OTTAWA, ONTARIO — (Marketwire) — 09/15/11 — The extent of Arctic sea ice has hit the lowest levels since monitoring began, according to an analysis by the University of Bremen. This record of 4.24 million square kilometers could be pushed even further. There is a close link between Arctic August air temperatures and sea ice melting. Temperatures this August were among the highest recorded, higher than the previous record year for Arctic sea ice melting, 2007.
The latest record in sea ice loss is not just an isolated event, but is the latest peak in a pattern of increasingly severe ice loss. More than half of the lowest ice years in the Arctic have been recorded in the past ten years, leading scientists to predict that the summer sea ice could be effectively gone within a generation. While it is likely not possible to reverse the trend of Arctic ice loss in the short term, there is hope that warming can be contained in the long term.
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WWF-Canada
Riannon John
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WWF-Canada
Martin Sommerkorn
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