A steady decrease in the thickness and volume of the ice cover is observed in the Arctic Ocean, confirmed by field and satellite observations. Russian scientists have summed up the results of measurements for a quarter of a century.
Ice in the ocean
The thickness of the ice sheet in the Arctic Ocean is rapidly decreasing. Over 30 years of observations, the old and annual ice has decreased by a quarter. At the same time, scientists have noted a thickening of annual ice over the past 5 years.
According to the observations of scientists from the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI), in July-August, the indicator for old long-term ice dropped from 249 to 183 cm. The annual ice was melting faster. So, over 25 years of observations, its thickness dropped from 150 to 87 cm.
However, there has been a different trend over the past 5 years. During this period of time, the annual ice began to thicken and its average values increased to 113 cm. That is, the thickness of the annual ice increased by 30%. The ice thickness data was obtained from field and satellite observations.
The latest thickness values at different points in the ocean were obtained during expeditions to the North Pole on the Yamal and 50 Years of Victory nuclear-powered ships. AARI scientists have been conducting field observations along the same routes for many years.
This type of research complements and clarifies the data obtained during satellite observations. Scientists cite an increase in near-surface air temperature as the main reason for the decrease in the area and volume of the Arctic Ocean ice cover.
By Marat Akhmetov
