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rhamphotheca:

Scientists Warn that Arctic Sea Ice Could Vanish in 10 Years

via CBC News

Arctic sea ice is melting at a pace so much faster than once thought that the latest projections say it might disappear by as soon as 2022, according to measurements from the European Space Agency.

An analysis from the CryoSat-2 probe, launched two years ago as a purpose-built satellite for studying the thickness of Arctic ice, suggests that 900 cubic kilometres of ice have disappeared every year since 2004. At such a dramatic rate, scientists say it’s possible in 10 years that the Arctic could be ice-free for at least a day.

The data would mean that the thinning of Arctic ice is progressing 50 per cent faster than many polar scientists had previously predicted, suggesting that global warming and rising greenhouse gases could be contributing factors.

The satellite estimates were cross-referenced with data obtained from NASA planes flying over the Arctic and submarines making measurements via sonar from beneath the ice. The results should be accurate to within 10 cm…

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(via kp777)