Late-summer Arctic sea ice could disappear by 2040
In just two decades the Arctic Ocean is likely to be ice-free during August and September, and by 2060 the Arctic Ocean will be ice-free throughout the summer months, according to a new systematic review.
“This will have far-reaching implications, well beyond the Arctic,” says Julienne Stroeve of University College London, UK. “The impact of this sea-ice loss on climate at lower latitudes and sea-level rise will be profound.” But the findings also indicate that Arctic sea-ice could be stabilised if we prevent global warming from overshooting 1.5 °C.