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Title: Dramatic Slowdown in Melting of Arctic Sea Ice Surprises Scientists

Link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/08/20/1155...

The melting of sea ice in the Arctic has slowed dramatically in the past 20
years, scientists have reported, with no statistically significant decline in
its extent since 2005. From a report: The finding is surprising, the
researchers say, given that carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning have
continued to rise and trap ever more heat over that time. They said natural
variations in ocean currents that limit ice melting had probably balanced out
the continuing rise in global temperatures. However, they said this was only
a temporary reprieve and melting was highly likely to start again at about
double the long-term rate at some point in the next five to 10 years. The
findings do not mean Arctic sea ice is rebounding. Sea ice area in September,
when it reaches its annual minimum, has halved since 1979, when satellite
measurements began. The climate crisis remains "unequivocally real," the
scientists said, and the need for urgent action to avoid the worst impacts
remains unchanged. The natural variation causing the slowdown is probably the
multi-decadal fluctuations in currents in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans,
which change the amount of warmed water flowing into the Arctic. The Arctic
is still expected to see ice-free conditions later in the century, harming
people and wildlife in the region and boosting global heating by exposing the
dark, heat-absorbing ocean.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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