/on the Arctic Circle: An estimated 90 billion barrels of recoverable oil Enough oil...