An American scientific team has estimated that the Arctic could be ice-free for the first time since measurements began, and this could happen as early as this year, according to a publication in the journal Nature Reviews Earth and Environment.
Between 2035 and 2067, the Arctic could generally be ice-free in September, according to research conducted by the University of Colorado in Boulder, led by Alexandra Jahn.
The study explains that individual events, such as unusual warming over several weeks, could result in ice loss in September, either this year or in the coming years.
Measurements show that September has the lowest amount of floating ice. In the 1980s, the Arctic Ocean was typically covered with ice of about 5.5 million square kilometers in September.
Measurements began in 1978
Since measurements began in 1978, that area has been decreasing by an average of 78.000 square kilometers per year. However, despite climate change, the Arctic Ocean ice cover has been increasing slightly in recent years.
“In total, atmospheric variability accounts for 75 percent of the internal variability of ice in the Arctic Ocean. Therefore, the amount of ice largely depends on weather conditions and, to a lesser extent, warm waters coming from neighboring oceans,” the study concludes.
A report from the United States (U.S.) climate agency National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showed that the Arctic experienced the warmest summer on record in 2023, N1 reports.
E.Dz.
Photo: Polar Routes
