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Climatologists: Arctic ice may disappear completely in 10 years
Last reviewed: 30.06.2025
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Ice in the Arctic is melting faster than previously thought, according to new data from the Norwegian Polar Institute.
Scientists have installed a special sonar on the bottom of the Arctic Ocean that measures the thickness of ice floes and sends the data to researchers. Until now, it was believed that the Arctic ice cover would disappear in at least 50-100 years. "We have not found such thick ice floes as, say, in the 1990s. Based on what we have seen, I would not be surprised if the Arctic ice melts completely in 10 years," oceanographer Ermond Hansen told NRK.
Thus, multi-year ice more than 5 meters thick has practically disappeared - in the 1990s it made up 28% of all ice in the Arctic basin. In the winter of 2010, there were 6% of them left. In fact, since the 1990s, the thickness of the largest ice floes has decreased from 4.3 to 2.2 meters. This, scientists believe, is the result of the fact that "the Arctic basin has entered a new phase, where dynamic and thermodynamic factors have combined and caused a shift towards a decrease in ice thickness."
"The thickness of multi-year ice has decreased so much that it is approaching the thickness of annual ice. Under current conditions, it could melt in one summer season," he added.
"This information does not inspire optimism. Melting will occur very quickly and will have a serious impact on the lives of polar bears, walruses, fish and birds. In addition, if there is less ice, the reflectivity of sunlight from the Earth's surface will also decrease. This means that the ocean will warm up more and more," says Norwegian Minister of Environment and International Development Erik Solheim.