Norwegian scientists have issued a warning about the rate that Arctic ice is now melting. They say that the rate of melting is part of an accelerating trend with profound implications.
The Arctic ice thaws every year, but the scientists have claimed that the annual thaw of the region's floating ice has reached the lowest level in over 30 years. As a result, sea ice is becoming thinner and more vulnerable.
Early researchers investigating the implications of melting ice suggested that a large reduction in sea ice is likely to affect the jet stream - the wind that guides weather systems and which has been responsible for much of the UK's wet summer weather this year.
It is therefore alarming that the Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), which is at the forefront of Arctic research, suggested that the speed of the melting was faster than expected.
The international director of NPI, Dr Kim Holmen, said, "It is a greater change than we could even imagine 20 years ago, even 10 years ago. It has taken us by surprise and we must adjust our understanding of the system and we must adjust our science and we must adjust our feelings for the nature around us."
Dr Edmond Hansen, one of the scientist involved, added, "This is not some short-lived phenomenon - this is an ongoing trend. You lose more and more ice and it is accelerating - you can just look at the graphs, the observations, and you can see what's happening."
