27-Oct-2017: Arctic sea ice waning faster than predicted

Arctic sea ice, a key indicator of climate change, could be dwindling faster than predicted. Research undertaken by the Cryosphere Climate Research Group, Canada found that satellite measurements over the years have overestimated the thickness of Arctic sea ice by as much as 25% because of the presence of salty snow.

Salty snow formed when brine is expelled upward from the ice surface does not allow radar waves from satellites to penetrate, leading to skewed measurements.

Dwindling ice cover hastens the warming of oceans, and has an impact on weather phenomena like the El Nino that influences the Asian monsoon. The thinning ice would make it difficult for animals like polar bears and seals and organisms like phytoplankton to survive.