Satellite observations show that Arctic sea ice is thinning at an alarming rate

Satellite observations show that in just two decades, the Arctic has lost about a third of its winter sea ice volume. Experts also note that its thickness is probably thinner than previously thought, writes the Internet resource rcinet.ca.
The study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, says that the so-called long-term Arctic sea ice has lost almost 16% of its winter volume over the past three years, which is equivalent to a layer half a meter thick.
"We really didn't expect the ice to become so thin in just three years," said Sahra Kacimi, a polar scientist at the California Institute of Technology, the head of the research team.
"By the middle of the century, we can expect an ice-free summer in the Arctic, when a sufficiently thick multi-year layer of it, which allowed to survive the melting season, will completely disappear," Kasimi concluded.

Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished