New research has shown that the loss of summer sea ice in the Arctic is now very likely before 2050 even if the carbon emissions driving the climate crisis are considerably reduced.
These results are based on 40 of the latest computer models and are the best assessment so far of the future of the Arctic ice. What will happen if the ice is lost? Once the ice is lost, the ocean will be exposed and will absorb more of the sun’s heat further increasing temperatures. “Alarmingly the models repeatedly show the potential for ice-free summers in the Arctic Ocean before 2050, almost irrespective of the measures taken to mitigate the effects of climate change,” said Ed Blockley, who leads the UK Met Office’s polar climate programme. The models are not perfect and they do not exactly match the ice loss in historical data. Despite the uncertainty, it is clear that the ice will be lost at some point. Read more from Propergaanda: Domestic abuse is a very real threat to women staying indoors in Afghanistan