A new study suggests that the “Last Ice Area” north of Greenland and Canada, which is the last sanctuary of all-year sea ice in the current climate change era, may soon come to an end. Researchers from Aarhus University, Stockholm University, and the United States Geological Survey analyzed sediment samples collected from the seabed in the Lincoln Sea, part of the “Last Ice Area”. They found that the sea ice in this region melted away during summer months around 10,000 years ago when temperatures were at a level that we are rapidly approaching again today. The researchers have used data from the Early Holocene period to predict when the sea ice will melt today. They warn that the sea ice could melt in the coming decades if temperatures increase even slightly. This would have major consequences for the climate, as the white ice reflects the rays of the sun, but a dark sea absorbs more than ten times as much solar energy and thereby increases global warming. The researchers urge reducing greenhouse gas emissions and setting ambitious political goals to prevent this from happening.
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