The area of the Arctic sea ice has never been lower for the month of October.
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Pixabay / astra8953
Red alert for arctic sea ice.
According to data presented Wednesday by the Danish Meteorological Institute DMI, "the area of the Arctic sea ice is the lowest on record for the season".
"The rate of growth of the pack ice is slower than normal," said Rasmus Tonboe, an expert at DMI, who spoke of a "record" October since the start of satellite measurements in 1979.
According to preliminary satellite data, its area was 6.5 million square kilometers on October 27.
In October alone, the ice cover shrunk 8.2% over ten years.
Temperatures 2 to 4 degrees higher than normal
In question, a warmer sea than usual which prevents the formation of ice with temperatures above normal of 2 to 4 degrees in the eastern part of the Arctic north of Siberia, and 1 to 2 degrees more warm in Baffin Bay, between Greenland and Canada, according to data put forward by the DMI in a press release.
“This is a trend that we have seen in recent years with a longer open water season, causing the sun to warm the sea for longer, resulting in shorter winters, so the ice does not sink. 'thickens more as much as before,' summarized the researcher.
Already in September, the size of the sea ice had recorded a very low level with its second smallest area on record, after 2012, at 4.2 million square kilometers on September 8.
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