Arctic sea ice could be gone entirely in just 23 years

The Arctic Circle could be free of all sea ice by the summer of 2040, an entire 30 years sooner than climate scientists had initially expected, The Economist reports. That is just 23 years from now.

The new models are found in the report "Snow, Water, Ice, Permafrost in the Arctic," or SWIPA, which is authored by eight countries who have territory in the Arctic Circle as well as observers, including China and India. The thickness of ice recorded in the Arctic Ocean has declined 65 percent between 1975 and 2012, with record lows recorded this March.

While the melting sea ice opens up a northern sea route for trade, "the expected shipping boom has not materialized," The Economist writes. Instead, "Nothing … looms larger than the potential for environmental calamity."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up