The Arctic could be completely ice-free within three years. This was stated by researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Daily Mail reported.
This year’s minimum sea ice area was only 4.27 million square metres. km. From 1979 to 1992, this figure remained at 6.86 million square meters. km. The first summer when all Arctic sea ice will melt could occur by 2027, according to climatologist Celine Heuse and University of Colorado Boulder assistant professor Alexandra Yang.
Scientists believe that regardless of how humans change greenhouse gas emissions, the Arctic’s first ice-free day is guaranteed to occur within 9 to 30 years. But there is also an opinion that no matter how people behave in the future, an ice-free day may come within three years.
The loss of Arctic sea ice would lead to major changes in Earth’s climate and weather conditions, but would not cause significant changes in sea levels, the researchers note. Unlike glaciers or ice sheets on land, Arctic sea ice is already in the ocean so its melting will not cause sea levels to rise.
Scientists warn that a lack of ice in the Arctic will lead to extreme weather events, such as temperatures reaching -20 degrees in southern Italy or forest fires in Scandinavia. Previous studies of Arctic sea ice had predicted that it would disappear by the 2030s.
We have previously written that climate warming is occurring faster in Russia than in the rest of the world. Read about it here.
Source: People Talk
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
