Climatologists: Arctic ice may completely disappear in 10 years
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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The melting of ice in the Arctic is proceeding more rapidly than previously thought. This is evidenced by new data obtained by the Norwegian Polar Institute.
Scientists have installed a special sonar at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean, which measures the thickness of ice floes and sends data to researchers. Until now, it was believed that the ice cover of the Arctic would disappear in no less than 50-100 years. "We did not find such thick ice floes as we say, in the 1990s, based on what we saw, I would not be surprised if in 10 years the Arctic ice is completely melted," oceanographer Ermond Hansen told NRK.
Thus, perennial ice more than 5 meters thick has practically disappeared - in the 1990s they accounted for 28% of all the ice in the Arctic basin. In the winter of 2010, they remained 6%. In fact, since the 1990s, the thickness of the largest ice floes has decreased from 4.3 to 2.2 meters. This, scientists believe, was the result of the fact that "the Arctic basin entered a new phase, where the dynamic and thermodynamic factors united and caused a shift in the direction of reducing the thickness of the ice."
"The thickness of perennial ice has decreased so much that it approximates the thickness of annual ice, under current conditions, they can melt over one summer season," he added.
"This information does not inspire optimism, melting will happen very quickly and will have a serious impact on the life of polar bears, walruses, fish and birds." In addition, if there is less ice, the reflectivity of the sun's rays from the Earth's surface will also decrease. More and more heated, "said Norwegian Environment and International Development Minister Eric Sulaim.