29/09/2005 - Arctic sea
ice is melting rapidly for the forth year
in a row. Winter ice coverage is smaller and
spring melting set is earlier.
For the fourth consecutive year, scientists
of the US National Snow and ICe Data Center
nd of NASA using satellite data are finding
a stunning reduction in arctic sea ice at
the end of the northern summer.
The fact that near-record strong melting
is showing such continuity leads the scientists
to conclude that the Arctic sea ice is on
a long-term decline.
"We see global warming hitting every
corner of the planet," says Jennifer
Morgan, Director of the WWFClimate Change
Programme. "The rapid melting of Arctic
Sea ice should send shivers up the spine of
political leaders, spurring them to commit
to the deep emissions reductions necessary
to slow down this melting in the future."
The scientist's release note states that
"Arctic sea ice extent, or the area of
ocean that is covered by at least 15 percent
ice, typically reaches its minimum in September,
at the end of the summer melt season. On September
21, 2005, the five-day running mean sea ice
extent dropped to 5.32 million square kilometers
(2.05 million square miles), the lowest extent
ever observed during the satellite record."
