Arctic Sea Ice: Unprecedented Low Extent Reported in October

The Arctic sea ice is not freezing for the first time in history during October, and the mass measurement is one of the lowest reported in decades, scientists warned.

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The melt season generally starts in March and extends until September, when the ice begins to freeze again. However, that process has been incredibly slow this month. In 2020 the Arctic ice extent was the second-lowest since the studies began. 

"The Laptev Sea in the Arctic, near Siberia, usually has almost frozen over by now. That is not the case in 2020," pointed out via Twitter Dr. Zachary Labe, from the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at Colorado State University.

Scientific data published in the specialized website Severe Wheather Europe shows that the Artic mass is not recovering as expected since the ice extent measured by the satellites in October is the lowest reported during this month in the last 41 years.

The numbers confirm the appalling impact climate change is having on the planet. This loss of mass jeopardizes the ecosystem for polar bears and Indigenous communities in this sea, where they hunt. According to Labe, the sea extent reported in October amounts to over 1.5 million square miles, an area larger than India.

The scientist explained that the Arctic Ocean is forecasted to be ice-free during summer, at least by 2050. Meanwhile, other scientific research published in Nature magazine predicts that polar bears will be almost extinct by the end of the century because of habitat loss.