Science Snippet: Loss of Arctic Ice

Ever since the 1960s, loss of Arctic sea ice has been directly linked to the rise in amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. To put this in perspective, new calculations show that on a flight from New York to London, the jet fuel propelling the aircraft results in the loss of a square meter of Arctic sea ice. Further, every additional metric ton of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere eliminates about nine square yards of summer ice in the Arctic. The study estimates that the Arctic will be ice-free by 2045. Authors of the study checked their calculations against 36 of the world’s major climate models, and discovered that their findings were consistent with the models. However, they also discovered that existing models “tended to underestimate the amount of ice loss.” (Science, 2016, Nov. 4; Dirk Notz, sciencedaily.com, May, 2012)