Summer Arctic ice-free by 2040? (not 2080)

[arenean]

From The Independent:

The Arctic could lose virtually all its summer sea ice by the year 2040 - 40 years earlier than previously thought - according to a study by leading climate scientists.

A rapid acceleration in the loss of sea ice seen in recent years will be dwarfed by the massive melting, up to four times faster than previously, which could take place within 20 years, the scientists predict.

If nothing is done to curb man-made emissions of greenhouse gases the Arctic Basin, from Siberia and Greenland to Canada and Alaska, could be open water in summer within the lifetime of today's children.

Article continues.....


Arctic's summer sea ice 'could disappear completely by 2040'

[phantom power]

1. I'll go with 2030.

because it's always faster than expected.

[hatrack]

2. And following the same thread, I'm going to say 2020

After all, why not?

[Porcupine]

4. or earlier. Methane releases from the muskeg and

swamplands of Canada and Siberia will be massive. Bacteria that right now decompose plant matter very slowly due to temperature restrictions are going to feast.

If you had told me that you could sail over water to the North Pole twenty years ago I'd have called you a nutcase. That was the situation for the last few summers.

This is very, very bad.

[Emillereid]

3. James Lovelock predicts that the arctic ocean will be navigable all

year by 2020 - 2025.

It's been amazing how many stories come out like this one in which the scientists have to lower the time line for events as global warming accelerates past their models.