Arctic Summer Could be Ice-Free by 2040 By about 2040, the
Arctic may be nearly devoid of sea ice during the late summer
unless greenhouse gas emissions are significantly curtailed.
Simulating the climate with computer models, researchers
analyzed how global warming could affect sea-ice in the future.
The results, published in the Dec. 12 issue of Geophysical
Research Letters, indicate that if greenhouse gases continue
being released at their current rate, most of the Arctic basin
will be ice free in September by 2040 [animation]. Additionally,
winter ice, now about 12 feet thick, will become less than 3
feet thick. The rapid meltdown, result of a warming globe, will
itself accelerate the heating of the oceans, according to the
latest study. "As the ice retreats, the ocean transports more
heat to the Arctic and the open water absorbs more sunlight,
further accelerating the rate of warming and leading to the loss
of more ice," said study lead author, Marika Holland, a
scientists from NCAR. "This is a positive