Melting Poles

About two or three weeks ago I mentioned a story in "The Independent" (from London) reporting that the Arctic ice cap has melted by some 40% to 50%. I remarked that is was unfortunate The Independent didn't mention a time frame. Well, here's a time frame mentioned in The Seattle Times of July 15: "The Arctic ice field has shrunk by 40 to 50 percent the last few decades and lost 10 percent of its thickness, studies show." The story also contains evidence of a warming climate in Alaska, including this:

Gunter Weller, director of the Center for Global Change and Arctic System Research at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, said mean temperatures in the state have increased 5 degrees in the summer and 10 degrees in the winter over the last 30 years.

Also:

In many areas of interior Alaska, the permafrost has warmed to within 1 degree of freezing.

Offered by Mike.