Multi-year Ice Melting Faster
On May 15, 2007 NASA reported that arctic replenished very little thick sea ice in 2005 – A new NASA study has found that in 2005 the Arctic replaced very little of the thick sea ice it normally loses and replenishes each year. Replenishment of this thick, perennial sea ice each year is essential to the maintenance and stability of the Arctic summer ice cover. The findings complement a NASA study released in fall 2006 that found a 14-percent drop in this perennial ice between 2004 and 2005. The lack of replenishment suggests that the decline may continue in the near future.
A single measurement can not be said to define the overall trend but in relation to the observed trends and the affect of industrial output on the environment, such a report may be another canary in the coal mine. Due consideration must be paid to such data and put in context of the overall picture in order for policy makers to understand what needs to be done.
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