A new study authored by a researcher at NASA uses satellite data to examine melting rates of perennial Arctic sea ice, the floating bergs and floes that last all year round. The study suggests that this ice is melting about nine percent faster than previously thought, fast enough to disappear by the end of the century. While sea levels would not change, the Arctic ecosystem could be devastated – with serious consequences for the various Arctic indigenous groups who live off it - and the global climate severely affected. The perennial ice reflects a tremendous amount of sunlight; without it, the oceans would become significantly warmer.
