Arctic summer ice decreased by 72% since 1980

The extent of ice loss at the top of the world, as seen by satellites, has been widely documented and is the Arctic ice cap’s shrinkage is often expressed in terms of area.

However, the change in the volume of ice is just as striking, according to an article in the Scientific American. 

It appears that between 1980 and 2016 the amount of summer ice in cubic kilometers has decreased by an estimated 72 percent, according to the article in the Scientific American.  

The numbers for 2016 only buttressed the trend: ice hit record lows for the months of October and November.

The Arctic may be free of ice by midcentury if we continue emitting greenhouse gases at the current rate, the article reports quoting Julienne Stroeve, a researcher at the US National Snow and Ice Data Center.