Tech: Arctic to be ice-free by 2013

[dracodraconis]

American researchers predict that the Arctic Ocean be ice free during at least part of the summer by 2013, based on the current rate of ice loss. They model did not include data from the past two summers that could make even this prediction appear conservative. The rate of ice loss has been accelerating due to a feedback effect: less ice means less energy reflected back into space, resulting in more heat energy being absorbed, resulting in less ice.