Arctic sea ice 'gone in decade'.THE Arctic Ocean Arctic Ocean, the smallest ocean, c.5,400,000 sq mi (13,986,000 sq km), located entirely within the Arctic Circle and occupying the region around the North Pole. will be an "open sea" almost entirely free from ice within a decade, the latest data released today indicates. Ice cover during summer will have disappeared within 20 years, but most of the decrease will happen before 2020, leaving the Arctic Ocean clear for marine transport. The Catlin Arctic Survey, completed earlier this year, is the latest research into the condition of Arctic ice. Drilling and observation figures obtained during a 450km route across the northern part of the Beaufort Sea Beaufort Sea (bō`fərt), part of the Arctic Ocean, N of Alaska and Canada, between Point Barrow, Alaska, and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The Mackenzie River flows into the sea, which is always covered with pack ice. suggest the area is almost entirely made up of young, "firstyear" ice, whereas the region traditionally consists of older, thicker "multi-year" ice. |
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