Arctic sea ice declines again

SIKU CIRCUMPOLAR NEWS

Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder have found that the extent of Arctic sea ice, the floating mass of ice covering the Arctic Ocean, is continuing its rapid decline.

The latest satellite information indicates the September 2004 sea ice extent was 13.4 per cent below average, a reduction in area nearly twice the size of Nunavut, said Mark Serreze of the university’s National Snow and Ice Data Center.

In 2002, the decline in Arctic sea ice during September, which traditionally marks the end of the summer melt season, was about 15 per cent, a record low.

The decline in sea ice extent during September has averaged about eight per cent over the past decade, said Serreze.

“This is the third year in a row with extreme ice losses, pointing to an acceleration of the downward trend,” he said.