The study of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in the US revealed that summer sea ice reached its minimum extent on September 10 this year. The Danish scientists say the same, so, that is the question: when will the Arctic be ice free?
The scientists from the USA and Denmark registered on September 20 the lowest summer sea ice minimum. From the start of the research in 2007, it is the second lowest figure, the first one was in 2007. Martin Stendel from the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) is preparing his annual report on Arctic ice, he said:
“On September 10, it was 4.14 million square kilometres. That is 0.01 million square kilometres less than 2007 (statistically insignificant) and 0.75 million square kilometres more than 2012.”
The scientists note that the satellite records began in 1979. Now, in comparison with previous data (the long-term average of 6.70 million square kilometres recorded between 1979 and 2010) today’s situation represents yet another year of declining sea ice. All ten of the lowest Arctic sea ice extent minima have occurred in the last 11 years, in other words, it is a bad sign.
The data relates to the summer only because Arctic sea ice reaches its minimum. On the other side of the scale is winter maximum extent, which is also in decline.
